Things to do with a 12m/o?

[lollipopmother]

I'm really struggling to entertain my 1y/o mindee, she turned 1 yesterday but for the last couple of weeks I've noticed that she's been seeming to be a bit bored. She still wants to eat EVERYTHING so I feel I can't do craft activities that use pens, pencils, chalks, paints or anything that she might want to stick in her mouth such as glue or pasta etc. She used to enjoy a lot of nature baskets but she seems to have lost interest recently. She also used to be very happy playing with small world toys such as barns and cottage as they make a lot of sounds but again, not much interest recently.

Unfortunately my other mindees that she plays with during any one week (15m, 22m, 24m) are all really enjoying the toy kitchen, cuttlery & food, and lots of crafts but as I said, I feel she can't do most of these and she isn't interested at all in the kitchen.

Any ideas would be much appreciated. We already do singing/rhymes, peek-a-boo, mirrors etc.

PS: I do make my own paint for her so that she can eat it if she wants so she's not completely craft-less so please don't think that I'm not doing anything with her in that respect.

Many thanks in advance.

it's still more about exploring, using her senses, at this age

try things like - jelly play (high chair, coverall, plonk jelly on the tray, photograph her at it) or cover a sheet with pva glue, tape it to tray, give her paper shapes to stick on to it, a box of pine cones for feeling and gathering/emptying

she might like to snap breadsticks

I had great success with marzipan as an alternative to play doh (check for allergies first)

still pondering, I'll come back

I fully understand this problem, I have one who just wanders from one activity to the next never really settling on one thing for long. I spoke to mum who said she does the same at home, so I just ensure I have lots of different things available for her to pick up and investigate, it sounds like you are doing lots, so just let her explore and I am sure she will settle to do something when she is ready.

what are your obs showing you?

sometimes looking through the file will illuminate what their interests are eg you could see that she is emptying the nature box/book case/change bag

Hi Boys, thanks for your ideas. I did Jelly play, cream play etc, anything with food she eats it, there's no playing AT ALL, she doesn't even run her fingers through it! I am currently encouraging her to use a spoon so she always has a bowl of yogurt to eat with a spoon, that is obviously quite fun for her but it's not something that takes much time.

Unfortunately the things I don't want her to eat (such as chalk, dry pasta, lentils, coloured rice, flour, homemade play-doh) she eats too, she doesn't have any intention of playing with it which is really making things difficult.

I have loads of natural things for putting in/out/smelling/feeling etc and she's not currently interested (although she has been playing with these for the last 4 months so I expect she's bored of them now). She does like taking my Tupperware out of the cupboard but as much as I want her to be happy, I can't have her doing it all day because it's just not practical.

When I take her to the Children's Cente she isn't particularly happy there either, there's loads of things to do but she doesn't want to do any of it, I just feel like I'm not satisfying her play-wise and it's making me feel rather useless, plus it means that she's constantly clingy and I can't move without her crying for me to come back - when she's engrossed she's not like it.

ah, you are meeting her need to be comforted, to be close to you

I would relax a bit - I've just thought, this is prime separation anxiety time and so she might be consumed with needing to be with you

continue as you are, you are doing all the right stuff

Boys - re: obs, she loves water play (can't do it indoors here as laminate floor is a death-trap so has to be outdoors or children's centre), she likes decimating my DVD or Tupperware cupboards but doesn't seem to translate it to taking things out of normal boxes etc, she likes food! She likes books (but eats/rips normal books so they have to be board-books) and she likes singing/rhyme time.

Oh God, and she's grinding her teeth at the moment like it's going out of fashion and it makes me feel seriously sick!! So not only is she clingy and bored but she's also making the most God-awful noise, arrrgh!!

I'm sorry for such a moany post, its been a hard day

chin up sweetheart, nearly the weekend x x

As long as she's got everything she needs in other ways (not tired, hungry, etc or got something physical going on that's making her uncomfortable) then I think you've done all you can. It's one thing for her to need a change of scenery (we all do!) but if she's not settling to anything at the Children's Centre either, I don't think it's the activities you're providing her with. Sounds like you're an amazing childminder, and doing a great job at continually trying new things.

My two (2nd is turning 1 tomorrow, hence my interest) have both had shrinking attention spans the more tired they get. Or if something's bothering them emotionally, then they just want me, me, me. Guess you can only ask the usual questions about whether she's sleeping/feeding OK, and then provide her with what you can. My littlest - just 1 - is currently into pegs into the bucket, empty biscuit tin and a wooden spoon (noise is awful but she loves it), musical instruments (especially xylophone) and looking at tiny books for hours. I promise, I didn't push her into the last one - the rest of us are really into reading, and I can only guess she wants to join in!! She's not a bit interested in paint or craft things either, I think she's too young for it yet. Bubbly water gets some interest. She doesn't like sand! Crackly, crinkly things, bottles of bubbles blown by me, windmills and going for walks (swings!!) are all popular right now.

Oh, just thought of something else! She loves the empty cardboard boxes/clean bottles/yoghurt pots etc from the recycling box, and will look at them for ages. Doesn't require much organisation either!!

marzipan as playdoh! Brilliant! :)

a dry day activity - oats instead of sand

thank you Star - I do my best

As regards dough you can also use bread (take off crusts, mush and squash until it is doughy) or even peanut butter dough (wonder how many allergies that has started - don't know the recipe off hand).

Ever heard of CFS? communication friendly spaces - it is approved by Ofsted now and advocates providing a very calm background in the room with a few toys and distractions, lots of daylight, some dens. In other words, is your environment just too busy/distracting(surestart centres often are quite vibrant and busy places too). Elizabeth Jarmin - is the one to look up on net for this.