any great ideas to get us through winter? (1 year old)

[BabyLlamaZen]

It was ok initially as he was little, but now the toddler years are creeping in it is way more of a struggle. There aren't any classes for his age group apart from two which are impossible to book onto as are so popular (and it's luck of the drawer if you can get on - I haven't :( )

I'm getting bored to death of walking round the block. The park is OK, probably better when he can walk and actually splash in puddles. It's dark and cold though.

What on earth can I do with him? Covid you can really do one!

I'm also quite worried about him not mixing with other babies. Would it be worth putting him in nursery? I'd really like to avoid it if possible.

(My work has dried up with covid, so do the odd thing here and there but mostly a SAHM)

I feel your pain. My DS is 18 months and we had just started going back to soft play only to be plunged in to tier 3 yesterday. Its depressing, it rains 95% of the time and its only going to get worse. Mine goes to nursery 2 10 hour days a week and he cant wait to get in the door when he gets dropped off. We will still go the park most days when its not pissing it down. I miss everything we used to be able to do

Another with an 18 month old. Swimming is now (literally) five times the price (£25 for an hour) so that’s a once a month not weekly thing now. There’s a forest play thing but that will be finishing this month for winter.

Nothing else is available.

I’m happy to be outside with him every day, I can always bundle him up. But I worry that he’s not getting to socialise at all.

I feel like he's getting bored and I'm going insane.

Not fair with the prices going up but I see it too. :(

Tuff Tray? I use mine 2-3 days a week with my 18 month old. Use value rice/oats/rice crispies and diggers, pouring, scooping and tipping into jugs or bottles or Tupperware. Pom Pom posting, Loads of ideas on Pinterest/online. Some of it’s a bit cult like but keep it simple and mine loves it ( as do his siblings).

I bought some bath pipes, extra bath toys and he has a lovely bath on miserable days, it’s not swimming but our pool is still closed.
We walk daily, park but it’s losing its appeal.
He loves his one day at nursery, grateful we can afford it as it’s the only contact with toddlers he gets.

@eco I have no idea what you mean but will be looking them up shortly!

Set up a pretend supermarket or shop in a corner of a room, with a till and little trolley and loads of fake food.
. You could keep swapping and changing the type of food, so one day a ice cream shop next day a fruit veg shop.
Just be prepared to be bored senseless by playing shop keeper. You could keep your phone stashed under the check-out for sly internet browsing while you play shop keeper. Just like a day at work really

Ugh just realised 1 yr old prob doesnt even know what shops are ! My 3 yr old hasn’t been in one since march. He used to love pushing a trolley round and ‘helping’ bet he haas forgot all about shops now

Shallow bath in the living room with soap and bubbles. Freeze plastic characters in ice. Sit with coffee and watch.

We have a den building kit which provides almost endless possibilities. It wasn't very expensive, it was on Amazon.

Paddling pool ball pond.

Go on your local FB page and see if there are other Mums to meet up with outside in the park. Take a flask, and a ball or ride on trike etc.

I used to rotate the toys, put some put of sight for a week or so, when you get them out again they are much more interested.

We used to do lots of messy stuff with them in the highchair to contain things a bit. It wasn't long before they could make scribbles with a chunky chalk of crayon, ice cubes on the tray are fun and not to messy. A blob of jelly, yoghurt or something like that to explore and doesn't matter if they eat some.

The pop up tunnel got lots of use, especially when they were not yet walking.

Wooden clothes pegs, the ones without springs. At first they likes posting them into an empty 4ltr milk bottle and shaking them out, later they coul stand them round the edge of a shoebox.

Are you sure there definitely isn’t any other baby groups to attend? I have a 5 month old that I go to different groups with every single weekday- all of these are franchises though and they are spread around the country and they all accept babies age 1 and above as well as younger. I also take my son swimming and to the park, and to the local library to get new picture bedtime story books weekly.

Oh and have a look if there are any farms locally- I take mine every few weeks to a farm to see the animals, there are a couple around.

One year olds don't need much variety, to be honest! Plenty of interaction and talking from you, playing with toys at home, a walk to the park, lift-the-flap books read to them and they will thrive!

Do you have a friend you can meet in the park for a little adult interaction once a day?

OMG there is so much u can do at that age, be creative and stop using Covid as an excuse. As previous posters have said Google is your friend, look stuff up.

I would t worry about him not interacting with his own age group just make sure you are interacting with him. When you say the park do you mean play park swings etc. When mine were that age I went most days and children tend to run around together making it a good way to meet parents. Then hopefully this might lead to meeting up, outside if not tier 1.
Also did you do any ante/post natal groups to meet people. Best thing would be to find others in your situation and get out and about together. Libraries are also worth a look, ours are open and some have a few toys as well as books.