You favourite, thrifty things to do with a two-year old?

[NumptyNu]

Just that really! Ours are - playing at sink with soapy water and plastic cups, dancing to (any) music, and visiting the library.

Looking for some inspiration to liven things up in this rubbish weather!

When mine was two the local scrap store was heaven on earth and hours of new games with the finds.

Play do (make own), baking (not so thrifty depending on what u make)
Drawing, crayons, chalk,
Playing with toys,

Where we are there are lots of free museums/art galleries. We love the botanic gardens as it is dry and can still be noisy!
Are u in city or country? What about going for walks?

Jump in puddles

Feeding the ducks at the park
Making an indoor tent with sheets around the settee and having a picnic lunch in there
Toys teaparty

I had spray bottles from wilkos.
1 had diluted dettol
1 had lavender oil in water
1 had white vinegar in water (to be used with caution or the house smelt like a chip shop)
DC used these to help with cleaning.

Also loved furniture polish but this was riskier!

Another favourite is/was bath paint.
Mix talcum powder with a tiny bit of water (and a few drops of food colouring if you like) and use to paint the tiles.

Chocolate bugs/playdough from this recipe book

www.usborne.com/catalogue/book/1~c~ccbc~5592/chocolates-and-sweets-to-make.aspx

Melt 3 ounces of chocolate. Stir in 1 1/2 spoons of golden syrup. It will quickly form a dough.
Chill for an hour.
Then roll into bug shapes and stick on eyes using white choc drops.
I made this when DC1 was 2 with DC2 in a sling- it's really easy!

mix cornflour with water. amazing stuff!

a bag of value pasta tubes- paint them, let them dry and then thread the tubes onto string to make necklaces/decorations.

salt dough is cheap to make, can be painted after its baked too. saltdough painted/glittered creations are good presents for doting grandparents!

We spent hours doing water play too.

Wellies on - jump in puddles. They only dislike the weather if we tell them to, or they don't have the right footwear and warm clothes.

Baking/making playdough.

Junk modelling. We were never any good at it but it could fill up several hours on a rainy day.

Painting.

Turning massive boxes into space ships/castles etc. Ask at an electrical store if you don't have any at home.

Reading aloud.

Teddy bears' picnics.
Teddy bear school
Teddy bear hospital

Make rainmakers, drums etc and have a stomp-style music session.

Action man zip wire or toys in buckets pulley system up and down the stairs.

Build a behind the sofa den or cover table with big sheets and make one underneath it.

Make believe pirate/knights/princesses/magic games.

Lots of DVDs!!!

My LO loves having a little tea party with her Minnie Mouse teaset. its all very cute

Going to the bottle bank

Shredding paper

Mopping

Bit Dickensian but I swear they love it!

Indoor bath afternoon. Kids in swimming costumes, armbands. Fill the bath with balls, empty bottles, funnels, sieves etc. Get a good book for yourself.

Find some big stones, paint etc. to make pet rocks.

Build tents/dens from chairs, blankets, airers etc. Indoor picnics.

Paper mache (strips of newspaper and diltue pva glue), especially fun round a balloon (or half a balloon to make a bowl or mask).

Pinterest has loads of ideas

Potato printing
Playdough (home made)
Tie duster to each foot and set them polishing the hall - mine loved this

OK not free but movies for juniors at cineworld. Weekend and school holiday mornings you can go to the cinema for 1 each. Been taking DD since DH was 2.6 & she loves it.

Wow - as ever, you can rely on mumsnet for help! Some great ideas. I think I will pretty much try all of them!

PS what is a 'scrap store'?