Hi pals!
I'm slipping in as a visitor to ask for some tips and ideas!
Brief background; I'm a male in my late 30's. A while back, I met a wonderful woman and we started dating. We've met up as often as her schedule allows, and we've been on a couple of little staycations together.
Things are really rolling in the right direction, and in a few months we're going on another staycation. This time, she'll be bringing her 4 year old daughter along to enjoy the seaside. On past visits, the little one's been staying with her aunty until her mum was confident that it's safe to introduce us.
She's a very shy little one, and when we're introduced, I want to offer an "ice-breaker" in the form of a small toy/gadget that I can just pull out of my pocket and sit down with... Invite her to play with, and if she declines, I can continue to play on my own for a bit so she can scope me out. You know, sort of interacting without interaction.
Throughout the staycation I'd like to do some little activities that she can optionally join in with, like colouring, making sandcastles... Anything that might help her to decide if she accepts me or not, with simple invites and no pressure.
She's still going to have mum doing mum things, so she's not going to miss out on anything by turning me down. In fact, I know I should be asking her mum for tips and ideas, but I know her laid-back responses will be "don't worry about it" and "you don't have to do that". But, I want to do this, and I want to do it 'right'.
This is where I'm hoping you come in! Being a bachelor in my late 30's, I haven't had many dealings with toys and activities for 4 year olds. Fifteen odd years ago I was an entertainer with audiences aged around 7-13, but this is the first time I'm delving into the likes of Fuzzikins and Mr Tumble!
If you have any recommendations for toys, gadgets or activities that I can tuck into my pocket or backpack, just sit down and be ready to play almost anywhere, any time, I'd love to learn about them! I know she enjoys colouring and crafting, likes dinosaurs and loves Peppa Pig.
Also, if you have any tips on communicating/bonding with a 4 year old, I'd certainly appreciate them. I'm pretty confident, but I'm fully aware that I'm not training a cat to be tamed. She's a little human being, and I want everything to be on her terms, not my hopes.