Fun things to do with a toddler in the Winter

[Janus]

Help!! I have always been a very 'outdoors' sort of Mum as we haven't got the biggest of flats and I feel that my daughter, 16 months, and I would go nuts being indoors all day. We have a garden but not direct access, which is a pain, so we are often visiting the local parks, etc.
Last Winter was easy as she was still young but this year I'm already struggling with ideas of things to do. We still go for a walk every day and go to the park, except if it has been raining all day. However, the visits are much shorter as it's so bloody cold!
Has anyone any ideas for a toddler, she's just walking, to do more indoors now? We sing nursery rhymes, do some crayoning, do a music class once a week, swimming once a week. I've tried play dough but all she wanted to do was eat it, paint would probably be a bit ambitious too so I'm getting stuck. Sadly/luckily, she loves the Teletubbies but I feel guilty if she watches too much TV as I feel I should be entertaining her but I need help with ideas please.
Thanks.

Buy some goldfish - mine loves staring at the fish and will be there for hours! I wonder if she will have a 'fish fetish' when she's older!

I found cooking (prepare the ingredients first) is a BIG hit with my 2 year old son. I have made soup (i cut the carrots,... and he puts them in the pan. We made muffins, he mixed the ingredient, broke the egg, made chocolate chip cookies (he ate some of the chips!!!)... and all of this in the past 3 days !

Look on the bright side, Lizzer - that's next summer's sunshine holiday organised on a budget rate. Sardinia is supposed to be gorgeous and child-friendly. Don't let her back into the country beforehand...

Fms - how does it feel to be an inspiration to many? We spent a great morning painting and glittering saltdough shapes we'd made yesterday. Last year I bought ELC Christmas playdough cutters cheap in January, and they've come out really well. My boys love 'creating', but often the result would only be appreciated by their mum! But these will do nicely as Christmas presents for Sunday school teachers/library ladies, and the like ...

Marina - can you read my mind or what?!

Bit messy this one but it kept my little one entertained yesterday while I made the christmas cake.I filled the sink with warm water and put some plastic dishes in, gave him the washing up brush and he was in his element.The floor needed a good mop afterwards but....worth it!!

Just thought of another one.I bought some really cheap wrapping paper the other day and we 'practiced'for christmas.I wrapped up some of his toys and he was excitedly shouting 'parcel''parcel'.Once he had unwrapped them he showed a renewed interest in them and then he played at wrapping them back up and presenting them to me and I had to be surprised.It was lovely!!

Make happy and sad faces on your Mumsnet posts- both my boys think these are great!

Thanks everyone for all your good ideas, have just printed them off to start trying.
I just bought a book called 'The Toddler's Busy Book' by Trish Kuffner for things to do and although I only got it today I have about 20 pages earmarked already. Things like freezing different coloured ice cubes and then putting them in a ziplock bag for your toddler to chase around, filling a clean old pop bottle with water, food colouring, glitter and baby oil and making a wave bottle, making an indoor sandbox by filling an old shoebox with rice cereal/foam packing peanuts etc. It's quite American but it has 88 pages on what to do indoor alone, let alone more sections on what to do in the kitchen together, water play, movement play, etc, etc.
So far it seems brilliant, sure I will be refering to it lots this Winter!

Kmg-So glad to be of inspiration!! I never thought of taking the idea further and getting them to make presents... what have you made? Come to think of it, you could always turn a salt dough shape into a fridge magnet! Tell me more...
Thanks, Emmam for the playdough recipe... been meaning to post question asking for recipe for AGES!

Fms - don't know if you're still around - but thanks again for this. We've been making salt dough stars and angels today - painting will take a couple of days at least, then varnishing a third day ... who says a wet half term has to be a complete disaster!

Have fun everybody!

did any-one mention story time at the library??
and playing postmand with letters/card and a red cardboard box?

The BBC Cbeebies website is very good, you can print telytubby mobiles, Fimbles pictures etc, there are also plenty of on-lne activities. My toddler is a bit too young to do the on-line stuff but loves to print out a picture to colour in.