Good games to play with little ones while getting other stuff done sneakily...

[feministmama]

What tips do people have?

My favourite is playing hide and seek while doing jobs. They hide, you count reeeeeeally slowly, but loud enough for them to hear you, and you can get lots done before you have to go and fine them.

find them, obviously. Not fine them. That would be unnecessarily harsh.

I get the washing up done while dd stands on a chair next to the sink with a cup and a spoon. She can make pretend cups of tea for AGES. Oh, and she's fascinated by cooking - she'll sit on the worktop an give me instructions - "Meat! Onion! Salt! Pepper!" etc.

lol@feministmama!

I hoover with big hoover and give DD handheld hoover with piss poor suction to wield so she thinks shes really helping!Also she has a fascination with emptying tumble drier for me and can spend ages sorting everything in basket while I stealthily work away on reading closer mag folding washing..

We play opposites. 'I like it when you leave your clothes on the floor', 'don't put you plate in the dishwasher', etc. Works like a charm!

I used to:

• clean the bathroom while they're in the bath
• give them a duster whilst I hoovered and dusted
• let them play with soil in a seed tray or a paintbrush and water whilst I did some gardening

I do kitchen based jobs whilst she plays with a bowl of flour and water. Can last up to 40mins!

feministmama

these are excellent tips. I have 2 older ones that don't really need my entertainment or supervision any more, and a baby who currently likes to crawl around after me while I hoover. I did manage to get the older ones to hang up my laundry for me once or twice. That was a good trick...

Looking forward to trying some of these suggestions out when we go through the toddler phase again - enjoying it lots the third time round!!

I also clean the bathroom (well, sink and toilet) when DD is in the bath!

I give her a babywipe so she can 'help' with the polishing and dusting (she's actually quite good!)

We play 'chasey' with the vaccum, I zoom it up near her and she giggles and runs off, then comes back for more!

The Wipe Game.

GET A WIPE EACH AND GET CLEANING

1 point for slightly dirty
2 points for medium
3 if you can't use it any more.

You do high up, they do low down.
Under beds getS lots of points.
Keep score, prize for the winner.

We have the "find the best thing that is " game. They have to find the best thing they can that is whatever colour and bring it to me. Then usually I look at it carefully and say "well it is good, but I don't think it is the best thing. Go and find the best thing you can that is ..." Now that DS is a bit older (nearly 4) he has to explain why it is the best thing.

It can go on for hours, but you have to watch for when they are getting frustrated and say "wow, that is an amazing thing that is . Now can you find the best thing that is ." This works well in the garden as well.

Build A Den is my stock answer.

like the game. A good game on pebbly beaches when boredom sets in (and I'm midway through a gripping chapter) is the game.

We play Postman Pat where things to be tidied are the parcels. DS (Postman Pat) has to deliver all the parcels to the proper addresses (where they belong).

Agree with Hide and Seek. You can also take ages finding them while you walk around putting things away, etc.