what to do with a bored toddler!

[GandTiceandaslice]

He's nearly 2 and a half.
He goes to 1 toddler group a week. He was going to little steps gym but when I got him there today he became hysterical. He used to cry during the class sometimes before the holidays. So I didn't take him in.

He gets very bored though.

I hate going to the park. I do go sometimes but with the winter coming up that'll be out of the question.

I feel he's too young for pre-school, although he could have gone just after his 2nd birthday. Not to mention, it's also £9.50 a session!

So, tips for entertaining him please!

Walk walk and walk - its free, good for you and for him. Are there some woods or forests you can take him round?

TBH at his age he should be socialising i think with other children. most go through a stage of crying but are generally fine once you have gone.

Have you got any friends with toddlers - you could take it in turns to host the mayhem at your houses? It always feels more worthwhile doing messy stuff like playdoh, sticking etc if you have more than one child.

Swimming?

What don't you like about the park? Winter is no excuse IMO - fresh air is great for toddlers! You don't have to go for the swings etc - DS likes to run about the grass with his pushchair.

Can you find some new toddler groups? Does your local library do any story time or stay and play sessions?

What about swimming?

Re preschool - can you look at your budget and see if you can afford it?

local children centre?

why is the park out of the question in winter?
we go every day - rain, snow or shine.
in the autumn you can collect leaves and pine cones and chesnuts to make collages. Make it into a treasure hunt

walk to the library and get some new books

find a sure start or church toddler group. costs about a quid usually. he can sit on your knee if he's feeling nervous, and join in more as his confidence grows.

A bit random, but do you have a pet shop near you? We do, and if I can't think of anything else to do we walk there and DD talks to the rabbits, fish, hamsters and gerbils for ages. And it's free!

Garden centres also a good bet: plants to hide behind, often fountains, animals etc.
Also second (fourth, fifth, whatever) the comment about not going to the park in winter. There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. get some good warm thermals (for you) and an all in one snowsuit/ waterproof for him and you can go any time.

I have a 2 and a half year old too, these are some of the things we do:

Cooking
-Just add water mixes like these or these.
-Make Angel Delight, she loves whisking the mix trying to make bubbles, likes trying to spoon it into little yoghurt pots ready for the fridge
-Pretend cooking - I give her a load of tupperware, wooden spoons and whatever else I can find and give her a load of dried pasta to 'cook' with. She loves it.

Cbeebies Puzzles online - she sits on my knee and we do some puzzles on the laptop, her favourite is In The Night Garden I do the mouse but she points to where everything should go.

Soft Play Centres - I don't love them, but I go with another mum we can have a coffee whilst the DC run around and wear themselves out.

Library - Walk there to wear her out a bit, pick a few books, read a few and bring a few home and by the time we have walked home playing 'spot the dog' she is ready for lunch and nap.

Den building - I have a tatty old fleece blanket that I stretch between the chairs and make a den. She loves it and takes her teddies in with her and chatters away to them, has her snack in there, runs in and out of it, ruins it and then wants it built again and again... you get the picture!

Playdoh and colouring are my fall back and she has started to enjoy fuzzy felts which are cheap too I was pleased to discover. Sticker books are also a big hit.

I'm sure I can think of more, I'll post again if I can. I dread winter when we get stuck in. Last winter we had 2 weeks where we just couldn't get out and it was awful, dreading the same this year.

I do think preschool is worth it, especially if he doesn't mix much with other kids. DD1 started doing 2 sessions a week when she was 2.5, mow she is 3 and gets her free 15 hours so goes for longer, she absolutely loves it. They do take childcare vouchers if either you or DP get them?

Thanks for all the suggestions!

If you can belive it, he is my 3rd.

I think the older 2 entertained each other as they're close in age & now I have a big age gap.

I am going to look into swimming lessons.

The park is out in the winter as I suffer dreadfully in the cold. I find it really painful.

I put my son in an empty bath and then give him different coloured jelly. Yesterday he had green, red and yellow. He loves jelly play and can spend an hour in the bath making a mess. Once he is bored of the jelly I clear it out, give the bath a quick wash down and then he is back inside to have a proper bath.

findmeintheflowerbeds

Took him to Pets at home! He loved it. And they fed the rabbits while we were there for extra entertainment value!

Cooking is great. I don't do anything special, but DS 'helps' with all the everyday cooking I do and he loves it.

I am loving the idea of the jelly in the bath, my little girl loves messy play so that will be a complete hit I reckon. We have been making lots of play dough, its really easy to make and they can help mix it up. We have added food colouring and glitter and it looks beautiful! Also gloopy gloop, cornflour and water, it is messy mind but its brilliant fun. Again they can help mix and be prepared for mess, I covered the kitchen floor in newspaper and got DD to 'do the washing up afterwards' but she spent ages playing with the gloop with just a couple of bowls for pouring and some little animals. We also do lots of structured groups, music, gym nippers etc as we both go stir crazy if we stay in. DD also loves a trip to IKea

Same as the others have said, parks, woods, toddler groups, libraries, jigsaw puzzles, 100 plastic toys in the bath , cooking, painting, colouring in, etc. Weather doesn't matter unless it is absolutely pouring.

But tell me more about this jelly in the bath...it's made up jelly not the 'raw' cubes, right? And presumably they eat it as well as play with it?

He is starting Jo Jingles this thursday. Thank you for all the suggestions!