Ideas of fun things to do with my 2.5 yr old

[OnAQuest]

I was after some new fun activities I could do with my 2.5 year old ds and was hoping some of you could give me some ideas. I work full time so only have evening and weekends with him and have got into a horrible habit of doing mundane housework, shopping etc with a trip to the park thrown in and I want to break this habit and do some fun things.

We do play with his toys, read his book, play with playdoh we go out for walks and play in the park.

I'm more after indoor or home based activities, what do type of things do with your toddlers?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Honestly? If you work full time any time with 'mummy' will be a bonus won't it?

True, but would rather he wasnt doing 'boring' things with me. My DH is a SAHD so during the week they go to groups and the zoo etc. but I would still like to do fun things with him at the weekends.

I don't think you need to stretch yourself unduly...watching trains at the level crossing, baking a cake, rummaging around in the garden...all sufficient entertainment for a toddler.
Or maybe mine is just very low maintenance.

We just enjoy being together and spend time playing / reading / giggling

Weekends are really precious to me but we need to eat, wear clean clothes and have a reasonably clean and tidy house so we chat whilst I'm doing chores and try and fit in some trips out every so often.

I bath DS and read stories every night so he knows that's his special time

I work FT and have a 2yo. On Saturday we go to Toddler group and it is great. Lovely to do a normal 'mum' thing and he loves the group and the time with just me. We also go swimming as a family on Sunday and then have 'family tea' after which we don't have time for in the week. Weekends are special!

Housework & shopping is part of life. It's a real schlep for us, but I don't think 2 year olds approach it the same way.
The joys of public transport are not the same for me at 41 years as they are for my son of 2. A day with bus/train/tube travel is a day well spent.

I do miss doing normal mum things with him. Working full time is not a choice I wanted to make and I miss him terribly. I think you are right and im over thinking trying to make our time special.

I always do bath and bed with him which is our time during the week. I do like the idea of baking cakes with him he would love that and swimming, will have to brave wearing a swimsuit again

Thank you

Re: cakes - make sure eggs are involved, best bit!

My toddler loves anything crafty, especially involving glue or stickers. I rock up on sticker books and tissue paper
In pound land. She also loves when
We do floor puzzles together.

Mine likes to stand on a chair at the kitchen sink with a bowl of water and some cups! Or play with a couple of pans, a wooden spoon and some dry pasta.

Lots of lovely art & craft ideas here.

DS loves loading / unloading dishwasher, helping sort / hang out washing, loading / unloading washing machine, gardening, cooking (usually our dinner - not just baking), changing the beds, looking for aisle numbers and prices in the supermarket, going for walks/to the park, watching the trains near the station, visiting workmen mending the road, doing jigsaws.

DD (2.3) loves crafty things from poundland. I try and stay away from glue (can't be bothered with the mess!) but she loves stickers, play-doh, drawing on the patio with her giant chalks (poundshop) and I recently bought these big stickers that come with crepe paper that you scrumple up and stick to the stickers to make pictures.

DH tends to bake with her once a week, she loves getting her hands messy and sprinkling various toppings on the icing (I love eating the results )

She likes to 'help' to clean things, and I give her a baby wipe to help me when I'm polishing or cleaning the bathroom.

She loves swimming and going out for walks in the woods to collect sticks. She also likes 'cream cake day', where once a week we go to a cafe (usually just Asda cafe or somewhere cheap) and she chooses a drink and a sweet treat.

Playing with water was a hit with my DD at that age, I had a clean cat litter tray, half filled it with luke warm water - add a couple of rocks, toy frogs/fish, bubbles, jugs etc. Cover play space with a couple of old towels first - easy to clean up afterwards then.

I didn't used to get glue out very often til I copied an idea from a friend - rather than letting them have the glue you just drizzle pva glue onto a sheet of paper and let them stick things onto it!

Can you use internet shopping every now and then to free up time? What about taking the odd half day in the week to see your DS?

DS likes doing basic stuff like gardening, housework, shopping, baking, playing with cars etc etc. Low maintenance!

Glitter glue is magic.
Also never too young for junk modelling (lots of praise even when the end result looks like nothing on earth!), my top tip for this is to invest in a roll of Blue Peter style double sided sticky tape.
Turn meals into "banquets" (my DC think we're having a feast if we put the food out on serving platters on the table for them to pick, even if it's only bread and cheese!)
Get some fun CD's to dance to: DD2 will prance round pretending to be the Gruffalo or the Smartest Giant in Town for ages

We used to have some fun days out at the station. Watch the trains, wave at the drivers grab a cheeky Costa Coffee. Or go on a train/bus/tram ride to the next stop and back.

Local farms, wildlife places?

Baking, chopping veg, loading washing etc. are all good ideas.

I work FT and try to do as many of the chores during the week so that we can spend weekend being out and about and doing fun things. I don't enjoy being at home all weekend so we try to find other things to do.

At the minute, DS's (2.1) favourite activity is going to the local cemetery to watch the grave diggers

They use a mini digger, which DS finds endlessly fascinating.

He also loves:
Going to feed the ducks
Playing football
Soft play (although I am less keen as he wont venture in on his own)
Going to the train station/on a short train ride
Visiting a local city farm
Playing on the swings/slide
Swimming
Going to Cafe Nero and picking all the rubbish off the floor and putting it in the bin.

At home:
Decorating cakes (I buy a pack of plain fairy cakes for £1 and let him loose with icing and sprinkles)
Playing cars
Making dens/tunnels out of a clothes airer and a blanket
Play doh
Happyland
Drawing pictures
Playing with his wooden cutting vegetables
Pottering in the garden looking for squirrels/robins/flowers.

He is generally quite happy to help me empty the dishwasher/clean the bathroom/do laundry etc.

DD is a little bit youunger (2.2) but this was a hit at the weekend in the sunshine.

I filled a plastic tub up with soapy water and sat it on the patio,lobbed in a few balls, a bucket and a plastic teapot and stood back. She stripped off, got in and played. She had a couple of top ups of water and it kept her busy for nearly two hours!

I wouldn't stress to much about doing stuff, your ds will be happy to be spending time with you.