How to satisfy natural curiosity of 3.5yr old?

[Hoopsadazy]

DS driving me a bit potty with his constant messing up of my/DH's 'stuff'. I can take see that this is natural curiosity on his part - he just wants to know what happens when he does X to Y, etc.

However, I can't afford to replace the stereo system, all the garden plants, random things that end up down the loo/in the bath and not sure that I can get him employed by Ikea as a stress-tester (for which he is well qualified I think!).

So, what can I do with him to learn about what happens when we do X to Y using cheap/free things in a controlled environment (i.e not on the lounge carpet).

We don't have much workspace at all in our kitchen to do much in there.

What good ideas do you have?

You have to put as many things as possible out of reach until he's old enough to get the message about what is OK to touch, what isn't and why. The instruction 'don't touch' usually only adds to the problem.

bump

Put some shelves up and move stuff higher and out of the way.

Dunno about how to stop him once he's started but heres a distraction idea, my 3.9 yr old loves finding things in old ring/jewellery boxes, the snappy ones. And little match boxes or old film canisters, you can put anything in them and she likes sorting them out, refilling them, emptying them.... You get the idea!

Thanks Cockpark - that's more the kind of help I want. He's well beyond the age of moving things out the way, I just want a constructive way to channel it.

Something a friend of mine did was to give her DS his own low shelf/drawer in the kitchen with his bowls/spoons/ melamine tableware so he could help set the table etc. This fostered independence but also gave her DS his own space for his dining things.

Junk modelling- you know, sticking a whole load of boxes together with Sellotape to make a robot etc- will keep little hands busy and is a good way for curious wee souls like your DS to see how different materials feel, how they work together eg painting on a brown box might mean the paint isn't so shiny as painting onto a white box and so on.

Good luck!

No point giving him distractions if you leave the stereo and everything else in reach. He'll go through the jewellery boxes and then move right back onto your stuff.