Please share with me your activity/craft ideas for rainy days in with toddler & newborn

[HorridHeffalumpsWickedWoozles]

DD1 has just turned 2 years, DD2 is coming up to 3 weeks. The weather is rubbish, DD1 is full of energy, I am seriously lacking it. DD2 is relatively laid back but is bf on demand and although happy for short periods in bouncy chair etc still spends most of her time being fed or wanting cuddles.

We've done (with varying degrees of success ) salt dough, peanut butter squares, colouring, stickers, reading and copious amounts of cbeebies. It's my first week 'alone' after DH went back to work and I'm really feeling the pressure to keep DD1 stimulated, happy & not left out while still seeing to the baby's needs.

So, what do you all do with your DCs during the day when you can't get out, I need inspiration & tips for coping please! Things I can do one handed or even better that DD1 can just get stuck into herself while I supervise would be fantastic.

The postman game is brilliant. Dot soft toys around the house and get toddler to 'write' letters, postcards etc. Then give them a bag to put all of the letters in and get them to 'deliver' the letters to their toys. They can use stickers for stamps, make birthday cards and all sorts. I even made a postbox out of a shoebox in a burst of creativity!

Highly recommend investing in a splash suit and sling, then getting out and about. The weather is going to be poo for months and if you can get baby fed then just chuck on waterproofs and even just puddle jump along your street (we know all the best spots ) it will burn off some energy.

My rule is that I will exercise my toddler at least once a day for an hour no matter what. Whatever activities I then do for the rest of the day go a lot better as he is calmer and we are all happier for having got out of the house.

Toddler groups are fab as you will often find other mums love to hold the baby for a bit and you can spend a little bit of time with your toddler. I certainly loved holding other people's babies before my second arrived still do as mine is selfishly getting all big and is not tiny and snuffly any more

Re in the house activities, we are quite fond of cardboard boxes. DS made a brilliant boat which kept him occupied for a coupe of hours, and even made one for baby DD too! He coloured them in, stuck crap thoughtfully chosen objects on them and then sat in it with his toys going down the river. I mum netted observed and encouraged.

Other ideas -
Make then play with play dough
Biscuits (can freeze dough to keep for "god I'm so bored" moments) then decorate and eat
Dens
Cleaning toys, DS loves taking his (plastic) garage etc into the garden and cleaning it enthusiastically. Ditto mopping the floors. Waterproofs are handy again!
If you have a printer, taking pictures then printing them out and making a collage is a brilliant one. Very immediate and engaging.
Chopping - I give DS a bit of whatever veg I am chopping and he has a good go at it with a butter knife. Things like onion, courgette, carrot, potato. If they are harder you can chop it into batons and then they can dice it fairly efficiently.
Popcorn garlands - know this is Christmassy really but he had a lovely time making popcorn, then threading it with blunt needles then eating it watching a film.
Bubble machine then pop them

Good luck!

www.productiveparenting.com/aspx/activities.aspx this website has lots of activities.

I made Ds a post box out of x pampers box the other day. He has been posting letters in it constantly. It took me about 20 minutes.

As yours is slightly older than mine you can the write a letter to yourselves and post it in a real post box.

Had to come back and say an extra thanks for the postbox suggestions. We've got a tonne of old envelopes all different shapes & colours (DF works in recycling, it's a never ending supply!) I hadn't even remembered them until this idea was suggested. We spent ages yesterday delivering and posting letters to various teddies around the living room, DD thought it was brilliant fun, what a fab idea thank you! [hsmile]

You can get a post-natal craft box set from the Little Letter Company so that DD can dip in and out when she feels like it, or they have a weekly service where they post a single craft out to the child. www.littlelettercompany.co.uk

You can get a post-natal craft box set from the Little Letter Company so that DD can dip in and out when she feels like it, or they have a weekly service where they post a single craft out to the child. www.littlelettercompany.co.uk

with regard to posting letters.

I bought a pack of blank postcards and wrote addresses and stamped them. then the boys randomly drew pictures or "wrote" messages on them and we posted them to friends and family who loved recieving them and wrote back to the boys.. it was a joy for the boys to recieve post back.

Putting a tablecloth on the floor in the kitchen and al the paints and stuff on it and allowing the toddler to go free form (BEFORE being put into the bath to clean up)

Washing up bowl of water, some plastic toys and cups / beakers to pour water and play with. Child gets soaked and be prepared for puddles on the floor but it can provide entertainment for a good long while! Ds (now 4) has a Gup B from the Octonauts, plus Kwazi and various small starfish / eel / clam type things which he will still happily play with at the sink for a while.