what activities ,play do you do at home with baby /toddler to stimulate?

[racheael76]

hi whats your rountine in the day i dont me bed bath time i mean play , what do you do to stimulate your baby toddler -i am looking for ideas whats your day/timetable like 7 am to 7pm

provide lots of opportunities to learn how their bodies move - so, parks, woods, soft play, chasing bubbles, ball games

sensory stuff like jelly play, oats, soapy water, bowl of ice cubes, shaving foam, sand, finger painting

reading, singing, dancing

groups once or twice a week

I don't think rigid timetabling allows for flexibility

how about:
up/dressed/breakfast/teeth
out for a run in the fresh air, take snack and drink/out to group/out to softplay/swimming
lunch then nap, or nap before lunch
sensory stuff/reading, singing, dancing, snack
run around the garden
supper/bath/teeth/story/bed

?

I'm currently a full time working mum, but took a 14 month maternity leave with holiday. On average here is our typical day when dc (currently 17 months):

6am beaker/bottle milk
8am breakfast
8.30am get dressed usually with music on to have a dance to
9am -10am get some chores done while dc potters near me / plays / watches ceebeeies
10am-midday morning activity (usually rhyme time at library or playgroup or messy play a library etc) this time includes travel time and the activity
Midday - lunch
1-3pm nap
3-4pm afternoon activity (sometimes this will be some sort of organised activity like soft play or sometimes it will be going to the park or a free museum near us)
4-5pm - chores again while dc potters, plays, ceebeeies etc
5.30pm - 7pm dinner, bath and bedtime routine

Of course not everyday is like this but generally speaking there is a morning activity, nap and afternoon activity. I find if you plan your day like this it's much easier to organise and structure and you enjoy it more.

By the way when the weather is foul and we stay in, we do activities like these:

Swimming at local pool
Painting
Drumming on pots and pans
Shape sorting
Playing with spaghetti / shaving foam
Icing cupcakes
Watch ceebeeies for an hour
"Dress up" with my old clothes and shoes etc

Look. I feel like I need to counteract these 'stimulating baby' ideas and ask you- what would you like to do?
Watch 'adult' tv? Listen to Womens Hour? Visit some galleries? Meet a friend? Go for a cycle? Then find ways to fit baby around what YOU want to do. This will stimulate baby and also stimulate you, which is extremelyimportant.
#advice I wish I had been given :-)

Look. I feel like I need to counteract these 'stimulating baby' ideas and ask you- what would you like to do?
Watch 'adult' tv? Listen to Womens Hour? Visit some galleries? Meet a friend? Go for a cycle? Then find ways to fit baby around what YOU want to do. This will stimulate baby and also stimulate you, which is extremelyimportant.
#advice I wish I had been given :-)

Good grief 5318008 you must be some kind of superhuman supermum. I was going to say that small babies don't need a whole lot of stimulation - plonk them in a doughnut with some toys to play with / chew at or let them bounce away merrily in a jumperoo. At least I wasn't going to say Cbeebies...

With ds1 I did more in the way of play to entertain and stimulate him, but with dd2 I don't have the time and she largely has to fit in with the school run and our routine. Of course I play with her a bit but not to the same extent. She is now 6mths and is placid, always happy and interested in everything and everyone. She enjoys going out in my carrier and watching her brother play at home. I'm not convinced that vast amounts of sensory play has much effect on them - I'm sure they find it interesting to watch, but then my son has always been fascinated by the bin lorry. I agree with the above - combine a little fun play at home with going out and about and doing things that will keep you sane, like meeting a friend for coffee. If not spending your entire day saying "aagaaagaaagoo" and waving bubbles helps you to stay more sane and content, then that is more important. Babies are happiest when they have happy mums! (Not wanting to belittle sensory play - if you have the time and don't have other dc's, and if it doesn't drive you crazy all day, then go for it).