What do you all do ... ?

[JodiA]

I wondered what all you other mummies out there do to entertain your little ones when they are off school / nursery, within the house?

I'm really running out of ideas, all my two want to do is play on the laptop and DS but I don't want this as they're only 3 and 6 Done colouring, painting, reading, watching movies ... Any suggestions please??

cooking, making dens, go to the park, helping with housework.

Have a look on pinterest. I spent a while on there today as I'm caring for my two darling nephews (4 and 2) as well as my DD (nearly 5) tomorrow. Got some great ideas. I'm looking forward to making time capsules (good for this time of year), making fruit skewers with melted chocolate on top for desserts, treasure/scavenger hunts, digging in some cous cous, playing simon says, musical statues and so on. Today DD and I made short stop motion animations with my ipad and her play doh (free apps available to do that). Good fun. Day always goes more smoothly when there's a sort of plan.

Lots of walks and board games here. Tummy ache is a good board game for a 3yo as its quite simple to grasp.

Today DS has a friend coming over so I plan to do some baking and Hama beads with dd and will have a trip to the library and park after lunch.

This thread has made me think a bit too and I might take them to feed the ducks while we are out.

Our leisure centre has swimming and fun sessions on this week so we are going there tomorrow.

Shopping, park, see their Nana, watch tv, play with their toys, colour in, soft play. Mine are 8,6 & almost 3.

if you sort out the toys together, tidy them up, that generally reignites a flagging interest in various forgotten toys.

Make a den with them, then close the curtains and give them torches - and leave them to it

I've also started leaving my 4 & 2.7 olds to their own devices - after a bit they always come up with some kind of game and that's the best kind of play I think

but have to admit cBeebies has also been on a lot!

do some baking together?

When its raining we've been putting a film on and having a carpet picnic.

Does your local cinema do the cheap child screenings in the holidays?

Jigsaws, dancing (do your own living room disco), gardening, I let them do little films and photos on my i-phone, make flap jacks/rice crispy cake and I always think it is worth hosting a little mate. They then entertain each other. I love borrowing other peoples' kids and the other parents love it too...

Mine scooter/skateboard/go-kart up and down the pavement just outside the house while I watch too.

I feel really bad now I just send them to play in their bedroom they can make as much mess and noise as they like, we do other stuff like baking coloring but I can't spend all my time entertaining them so at least half of they day the are sent to play. I like to think of it as old school :)

Don't feel bad; I have just spent 3 hellish hours at a kid-centric interactive science Museum in Bristol. It was Hell On Earth and mine bitched and bellyached like a right pair of little tools. The bedroom sounds just fine, which is where I am hiding now. There was a wall in the museum where you could put comments and questions, here's what I put:

Comment: Let Me Out Of Here. This is Hell On Earth.
Name: Mum
Age: 41
From: XXXX.

lola88 - No, I do too! Don't feel bad!

I'd actually sit for longer with my two with toys, books, crayons etc but it's them who get pretty bored or frustrated fairly quickly