What can I do with my 8 month old?

[DaleyBum]

I'm stuck. Every day is the same and I'm so bored. So is he. Any ideas? Preferably things we can do out of the house.

At 8 months old they love messy play. DS started nursery at that age and frequently came home covered in paint, and I'm told his particular favourite was shoving his hands into cold, cooked macaroni.

I think we spent a lot of time sat upright playing with cups and toys with bits that moved. Can your dc crawl?

He does love painting but it brings him up in a rash. He can crawl and cruise (nothing is safe any more) but gets bored quickly. Will try the macaroni tomorrow :)

Ah shame about the paint. At this time of year would you be happy to let him get muddy in the garden/a park? I used to let him bang about with pans and wooden spoons when I was feeling rowdy.

It's tough to think of things isn't it? Although I imagine he's still intrigued by lots of things but you might feel like it's groundhog day!

DC 8.5 months and I do loads - even if I just want a quiet afternoon

Out and about

We go to groups - rhyme time, messy play, music group, bumps and babies, toddler group - check out your local surestar centre/library.

We visit; the local cafe which has a play area, the library to look at books, the local free museums.

We go swimming, to the park, the supermarket [where we go to the toy/book aisles]

We go to the local wildlife space and bird watch, feed the ducks, chat to the dogs, watch the cows.

We go on day trips to the lake, zoo, local mini railway.

We go on playdates to friends homes

We joined tumble tots at around that age - DS loved it (and still does). Swimming or music groups are also good.

In the home, DS loved treasure baskets at that age. A box of fabric offcuts could keep him entertained for quite some time!

you can make your own paint with flour,water and food colour? make the most of being able to go into soft plays for free?

I live in a small village and don't drive so it's hard to get anywhere. There's a mother and toddler group but only one other baby is around the same age as my son and he doesn't really do much other than play with the toys like he would at home. Swimming is out, no pool I could get to. No other groups. No museums or other places to take a day trip. There is a park but he would spend 10 minutes playing with the grass/getting muddy and then he'd get bored there are also no supermarkets near here and since he was born I don't really have any friends any more :( this is hard!

Will definitely try the homemade paint. No soft play I could get to either.

Boxes full of nik naks/things that aren't toys for him to feel/lick/poke. From household sponges to keys to pine cones and feathers? Babies love textures and can get engrossed in them for awhile.

Sadly they do have v limited attention spans but I'd do the baby/toddler group regardless. It's important for them to be around other kids, so they learn to socialise and don't come to expect you to be everything. As for playing 'with' other kids - that comes later anyway. Ds is 18 months and still doesn't do that.

So really you're looking for things to do at home :)

At home we - bake or I bake and DC sits in the high chair and helps, do sensory play [gloop,ice,flour,shaving foam] empty the tuppaware cupboard, painting, felt tip drawing, we play with the treasure basket, we read books. And we try to use all the rooms in the house as different places to play/hang out :)

My DS is just over 7 months old. I can't imagine him drawing or painting yet?! I think he would eat the paint/ crayons/ pens.

I would love to try it though! How do you stop them eating it?! Is he not too young to start?

Also with messy play.. i think he would just eat the flour/ shaving foam/ ice etc!

Don't worry if they eat flour etc. It's not gonna harm them and they'll soon learn it tastes disgusting. take it from someone who's ds ended up headfirst in a box of strawberry angel delight at messy play!

I'd try to think of things that you would like to do and just bring him along. 8 months is still very young.

However I've only realised this with DD2 so she just potters around the house while tidy up and sits sits in the buggy while i go shopping. Most of the activities that posters have described above I do with my nearly 4 year old Dd1 while DD2 is napping. I did some of those activities with DD1 when she was very little but they seemed to take a lot of time to prepare and a lot of time (and stress with a crawling baby) to tidy up afterwards and only entertained her for 5 mins max. I vaguely remember that by 1 ish they can 'draw' (make marks on paper with a crayon!). I think I will start there and move up from this time!

Are you going back to work or are you going to be a SAHM?

Anyway you'll be amazed how different he will be by 1 yr old! Do you have nice walks by you? Dd1 could go searching for nice leaves everyday in the autumn/winter between 1 yr old and 18 months!

I agree that those activities sound a lot of hassle for short interest. my 9mo dd is not interested in anything for long. we basically go round the house room to room, a few toys or things in each - eg can be plactic spoon, toothbrush, crinkly paper. she crawls round and pulls herself up.

I go out with her once or twice a day. she loves a trip to Asda , park to see ducks. things like coffee shops are hard now as she won't be still. she would get bored in a sling in a museum after 20-30 mins. best thing really is going round friends' houses. new toys for her and conversation for me. are there any Nct things near you? even if you didn't do the prenatal classes here there are coffee mornings. or bf mornings etc.

I think go to the group anyway. he will like the different toys and mine adores watching older children. plus you will meet other people.

no way am I giving mine shaving foam. she'd def eat it!

Ooh sensory bags would be great. You get ziplock bags and fill with a little hair gel, or bubble bath or whatever, then put in little bits and pieces for them to squish and look at. You can theme them and tape them to windows etc.

You can also do them with shaving foam and food colouring, so as they squish them the shaving foam changes colour. If you do eg blue and red then it also turns purple.

You can get them involved in baking with ziplock bags by getting them to mix the ingredients in the bag while you're doing other things.

Make sure you tape up all sides and double bag.

mamaot.com/2012/09/25/40-fun-sensory-bags/

Obv no need to tape and double bag for cooking, you'll need it again!