Entertaining an 8 month old.

[Writerwannabe83]

What activities do you do?
What toys do you have?

I feel like I'm not doing enough to stimulate DS

Shopping, park, shopping, park , shopping ....

Pull books off shelf, mummy puts them back...repeat

He will get stimulation just watching everyday life tbh

If you want a big plastic noisy thing , Jumperoo is quite useful to buy you 5 minutes so you can have a shower etc. Especially when they are on the move, it keeps them out of trouble . buy 2nd hand and sell on for same price!

At eight months I used a ball pool, touch and feel books, musical drum and some shakers- that type of thing.

Talked and sang to him a lot.

Crawling feral on the floor while watching me do stuff and his sister play

He's happy banging things, playing with his sisters toys, will sit and "listen" to a book for a minute or so.

Today we've pottered around the kitchen, been food shopping, had a bit of time in playroom then lunch. This afternoon will just be pottering around. If it's not too wet will take DD puddle hunting and he will watch.

Bit drastic to find a random 2.6 year old to entertain yours though!

Mine is 8 months and likes the following

• singing/nursery rhymes
• repeatedly opening and closing one of the kitchen drawers from his baby walker
• going on the toddler swings - depending on swing design sometimes I have to hold him and push at the same time. He also likes the bouncy things on coils (have to hold him on these).
• meeting other babies: we go to the local surestart playgroup plus another free one, also meet up with friends with babies. This always wears him out very nicely!
• bubbles
• anything new eg shiny paper, brown paper, cardboard box. Also rustly packets
• playing with water
• any toy that makes noises - the more irritating the more he likes it...

I keep meaning to put some pasta in a plastic bottle to make a shaker for him

• swimming though we haven't been very often
• supermarket or other people-watching opportunity, especially if people come up and talk to him

If you're happy staying home and your ds is happy keeping himself amused then enjoy the freedom I say.

My dd became bored easily at that age and I hated being stuck at home on our own all day so we went to childrens centres, playgroups, music classes etc. It was nice to have a friendly chat with other mums and some of those children have ended up at the same nursery as dd. Its just nice to know other local parents/toddlers.

Now dd is 2.5 we do more playing at home as she can do a lot more and as she's at nursery all week she just sometimes wants time at home at weekends. And so do we :)

Peg puzzles (I do the puzzle, she pulls them out and repeat)
Walks in the sling
Shape sorter (posting them through the main hole not the shape slots)
Song times at groups
Currently attacking the fireplace with two sticks from the ball pit frame

DS is enjoying treasure boxes at the moment or playing with a random selection of kitchen artefacts (pots, pans, measuring cups, sieve, whisk etc...)

He's also really started to enjoy being read a story and turning the pages - he loves the hungry caterpillar.