what do 16 month olds like doing? HELP!

[plasticinemachine]

Its over 10 years since I had a 16 month old & I can't remember what I used to do everyday. My sis is coming to stay for 2 weeks & I'm not sure what to plan? She's told me not to worry, we'll make it up as we go along but if someone could tell me the kind of things their 16 month old likes doing as in day trips but also what they do at home play wise, that would be very helpful.
Thanks:)

[carapace]

My 15-month old also loves tormenting the cat, the hoover (riding it like a horse), climbing everything, putting things in the dishwasher, playing with the washing machine, shouting at cars (can't believe what a universal pleasure this is for them), drawing all over his face and body with his brother's markers....about the only actual toys he likes are stacking cups and his Fireman Sam ball. Loves the park and anywhere in the wide world where he's allowed out of the buggy. He's also well into destroying anything his brother makes.

[Polka007]

This thread is really making me belly-laugh whilst sat at my desk at work, so I'm having to have noisy slurps of my drink to cover my chuckles up.

It is also making me quite fearful as my DS is 14.5months and I can see is building up to these far reaching set of joyful skills!!

I would add that anything involving water - watering plants, patio, car etc seems to hold their attention for ages!

[qumquat]

The great thing about 16 month olds is you don't need to entertain them! Walking, climbing stairs, emptying and repacking boxes, emptying and re packing cupboards, emptying and re packing bookshelves... There's your day gone!

[fhdl34]

Oh yes, bookcase emptying, that's a great activity!

[fhdl34]

Putting stuff into stuff into other stuff, taking stuff out, stacking cups (pick up from charity shop), pots and pans, dustpan and brush, climbing everything, swing at the park.
Don't bother with play doh, my DS is 20 months and has only just started playing with it instead of trying to eat it! My dd didn't even have any at this age but he copies what she does - apart from the eating it bit

[Orangedaisy]

We killed an hour at pets at home this week on a rainy afternoon....

[Hotbot]

Second baby gate , but for the dog not the child,
These are taking me back as well.

[LHReturns]

My DS is only 14 months but I am laughing hysterically at this thread, and want to join in.

He likes:

• feeding the dog then eating the dogs treats with a huge smirk
  
• trying to put both hands in dog water, then screeching when not allowed
  
• trying to empty the fridge then screeching when not allowed
  
• racing towards the dishwasher every time it opens, then screeching when it is closed before he gets there
  
• reaching up to the oven timer buttons and hammering them, resulting in the oven alarm bleeping at 2 in the morning (every bloody time!) - then screeching when not allowed
  
• climbing onto arm chairs and tumbling off onto a permanently set up mound of cushions, so the family room always looks like a soft play area and adults all have to sit on the floor
  
• standing at the terrace sliding doors and pounding the glass as if a prisoner and hoping the neighbours will rescue him
  
• shouting at pigeons
  
• pulling books into the floor and crying each time one lands on his foot
  
• squashing ants with one chubby pointy finger and saying 'dah' each time
  
• picking up his little dirty laundry bin, dragging it to centre of carpet, then flinging each stinky item out, one piece at a time (my son with the dirty laundry fetish)
  
• and emptying cupboards, then half way through forgetting which way round he was doing so putting it all back in again...

[plasticinemachine]

LOL! I'm loving this thread, so funny!! I must say some memories are coming back now, I'd obviously buried them deep!!
I do remember one occasion when my two were about 14 months and 24 months and the younger one took off his pooey nappy and they both went outside and took their clothes off and smeared it all over themselves, face included! The 24 month old told me they were 'putting suncream on'! So gross! they had smeared it all over the outside walls and pathway too, it was like arriving to a crime scene but of shit.
I think I had been inside enjoying some peace and quiet, but I did learn from that that quiet meant trouble!!
Right I have sandpit & paddling pool sorted! Will go along to charity shop to get bag of toys & I'm still trying to borrow a ride on. Outings on my list are: farm park, swings, river/ducks, soft play if raining, swimming a couple of times and lots of walks as we have a dog:)
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I realise arts & crafts was being very optimistic but I love doing them and my own kids really won't indulge me anymore!!
xxx

[BearFoxBear]

Arts and crafts, brilliant

14 month old ds loves pulling his nappy off when you're not looking, peeing on the floor, then handing over his nappy with a "ta" and a big smile on his face, trying to smash the TV screen with any object to hand, doing penguin belly slides into the bath from a carefully constructed step made of anything he can climb on, bashing everything in sight with a golf brolly, eating unidentifiable floor crumbs, pooing in the bath, and bananas.

Have fun!

[ch1134]

Mine loves reading, drawing, watering plants, dancing, nursery rhymes, going to the park, farm, swimming, going for walks, to the supermarket, toy cars, bubbles...

[stressbucket1]

I have a 17 month old stacking cups are a great idea they also make good bath toys!

Days out to anywhere they can walk or run around freely

Garden centres are usually good for a trip out especially if they have fish and small animals to look at and a nice coffee shop

Duplo and mega blocks are popular too

[FraterculaArctica]

DS' granny has just visited with a tub of bubbles from Poundland - that kept them both entertained for quite a long time!

[Highlove]

*cat. Get a cat.

[Highlove]

A handful of super cheap toys might help - a £1 set of stacking cups have long been a favourite here. A few books, too. £10 in your local charity shop might be money well spent.

Alternatively get a car. My 16mo likes nothing more than shouting at ours. In between trying to get it to hold her ball. The little bigger just won't join in

[FraterculaArctica]

Climbing on furniture, the higher the better.
Drawing with crayons or chalks ('We draw on paper, not on the floor' I say hopefully over and over again...)
Going to the swings and slides.
Standing up next to a bike or the wheels of our car and playing with the wheels - getting very dirty in the process.
Turning lamps on and off, over and over again.
Getting the hoover out of the cupboard and demanding that I hoover (my enthusiasm for hoovering is much less than his).

[MinetteFalters]

Putting things into other things. Taking them out again.

Anything I have said not to do.

Water in pans with a spoon to mix / bang on pans.

Climbing onto anything, the higher the better.

Trying to jump, can last a while. Love watching her trying to get both feet off the ground at the same time.

Oh, and once you have a wine in hand, 'cheers' with her sippy cup can last long enough to finish it.

[plasticinemachine]

Well 2x2 hour naps sounds great! The one thing I do remember is that my DD gave up all day time naps at 13 months, now that was a shock!

Ok I'm getting the picture, and yes I do count long walks in a buggy till they fall asleep & then going for coffee (or pint) as an activity 'gointothewoods', certainly beats the zoo:)

[bobajob]

Mostly running around and climbing on things
A bit of playing with cars and duple
Playdoh and paints are interesting for about 30 seconds at a time
He likes the sandpit and water
Can play with the hoover for about an hour
Pushing things around (buggies, trolleys)
Emptying cupboards
Carrying bags
Putting shoes on and taking them off
Books
Eating things
Chasing animals/squashing insects

[purplemurple1]

Mine was napping 90min every third day by 16 months and just 9 to 10hrs at night so don't count on those long naps.
He liked mostly blocks, watching his little sister, pestering the dog, copying us and helping with jobs.

[eaiand2]

Oh, and 2x 2 hour naps here, too! I assume it's very tiring being her.

[eaiand2]

My 14 month old likes: posting random things behind the sofa, eating the dog's lead, eating the dog's tail, trying to eat the dog's food, tipping out the dog's water, and bashing all the buttons on the activity table and walker at the same time. She also really likes to eat food. Everything I eat gets heavily taxed by her. The yogurt tax is especially high, about 40%.

She loves going to the local playground, though, just playing in the little wooden playhouse there doing nothing really. Also, picking grass. And eating it. The other day we went to a fake beach and I built castles that she then tore down/tried to eat.

I assume a 16 month old may enjoy the same things, I can't imagine she'll be that much different in 6 weeks ????

[Littlef00t]

Dd loves books, putting things in boxes and jars, zig zag car track, making me carry her around pointing where she wants me to take her, emptying cupboards, duplo zoo, demanding to get lifted up on furniture.

She loooves swimming, planning on taking her to soft play, possibly old enough for the zoo, loves the play park, exploring the woods, pottering in the garden.

[gointothewoods]

Art and Crafts? Laughs loud and long.

Mine liked things like:
Licking the windows
Running into walls
Climbing on random things and falling off them
Pulling everything out of presses
Riding the cat like a horse
Banging things off each other

You could do soft play or a park or a playground.. Activities don't really work with 16 mth olds (unless walking around until they fall asleep in the buggy then going for coffee and cake - or a pint - counts as an activity?).