Best cheap and cheerful ways to entertain a toddler

[Ilovenannyplum]

Just that really?

Yesterday we spent ages threading pipe cleaners into a colander and my just turned 2 yr old loved it (and it cost nothing, win!)

Anybody have any suggestions to keep little hands busy?

Most Surestart centres run playgroups that are either free or very cheap

Kitkat
DS and I go to pets at home ALL THE TIME, it's walking distance from us. It's known as 'the free zoo' in our house, it has the aquatics dept upstairs and it's huge. He'll look at the 'babbits' for ageeeeees.

He gets particularly happy when someone buys a pet, he hangs around looking cute and sometimes the purchaser lets him stroke whatever they're buying.

The staff must think oh god, they're here again

NannyPlum - haha glad it's not just us! Sometimes I wonder if half the people in Pets at Home with small children are just on a free trip to 'the zoo'!

I'm sure I'll regret it in a couple of years when DD asks for her own rabbit, guinea pig, hamster and fish.....

Salt on a tray is another good one.

Kitkat

Me too we got him a 'nemo' (goldfish) he seems pretty happy with that for now.
Give it time, I'm sure we'll have various small furry pets!

Our local farm shop used to have an old tractor parked outside it. DS would spend hours up in the driving seat. It was his idea of a Grand Morning Out.

Meanwhile, I stood around freezing!

Love this thread. THANK YOU to whoever suggested supplying two containers and something to move between them! DD has actually sat playing happily for 10 whole minutes without demanding 'Help!' Might not sound like much but she is not an independent player at all so it feels like a small miracle. Am happy to be sat watching her but my Pgp grumbles from being sat on the floor and am desperate to help her be just a tiny bit more independent in her play by the time her baby brother or sister arrives in March.

indoor picnic - get some paper and yellow card and make your own clouds and sunshine. then have a cosy indoor picnic for lunch

Lots of brilliant ideas
Also get a book from library for ideas or Pinterest has heaps too.
Make jelly and put grapes in it - witches eyes!
Blu tack some sticky backed plastic to a window with sticky side facing out then all sorts can be stuck on -good for Autumn leaves
Buy a book of raffle tickets , make some numbered parking bays on a piece of cardboard , stick numbers on cars and park them in correct bays

Takes a bit of effort tidying up but a bin bag worth of shredded paper (not cross cut just 'normal') is a lot of fun, throwing it up, making piles and jumping in it etc.

Love the pipe cleaners/colander idea - Gdd of 18 mos loves fitting things into things - but where on earth do you buy pipe cleaners nowadays?? I know,probably Amazon but don't want to pay postage if you can find them in a shop.

Getting I literally just bought some pipe cleaners for a pound in The Works having been inspired by this thread! I reckon Wilkinsons would have them too.

You can get pipe cleaners from Poundland! 😁

Placemarking!

I got my pipe cleaners from Wilkos, they were only about a £1.
Here is DS happily threading away waves to anyone that recognises us!

Love this thread! Not sure I've got anything particularly interesting to add - DD likes taking all the toys to a hospital so we lie out cushions as beds and use blankets / tea towels to cover them up.

Chasing balloons is always a good one.

If any 2 yr olds need encouragement to get outside for some fresh air, on the colder days, "splat balloons" (i.e. water balloons) to chuck around tend to work a treat!

(Obviously, ensuring they're aimed away from people....outdoors cold showers = not pleasant at this time of year).

Placemarking - some lovely ideas here.
It does really depend on your child and whether they're into drawing or not, for example. Mine quite likes 'helping' sweep the floor with the dustpan and brush.

I can add one that I discovered yesterday - get them to smell all the spices in the cupboard.... mine was bored while I was trying to cook dinner and he really enjoyed sniffing them all. Not sure about the hygiene aspects but spices are usually cooked before eating!