Simple days out with toddler and a baby! What do you do??

[ricecrispies16]

What do you do with your children?
I have a toddler and baby. I really need some ideas or inspiration on what I can do with them. I'm trying to come up with an idea for tomorrow but so far have nothing. Nothing fancy, just something for us to do!

Our local leisure centre does a very basic soft play. Not one if those big jungle gym ones just a bouncy castle and a few spongy things to climb on or sit in. I used to take mine when ds was newborn and take a blanket for him to lay on near the edge of the room and 2.5yo dd would race around on all the equipment.

Wander round the local museum.

Woodland walk collecting sticks etc (though maybe more a spring thing)

We do

-- woodland walk

• beach walk
• local country park
• swimming
• soft play or toddler gym
• local museum
• painting
• sensory play at home
• national trust
• farm
• zoo
• go on a double decker bus to town , get new library books and go to a cafe
• local garden centre to look at the christmas decorations

I like to cut my day into - going out for an activity/trip in the morning 9-12 an then after naps fill the 3-5 slot with an activity like painting/sensory play and then a walk to the post box etc with dolls prams.

The park
Walk into town to buy lunch/ a biscuit
Go to the library
Supermarket shop
Take the bus
Pooh sticks
A short train ride
Wander around a garden centre

hr how do you manage swimming with a toddler and a baby?

My council pool has a 1:1 ratio for the under 4's, and even if it didn't I wouldn't think I could safety manage a toddler under two and a baby. Just getting them changed would be awful.

To that end- most the activities you suggest would mean lunch out of the house (farm, national trust, zoo). . I have found that lunch out can be awful with two under two on my own. It's all fine until a nappy leaks (can't leave one at the table while changing the other in a toilet), or a sippy cup falls to the floor (can't pick it up while bf-ing the other), or both start crying for unknown reasons. Paying is a logistical challenge when one has the ability to run off.

Perhaps I'm doing it wrong?

OP, we do one activity in the morning in a day, then it's generally back to the house for lunch and then nap time. Library, soft-play, messy play,, a class....swimming if there is someone available to watch the baby. It's all very same-y

I have a 3 year old and 19mth old, and try to get out of the house in the morning, and then just potter around in the afternoon. I've just always done it that way.

The weeks are pretty samey samey, but everyone is happy!

Morning activities, half 9 until noon slot:

Library (just to pick books and read for a bit, or for story time)
Playgroup (I don't really feel the need to chat to other Mums, just enjoy the coffee while the children play)
Organised activity (we're doing a messy play at the moment, but previously music, gymnastics, dancing etc)
Trip to the shops/supermarket with a Babycino thrown in
Trip to indoor play centre, National Trust, museum, further afield park, just somewhere different as a 'treat'

Afternoon activities, the 2 until 5 slot:

Play dough
Glueing and sticking
Sensory tubs
Cloud dough
Baking
Cupcake decorating
Colouring
I try to have an organised activity like that each afternoon, then the rest of the time is a walk to the park, playing with toys, reading, playing in the garden, helping me around the house, then a bit of CBeebies while I make dinner.

Re lunch with 2 under 2.

Take both to the loo if you need to, if a cup is dropped just leave it until you have a free hand (or someone usually picks it up), strap them in the pram to pay (or reins)...crying, you just have to grin and bear it.

Hr [but name changed] I started taking them swimming when dc2 was 3 months and dc1 was just short of their 2nd birthday. Dc1 was in a life jacket and would paddle/play on the steps/jump in etc, DC2 would go in a swim float. They loved it.

Lunch out is usually easier than lunch at home - I take a lunch box for dc1 [and later dc2] and she would eat while I fed dc2 or I had a coffee. Nappies were both changed at the same time - often had to dash off and leave food on the table especially as DC1 potty trained when dc2 was 7 months old.

Drop them both off at nursery and skip gleefully off to my office for a hot cup of tea and 8 hours adult conversation??

Lol.

I work part time and on the days at home I follow a strict routine of:

Out the house by 0930 for a playgroup/play date/trip to cafe and library or something similar.

Home by 1130, lunch at noon.

Baby (15mo) sleeps 1230-1400 on a good day whilst almost 4yo DS1 and I play a few games and mostly watch telly! quiet time I call it.

Back out somewhere quickly around 3pm for an hour (park, visit a friend, feed ducks or whatever) back home for 4pm, cook dinner for 5, bath at 6.30

Same as Bot
I wouldn't be able to cope with no routine
We always have music on in the afternoons instead of telly. 2 year old DD1 loves nothing more than dancing around to some music and singing along

We have music on all the time, it really seems to calm them down. The 11 month old does this hilarious 'dancing' where he just swings back and forth on his hands and knees in time to the music.

Had a zoo membership and a local forest membership at that age. Got out a lot to them

I have a 2 year old and a 10 week old. 3-4 mornings a week we do an organised local activity - playgroups, music group, story time at the library. Then home for lunch and afternoon nap. After that we tend to play or if needed go to supermarket. On other days we try and get outside - woods, park etc.

It might be worth looking at whether any attractions near you offer yearly membership. For example, I live in Doncaster and lots of parents have an annual membership to Yorkshire Wildlife Park. It means you can drop in for an hour or two without feeling like you have wasted the cost of a full day out and go multiple times over the course of a year. We have very quickly got our money's worth. We also have English Heritage membership (kids go in for free) as have a nearby stately home with huge grounds and a kid's playground. They have lots of nice activities on in the school holidays as well.

My ds age 4 and ds2 age 14 months- it's hard to entertain them both! Park, garden, etc. There's a good soft play near us with a penned in toddler area as well which is nice.
Lunch out is one of our great treats- doesn't have to be expensive really, just order a meal and a side dish and make 3 portions from it.
Now ds 1 is at school, myself and ds2 still go out for lunch, usually to a nice garden centre to see the Christmas lights or the pets/fish and then share a ploughman's lunch!