Relaxing activities with toddler

[redjumper]

I'm heavily pregnant and exhausted. I'm just looking for ideas of things to do with my almost-two-year-old that are nice and restful for me. Mainly things that involve us getting out of the house but not much walking. Toddler groups and meeting up with friends is good but I'm just wondering if there are any other ideas out there. What did you do with your little ones in the final stages of pregnancy? Thanks x

Swimming/ splash time might be an option.

Bit of bobbing around for you and will tire out little one.

Swimming, playgrounds - bikes/scooters are good for wearing them out. Play-doh? Sand pit/water table in the garden. We baked a lot too.

Sit/stand to blow bubbles in the garden/park while they run around to pop them (mine like to be told which body part to use for bursting)

CBeebies

I am in last couple of weeks of pregnancy with DC2 and DC1 is 2.5. It's hard isn't it - I am exhausted by the slightest thing and can't easily do parks or anything where the toddler might run off as I can't give chase. Even standing up in the kitchen to bake is hard work! Scrabbling round on the floor is painful.

We started doing daytime baths together which he loves, soothes my aches and is very bonding.

Loads of books, reams of cheap stickers - anything we can do together from the sofa. Making a den in my bed. Blowing bubbles.

Also placemarking for other ideas.

Daytime baths is a great idea. I like the idea of swimming but the thought of doing the bending and lifting involved in changing us both tires me out.
Just thought of a couple of ideas myself:
Driving to the nearest steam train and having a trip on the railway. Same for the cruise boat trips in my nearest city if I can find a nearby car park.
Drive to nearby country parks/rspb places/beach etc and having a car picnic

I have a 2yr 2wk gap between mine. Things we did that were less active:

In the final few weeks I did lots of trips to the zoo (we have annual passes) which involved a bit of a wander to see whichever animals DD1 wanted to see that day (3 tops, plus whichever we passed on the way. It would be only one 'chosen' animal if she wanted something on the far side, although there is a bus to take you around too), a picnic lunch, and a trip into the softplay there where I could sit, watch, and wave at her on the equipment to burn off the remaining energy.

I took her to playgroups where she could be supervised from a chair on the side lines.

Lots of trips to our local Ikea. She loves opening all the drawers, sitting in the chairs etc in the showrooms. Always included a cheap lunch in the restaurant, pick up a few things for the baby or house, and finish with a 50p ice cream if her behaviour had been exemplary all the way around.

We have a lot of play equipment in the garden, so spent quite a bit of time out there (me sitting and encouraging rather than clambering up the climbing frame!). We would have done this a lot more if we weren't having major building work done at the time, meaning she needed very close supervision so she didn't try to climb the scaffolding/eat cement dust etc etc.

Messy play sessions at the children's centres. Always good when it's someone else cleaning up the mess

Cbeebies on the days when I really did just need to take it easy.

If I had known about it sooner, I'd have taken her to our local gymnastics gym that run toddler/preschooler free play sessions (I take her and the baby now). It means lots of running, climbing, and bouncing for them whilst you can rest yourself down on a crash mat!

Other ideas we didn't do (I was quite happy/able to move around in later pregnancy so stayed fairly active):
Bus/train ride. Doesn't have to be anywhere in particular, the journey is the activity. Recently took them both to London for the day, we did loads of stuff but the highlight for DD1 (now 2.9yo) was the bus and underground.
Museums like the Science Museum in London have things suitable for a 2yo without much physical effort from you (once you're there!).

Ooo yes to swimming! We did that a lot too. Great tirer for the toddler, and the water really takes the weight out of the bump!

I did swimming the other week (DS went through a water phobia phase so hadn't done it for ages) - was pretty hard work due to bending/carrying etc. DS loved it but it was effort!

We've made a day trip out of a visit to IKEA on more than one occasion too - great until DS decides to bolt in the middle of the store!

Public transport as an activity is good - train trip, lunch, train back home.

Also duck feeding never gets old as long as there isn't much walking involved, garden picnics, making a garden den, agree with sand pit/water table/washing up bowl, chalks for outside drawing, garden hunts (find the teddy/toy), stickers, local library. The trains is a good idea too. Hope all goes well

We went to the city farm a lot towards the end of my pregnancy with DD2. And the park and feeding the ducks all the time. Not too much walking for me but plenty of fresh air for then 2.5 y/o DD1. Then she'd be tired enough for a nap and I'd have one too!

Cheap lunches out just to get us out the house some days. Other days, lots of hanging out in the garden. I was lucky that it was summer so I spent a lot of time sat in the shade like a beached whale while she splashed in the paddling pool and generally messed about.

Library. Actually both library and at home, we read tons of books. Allowed me to just sit and didn't need to think about entertaining her - just read on autopilot.

Don't beat yourself up if you need to call on CBeebies a bit too!

And general crafty stuff for at home. Ideally the sort that doesn't make much mess. Magic painting and play dough featured a lot. And they'll be handy when you've goya newborn, too - you can sit and BF while toddler gets on with it.

I could have asked this, definitely interested in the replies! Four weeks to go for me, I've got pelvic pain and I can't get on and off the floor very easily, so even playing with his trains or cars is painful and makes me feel lightheaded.

We do drawing and lots of reading, some CBeebies etc, and trips to the local shops/park - however, my DS (2.5) is a bolter, won't hold my hand and won't wear reins without a fight so any trips are a real stress at the moment we've done some baking but DS can get distracted and bored, and he's not really into crafts. I feel terrible when we don't do much but I'm looking forward to the new DC being here so we can get out and about in the summer.

Stick a baby bath in the garden, fill with water from a hose, dump some washing up liquid and bath toys/ladle/colander/whisk/spoons in there. Mine loves that.

Peppa pig.

Also definitely lots of water play in garden and kitchen

And more Peppa pig.....never feel bad about that.