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Rainy day activities with 18 month old

31 replies

Spudlet · 09/08/2017 18:27

It has been horrendous here today, lamping it down to the point that our entire backyard is flooded. We have wellies and waterproofs but there are limits to what they can deal with!

Normally on a day like this I'd drive to the local woods where at ,east we'd be a bit sheltered, but unfortunately those woods are currently the scene of an entirely horrific crime, so are sealed off while the police investigate. And even when they're not, it's going to be a while before I feel confident to take ds there by myself.

So. I need some ideas for indoor things to do with ds - preferably not horrendously messy as we only have a small space to work in (although I have done moon sand and bubbles and such in the past). Trouble is, ds has a short attention span (of course he does, he's tiny) so I need lots of ideas. We've done home disco, books, building towers, the shapes sorter, cars, hoovering (he likes it!), sofa cushions on the floor for home softplay... I'm running out of ideas for tomorrow though. There are a few indoor attractions around but that means leaving ddog all alone when dh is at the office and I prefer not to do that too often. I resorted to Hey Duggee today which is fine, but not every day!

Here's hoping for less rain tomorrow so we can go puddle jumping without drowning!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
photographyaddict · 09/08/2017 21:21

I completely understand, I'm a relative of his from the south and it broke my heart to find out what had happened to him, I hope you can safely find a good place to run Sad

InDubiousBattle · 09/08/2017 21:31

If you get a sheet of stickers peel of the surround leaving just the stickers in the sheet, it's easier for little ones to peel them off with no surround on.

scrivette · 09/08/2017 21:33

How sad for the family and for the local people. Flowers

I find anything to do with water keeps my children entertained. Washing up in the kitchen sink, 'washing' their little clothes in the bathroom sink, using their bath toys in the bathroom sink.

We once had the paddling pool indoors in the kitchen which made a mess, but was something different and they then enjoyed mopping up afterwards.

I sometimes put the moon sand into a box into the paddling pool to keep it a bit more contained as I don't like clearing it up as it gets everywhere!

Make a 'den' under the table and take in torches or read some stories in there.

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Sparrowlegs248 · 09/08/2017 21:40

Tape loo roll/kitchen roll middles to the wall/door to make a pompom run (drop pompom, small ball, through them)

Threading. Can use dry spaghetti and cheerios, pipe cleaners a colander.

If you have dolly pegs, or normal pegs if he can manage them, show him how to put them on things. I have a tin with pegs in, ds puts the pegs around the lip of the tin. Simple. But he likes it!

Get a length of rope/long ribbon and hold an end each, let him lead you around the house. Mine really loves this!

Hide and seek.

Make sensory bottles.

Favourite stories on YouTube (gruffalo, stick man etc)

CaptainWarbeck · 10/08/2017 06:40

Cut a slot in the lid of a plastic tub (eg peanut butter jar). If there are sharp edges, tape them up.

Find a pile of pennies/different coins and his job is to post them through the slot into the tub. (You'll obviously need to supervise if he's big on putting things in his mouth.) Once they're all posted in, you can tip them out and he can start again!

This would keep my DS entertained while I made dinner.

Spudlet · 10/08/2017 07:27

@photographyaddict I am so, so sorry for your and your family's loss. Everyone here is just horrified and desperately, desperately sad for you all.

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