Activities to keep a 3-year-old busy!

[mrsroboto]

Hi, i'm looking for ideas/resources to entertain my 3yo ds while i'm at home looking after a newborn (so don't want to have to go far out of the house). he's not massively into colouring/drawing/crafts although likes trying new things and playing with playdoh, trains, etc.

he likes puzzle type things so we set up a treasure hunt recently with photo clues and he loved that. also a game where you draw around objects/toys on pieces of card and he finds what object it is that fits the outline.
i tried printing out simple duplo brick tower diagrams so he could build the same colour tower/shapes but he wasn't that into it.

when he was younger i set up a washing up bowl of water and toys on the kitchen floor but he might be a bit old for that now (but will try)!

any ideas, lovely MNers? we have a garden. baby will be carried by me or in sling so can't be massively hands-on from me.

Dd loves puzzles, and wipe clean books that she can do over and over (dot to dot etc) and magic painting books

thanks, hadn't heard of those but have ordered one!

I did the water thing (just as you described) for the first time in a while yesterday with my 3yo and it kept her happy for ages! It was me suggesting to tidy it up and stop. I think the novelty helps though so doing it regularly might not amuse him for as long.

We used to do trays of uncooked pasta, uncooked beans, rice etc and toys/dump trucks too but is messier. In the kitchen with an old shower curtain to catch some of it.

Sticking bath foam shapes to the window with soapy water. Something made from a cardboard box (car he can sit in if giant one, house, stable, car garage if smaller). Takes a bit of making but you could keep it simple. Reusable sticker books. Etch a sketch. Something like straws in a collander or giant tweezers and pom poms, maybe colour sorting them - for fine motor skills (Google or Pinterest will have ideas).

Sand pit in garden? Or more water play.

I like the ideas you've tried. :) The duplo one you could do a variant where you draw 6 colour squares and then he needs to make that pattern in an egg box.

My dd also likes listening to nursery rhymes from a CD or YouTube and if in the right mood might sit playing (or sing and dance!) alone with those. TV if all else fails.

A few ideas here that are easy:
www.britishscienceweek.org/app/uploads/2018/01/BSA_sciweek_pack_EY_1117_W2.pdf

Also, DS and I have made a den today out of cardboard boxes, so save all your cardboard boxes!