Ideas to keep 16 month old occupied

[Lizaelna]

I'm really struggling to keep my 16 month old DD entertained during the day as of late. She's pretty good at playing by herself but that's generally only in the evenings after dinner. We try to go out at least twice a day to the park to see the ducks, go on the swings etc and then to the shops (this has been a little difficult as of late with the weather and both me and DD being ill). Most of the time I read to her, play puzzles and do stickers but her attention span is so short it's hard to keep her occupied for more than a couple of minutes. She's not a big fan of toddler and baby groups as she's incredibly shy. Anyone got an crafts or activities they do with their DC that I could try?

Have you got an aquadraw?

Some type of messy play - we put Rice Krispies in a big washing up bowl and ds stands/sits/throws it around.

Dried pasta and cups/scoops

Potato printing or finger paints

Collect leaves/pine cones and play with those

Sellotape empty toilet roll tubes to the door and give her things small enough to fit through = basketball type of game

Dancing was a favourite at my house, expends energy, but we did do 3 toddler groups a week for my sanity! Duplo, baking, colouring, first puzzles

My DD loved to play with water. I had a clean (unused) cat litter tray, would put an inch or so of water in it - perhaps some bubbles or food colouring and then a few things to play with. Stacking cups, jugs, ducks, anything really. Put in on the floor or dining table in reach of her high chair.

Have fun playing with shaving foam in the bath tub!
Make dens and tunnels and tents with sheets and furniture
Blow bubbles for her to pop
At that age, my dc loved printing - hand printing, potato printing etc..
Make a drum kit with upturned pots and pans and wooden spoons!
Roll balls down ramps!
Hide small objects (we used to use clothes pegs) round the house and go hunting for them.
Make a washing line indoors and hang up anything you can find - pieces of paper, hats, gloves, empty cereal boxes!
Stack and unstack paper cups
The VTech pop and drop digger was a huge success with my dc. The wooden click clack track also occupied them for long spells.
Wrong time of year, but a paddling pool and sand pit in the garden would probably be successful. I used to hide toys in the sandpit.

How about getting out in the garden? My little ones used to like getting outside, I gave them a little patch to dig in. We also had a water table outside.

Duplo or Megabloks
Small cars to wizz around
Small figures (HappyLand, Little People etc)
Baby Doll and little pushchair.

My DD who is 15 months loves to be chased and then tickled! It’s exhausting as she doesn’t get bored of it and keeps saying “den!” (again).

She also loves it if I sing certain nursery rhymes and she will do the actions.

I agree Aquasoodle is s good one too as they can draw/paint but not actually make a mess!

We go to soft play and to the swimming pool. Sometimes we go to the shopping centre for a walk around and a coffee, and we sit in the coffee shop and read. And we go to a baby art class. In the house he likes playing in his mini ball pit and pushing cars around.

Playdough and duplo are staple activities in this house.

Also helping to sweep up using dustpan and brush and washing toys in the sink.

Thanks guys, will definitely give some of these a go!