Franny....please will you help me with ideas for play for DS.

[TheodoresMummy]

I'm thinking along the lines of heuristic (sp)/natural play.

I saw the recent thread, but it's huge and much of it will be aimed at younger ones, I suspect.

DS is 3.9 and wants constant attention, always has. He sometimes gets caught up in something (usually trains) and plays for 5/10 minutes, but then realises that i'm not 'involved' and starts....

I am hoping that a different approach to play might capture his imagination.

He currently only wants to play with his trains or his sandpit and, to be honest (although I love playing with him and happily accept that the adult gives and the 3 year old takes ), it's getting to me.

Any ideas ?

Obviously, anyones ideas will be most welcome, it's just that Franny seems to know about natural play and DS has always preferred things to toys.

Many thanks.

ds2 is 3.5 and his favourite thing at the moment is dropping things down a really long cardboard tube - the kind you get from wrapping paper in a roll. Keeps him amused for hours - he'll drop anything down it that fits for ages.

Letting both ds's make a space rocket from our duvet is also a good one - involves them putting it and our pillows, their pillows and duvets all in a great big pile on our bedroom floor, and then they make diffrent areas - driver, passenger etc. Very sweet and they do it all by themselves = time for me to Mumsnet!

Another popular one is a sheet over two chairs - instant den and they love having snacks in there.

Thank you for your responses everybody.

Franny, thanks for your posts, very useful stuff. Also, your friend has excellent taste in boys names .

DS will love the bath ideas. Don't know why I didn't think of them myself. Am off to B&Q in the morning.

He will also love the garden stuff, we do spend lots of time in the garden. I will def let him paint with coloured water on the fence, he will love it (wonder why he isn't interested in painting conventionally tho ???).

cupcakemummy - am pmsl at the idea of my DS 'cleaning' our windows. Fine with me, but DH would prob spontaneously combust !!!

dottydot - DS aquired (only yesterday) a big, fat cardboard tube. He loves it...

Franny - I would love your recipe for play-doh when you have time. He's not been keen before, but prob will be at some point and I hate the bought stuff.

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
6 tsp cream of tarter
3 tbsp oil
3 cups water
Your choice of colouring, smell and optional glitter - use food colouring and things like vanilla essence, orange oil, cocoa powder etc to make it smell delicious

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead the playdough until the texture matches playdough.

Thank you Franny.

Just wondering tho, is it edible ? Well, I mean is it ok if he eats a tiny bit ? If I put nice smelling things in it he will def want to taste it.

Duh, I must sound so thick - the ingredients are basically food aren't they.

Just don't know what the cream of tarter is.

I think it is cream of tartar and I have spelt it wrong. You can get it in the cooking section in supermarkets, with baking powder and things like that.

The playdough is edible but so salty that a) it's not very good to have more than a taste and b) hopefully will put them off eating it. Plus I wouldn't recommend the food colourings get eaten, but you could leave those out. I think you could explain to most 3 year olds that it isn't ok for eating, but you will know your ds best.