Entertaining a baby?

[RegalRita]

LO is 8mo. He’s crawling, clambering and climbing like mad. I have to supervise him 100% or the time, which pretty much involves crawling round behind him.

I have found maternity leave isolating and boring; so I’ve done everything I can to keep myself as busy as I possibly can be. But now all my baby groups are cancelled and no one wants to socialise. The internet is full of ways to entertain a toddler... crafts! baking! a fort! These are all currently useless to me as he’s just too young.

Please please please can someone help me think of something I can do?! Am I missing something? Are there things a baby can do? We do have fun baths, and do the odd bit of sensory stuff with pasta (sorry!) plus we get out and walk the dog. But this just doesn’t fill up the 12 hours before daddy comes home.

I think I needed to vent!!!

What kind of groups did your baby go to? Can you adapt and do some of it at home? I also found it helpful to give myself a routine so I could break the day up

Dont feel guilty about screen time. If you need to put him in front of the TV for an hour, that's OK - these arent normal times!

Can you make little stations with different toys? Can you pad a space with cushions? Can you proof one room so they can crawl freely and won't be in danger?

Make a mystery box of stuff - different sensory things.

Can you still go out for walks and the park?

Oh I feel for you, when ds was your babys age we went to something every day!

Can you replicate some of the groups at home? So watch and go along with a baby massage / yoga YouTube video?
Make play dough with flour water and food colouring?
Make some sensory bottles (clear plastic with pasta, sequins, feathers etc
Bath time play time?
Cuddles with books
Crawling round the garden to explore?
Make a fort or obstacle course with cushions etc?

If he likes to climb and crawl can you buy a climbing frame? You can get fold up indoor ones if you dont have a garden. You can go to parks and go on the swings etc, just make sure to wash hands etc afterwards.

Mine loved it if you blew bubbles for him to chase, put him in the bath with loads of cooked spaghetti (if you can get pasta....) or put on some pop music and danced around the living room with him.
The other thing he liked was a big resealable food storage bag with poster paint in it. Seal the bag and then you can squeeze it from the outside to make patterns. I put masking tape around all 4 sides to try to stop leaks!
Most of the time though, he just followed me round the house as I did chores. He liked to think he was helping

At that age DD would watch the washing machine go round and round for ages!