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Help indoors, 1 and 4 year old

2 replies

xxxJess123xxx · 01/04/2020 09:25

Hi all, I know everyone is in the same boat but I'm struggling.
1 year old and 4 year old in a flat with no garden. 4 year old is anxious about routine change and is now playing up, dont blame her. We are used to being out and about for all our sanity. They are climbing the walls.
We are having out daily walk round the block but I'm struggling with what to do with indoors that the 1 year old wont wreck.
4 year old has loads of games etc but the 1 year old just destroys them. Anything you can think of I can do with both of them indoors? Xx

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sleepismysuperpower1 · 01/04/2020 12:40

lay towels out on the floor, and get 2 containers out (you could put them opposite ends of the room so the 4 year old can play on her own, or put them together so they can play together). fill the containers with warm water, and put things like sponges and funnels in the water.

get your 4 year old to help you make shakers (plastic bottles with some kind of dried food inside, eg rice or beans) and then give one of them to your one year old, and the other to your 4 year old. your 4 year old might enjoy doing the interactive video on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz6yP5r0e0A
this]] youtube channel using their shaker that they make, and your 1 year old will probably just enjoy shaking it.

make your own playdough (get your 4 year old to help) and then let them both play with it. there is a taste-safe recipe here

could you start a routine with your 4 year old? I have 4yo twins and they were unsettled by the change in routine too, so I made a kind of basic schedule (it also helped save my sanity since I now have a vague idea of what to do with them all day!):
8-9: wake up, get dressed, have breakfast
9-9:15- exercise video, either Joe Wicks or one (Have just repeated doing the same video)
9:15-9:20- a bsl (british sign language) video from here, we have only just started this but they are enjoying it
9:20-10:20- free play whilst I work
10:20-10:45- snack time
10:45- 11:30- outside for a walk
11:30-12:30- help me make lunch and eat
12:30-1:15- writing and reading practice
1:15-2:15- free play again whilst I work
2:15-3:00- ipad time (the curious George games are great)
3:00-3:20- a
3:20-3:40- talk about the video, colour in a picture I printed off to do with the video
3:40 onwads- normal afterschool routine

obviously you will have to adapt it with a 1 year old, and I don't stick rigidly to it but it gives me some sort of structure to the day x

xxxJess123xxx · 01/04/2020 14:09

Thank you so much sleep for your detailed reply. Lots of ideas xx

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