Occupying 5 month old

[ClammedupClam]

My DS is 5 months old. I'm finding it quite a tricky age because he is fascinated with the world around him but can't properly engage with it yet. He's very alert and no longer content to just lie on his play mat looking at toys for very long. So he gets a bit frustrated/tetchy at home and it feels like he needs constant entertainment. Normally we just get out and about as much as we can - potter out in the pram, a few baby groups, get a coffee and that makes it easier to manage - he loves being out and about and watching the world go by.

We have just finished 3 days isolating waiting for covid test results for my older daughter and it was such hard work. He just seemed disinterested in playing with his toys very quickly and just wanted me to carry him around so he could look at everything which was exhausting, especially as I have an older daughter to also look after. We have tried a forward facing sling which he loved but he still looked a bit little in it, and forward facing really aggravates my bad back.

I guess I'm dreading an actual 2 week isolation if there are any positive cases at my daughter's nursery or we can't get a test or anything (or we have a positive test ourselves...). I just wanted any ideas for entertaining a 5 month old at home without destroying my already bad back. Preferably stuff my 3 yo can help with to as she loves to be involved!

Things we have already tried which he enjoyed are:
-Splashing about in water and bubbles in the sink
-Turning off the lights and putting on fairy lights
-Lying him under one of those space blankets
-In the garden in the pram
-Blowing bubbles around him
-Music/Dancing with him (but my back can only take so much of this!)
-Jumperoo (but again he seems a bit small for this as his feet only just touch the ground so I worry about putting him in it too much until he grows).

Treasure basket - just a box of random things from round the house to explore. You could get your DD involved finding things of certain colours.

Plastic balls to roll around the floor or put in and out of boxes

Plastic bottles with bits of pasta/rice, buttons or glitter in for sensory bottles.

I filled a small zip lock bag with water the other day and it kept my DS entertained for a while

This might be controversial but a bit of baby tv might give you some time to get stuff done. My three month old watches a bit of tv once a day, I found some good baby programs on you tube that help develop speech for babies, it definitely keeps her entertained while sitting in her bouncer and at least she might be gaining some learning from it.

I don't have a problem with a bit of TV but he sits on my lap when my older DD watches TV sometimes and might look at it for 5 minutes but quickly looses interest. I would love it if they would both sit quietly and watch together! Maybe Paw Patrol and a
Octonauts don't appeal to him though - specific baby TV might be more engaging!

It’s a tricky age to be stuck at home isolating for! I think predominantly they are entertained by watching people.... would he be content to sit on your lap while you’re doing something with your older child?

Seconding sensory bottles/mats, although I found that they only buy 10 minutes though, sometimes longer. Indoor ball pond worked with mine for a week or so (which sounds like it’s all you need!) and you can get them cheaply online.

Jumperoo is fine providing it’s not used for long stretches (bad for hips) and as long s they’re having plenty of “unstrapped time” (which I’m guessing yours will as you’re stuck at home)

Im in a similar boat with an 8 month old. If you have a sling, I find that helps, so I put her on my back and mop the floor and she seems to like that! But I must say I'm watching the clock for bedtime sometimes.