How do you simultaneously entertain a 1yo and a 5yo?

[Aria999]

Just that really. Any ideas? We end up all just hanging around the house all feeling bored all weekend.

Baby doesn't like the yard at the moment as it's too cold and snowy.

Legos get eaten. We can play with the mega blocks for a short while but then they get bored.

Anything DS suggests turns out not to work because of DD and the stuff I do with DD in the week is boring for DS.

I feel like i need to come up with a bunch of fun stuff for us all to do but it's not happening!

Have you got a dining table? Could DC1 do Lego on the table whilst you do Duplo with DC2 on the floor or put of reach of the Lego, maybe in his high chair?

How about finger painting? Buy or make some edible finger paints and put DC2 in the high chair and let her play whilst DC1 does some actual painting.

Could the older one build some sort of obstacle course for them both? Like the cushions from the sofa so crawl over and tunnel to crawl through?

Get DS to teach DD stuff. Make him sing her some nursery rhymes or 'read' her a book

1 yo and 6 yo here. Atm we like:

• play doh
• baths
• dancing/discos
• trampoline
• painting/drawing
• baking
• ball rolling game

I find the 1 yo is entertained by very little if she feels involved. Good luck!

Thanks everyone some great ideas 😊

@ApplestheHare does the 1yo eat the play doh?

@Aria999

Make your own play dough - just flour, vegetable oil and water plus colouring of choice (or none). If you want to keep it more than a couple of days salt helps but I found mine would play with it, bake it and eat it!

@mootymoo genius!

Baths are a really good idea! Make the room dark and put some glow sticks in there

Aria999 she tried to eat it but quickly learned it wasn't for eating. I haven't time to make it so it's just the shop bought stuff. I only give her one colour but she stays entertained for ages squashing and chopping it.

2021ComeAtMe we also take in a bluetooth speaker and make them party baths

We have a 5 & 1 year old.
Daytime baths are good.
The park is popular.
1 year old is toddling now and the older one loves holding his had on a little walk around the block.
Dance parties. (Crap music & disco lights.)
Story time - 5 year old will read board books and “ my first words” type things so nicely - getting him to do his school reading is a nightmare!
I also find the 5 year old will join in with whatever the baby is playing a lot of the time. He loves the baby toys 🤣
Mostly they just like to chase each other around the house roaring!

Have you tried ziplock bags with oil and paint for baby to play with?
Dens and tents
Dark places with torches and glow sticks
Pillow forts
Playing home made shakers to nursery rhymes
Playing kitchen
Hiding cuddly toys to find

I have a one year old and a nearly five year old.

We have some plastic food and pots and pans, sometimes the baby will happily play with these while her big bro plays with duplo.

They do a lot of climbing on the sofa/behind the sofa together. Today we played ‘the floor is lava’ with foam mats and the jumping around entertained the baby.

I’ve done some messy play with jelly and home made play dough, which they both loved but took forever to clean up. The play dough ratios must have been wrong as it was sticky like wet cake mix! The baby was put off eating it as it was very salty.

Unfortunately they also spend a lot of time snatching each other’s toys.

Water. Put them in the bath with loads of cups/ things to pour and fill.

@NellietheNumpty

As in the bag stays closed and the oil and paint stay inside? Sounds interesting!

@Pandapotato

He does like playing with the baby toys to some extent but as he will grab them out of her hands whenever he wants something and she only wants to play with whatever he's currently playing with, it can be hard work!

Sensory/ messy play is the only real common ground between my 1 and 4 year olds, so we try to do something a couple of times a week. It's not nearly as daunting as it sounds, I sit one at either end of the bath with a plastic storage box between them, filled with whatever messy thing. Then at the end I take the box out and fill the bath, so kids and residue mess get cleaned all at once. Common ones are breakfast cereal & angel delight farm, corn flour and water, paint, shaving cream orbiezz or gelli baff (about 1/6 a pack for tub).

I also play music and get them to play drums, tambourine or shakes (you can make or repurpose kitchen equipment). Kids dance vidios (with action) also work well for eldest and little one is generally happy running round to the music. Or drawing works for a short time, little one just scribbles, but thinks she's joining in with DS's home learning.

[quote Aria999]@Pandapotato

He does like playing with the baby toys to some extent but as he will grab them out of her hands whenever he wants something and she only wants to play with whatever he's currently playing with, it can be hard work![/quote]
Yup! Same here! Our 5 year old has learnt that the best way to get what he wants off the baby is to start playing with something else as the baby will then immediately covet it 🤣

Our toot toot tracks seem to work well for both a lot of the time.