How to entertain a 15 month old?!

[peaches35]

I’m a SAHM to a lovely 15 month old boy. Now he’s napping less (down to one nap per day) I’m running out of ideas to keep him occupied during the day!

We tend to stay at home in the mornings and play with toys. Today he’s been through all of his toys already, we’ve tried colouring but he was more interested in eating the paper TBH.

In the afternoon I tend to take him for a long walk in the pram, sometimes stopping off at the park or other times meeting friends for coffee. We do a baby/toddler class once a week too.

He’s not mobile yet (still not walking and only bum shuffling) and isn’t with a childminder or in nursery as we don’t have the spare cash at the moment.

What toys do your 15 month olds enjoy and what other activities can I do with him to keep him occupied? I’m really worried he’s bored!

Mine is really in to jobs and activities, so we go through lots of time spent me asking her to take things out of baskets so she can put them back in, for example

She really likes going though kitchen cupboards, banging on pans with spoons etc

We get in the garden a lot and before she was walking she’d cruise around the patio furniture

Go to parks and see the ducks, go on the swings etc

Go to the supermarket - mine loves sitting in the trolley and holding packets / shaking stuff

She loves books and will spend ages with me
reading them

Look on YouTube for toddler sensory ideas, singing songs, shaking instruments etc

I'd be trying to take him out to classes/baby group more often if you can. It's good to have a change of scenery/different toys/different people etc. It doesn't need to be an expensive class, just a stay and play in a church hall will do the trick.

Swimming is a great activity at that age.

Google heuristic play/treasure baskets for ideas of things he can play with that are not specifically toys. They are easy to make and hold interest longer than toys that can be quite samey.

Basic puzzles. Duplo. Tomy hide n squeak eggs. Cars. Dolls. Football. Bubbles. Balloons. Lots of books.

But mainly, just get out a little bit more if you can. Libraries are usually good for free activities and also good place to just go and look at some books/see some other kids etc.

We go out every day at least twice per day. He has been walking a while. Gets bored inside easily. It’s hot here now throughout summer so we tend to go out mornings then later in evening again.

Yesterday:
Woke 7am. 7-9am getting ready, playing indoors, followed me around
9-11am - outside for walk, to park, supermarket
11-1pm home and played again, lunch.
1-3pm napped
3-6pm played in garden in shade, walk with trike, played indoors
6-7.30pm went for a swim locally, picnic dinner outside
7.30-8.30pm home, short play, bath, bed.

Indoors he now likes duplo, brio train set, easy puzzles, shape sorter, books. I think he was outgrowing the more ‘baby’ rattle type toys.

Mine loves putting stones from the driveway into empty plant pots.

We got one of these and Ds would spend vast chunks of time taking balls from one end to the other, one at a time!

Thanks for the ideas! I'm really struggling with ways to keep him busy - it seems like nothing holds his attention for longer than a minute! And he's too young to do more involved activities like colouring, craft, lego.

pick any item
tell them "no"
watch them play with it for the next 4 hours

My DS loved posting things at that age. We spent a lot of time by the cat flap and also made houses out of old large boxes, with a postbox of course.

@peaches35 - he’s not too young to try those things. Ds is 14 months, he’s been trying duplo since he got some for his birthday and just in the last few days can now build up piles of bricks, put people on cars etc.
I have just started him with mega sketcher/ crayons and water play drawing stuff which he again only does 5 mins or so but he has over the last few weeks now learn how to hold the pens to make marks etc.

If you aren't working then I think you should be taking a 15 month old out at least once a day to some kind of stimulating activity.

When my son was that age he attended a children's centre x3 morning a week accompanied (it was free) plus as other posters have said, libraries, museums etc - there is so much on which doesn't need to cost much if you look and plan.

Can you also meet up with some other parents with the same age children (through a parenting meet up app) so they can start to play together, experience new toys, go to things with different parents etc?

@newbie202020 does going for a walk and sitting in a cafe count as stimulating? I'm not sure at this age he'd be able to appreciate the difference between that and going to a museum really, but happy to stand corrected!

I did have a few parent friends through the local FB, but all of their children are in nursery now, so they don't really feel the need to meet up so much as their children are getting all the socialisation and stimulation they need from nursery.

@Caspianberg he doesn't seem to enjoy colouring particularly - he's more interested in ripping up the paper and chewing the crayons. But I will keep trying! I'll also look into Duplo, thanks for the idea.

I was surprised by the duplo tbh, it says from 18 months on the box though so I guess they are almost there.

@peaches35 I think it depends on the child but mine would have hated a trip to a cafe at that age and it would have been a very quick visit which was hard work. He's now 4 and it's only just bearable!

I found that a regular change of scenery, with new experiences and other people around was what he needed to keep him interested and make life a bit easier for everyone. It also meant he napped and slept well too.

'does going for a walk and sitting in a cafe count as stimulating?'

Occasionally, of course. All the boring everyday stuff counts (supermarket, post office, doctors etc.) but not everyday. Variety is the key.

Also, he needs to go somewhere where he can interact with the environment. Presumably you're not letting him wander around the cafe and touch stuff (unless it's a play cafe maybe?). He doesn't need to go to a museum, but they can be ideal to wander around for free and often have kids activities/play areas.

If he isn't in to drawing you could try painting in the garden with water or drawing with chalk, both a bit more exciting than regular drawing but still mastering the skill of mark making!

@NuffSaidSam

'does going for a walk and sitting in a cafe count as stimulating?'

Occasionally, of course. All the boring everyday stuff counts (supermarket, post office, doctors etc.) but not everyday. Variety is the key.

Also, he needs to go somewhere where he can interact with the environment. Presumably you're not letting him wander around the cafe and touch stuff (unless it's a play cafe maybe?). He doesn't need to go to a museum, but they can be ideal to wander around for free and often have kids activities/play areas.

If he isn't in to drawing you could try painting in the garden with water or drawing with chalk, both a bit more exciting than regular drawing but still mastering the skill of mark making!

He isnt mobile yet, hence OPs trouble of how to entertain him. Wandering isnt a option for him.

'He isnt mobile yet, hence OPs trouble of how to entertain him. Wandering isnt a option for him.'

My apologies. Presumably he isn't bum shuffling round a cafe and touching things either though!

I think a walk and cafe are fine, but different walks and locations to look at stuff if possible.

We don’t have toddler groups, play groups etc nearby so Ds same age never been ( and anything like baby swim class been closed due to Covid)

With non Walker, some ideas outside maybe:

• playground, take on swings, slide, in sand area
• do you have a beach nearby?
• walks in the woods. Visit duck pond or river with ducks on, feed.
• if you have garden. Crawl on grass. Get a sandpit. Tray with water in and toys. Let him pick daisys, grass, stones
• local farm or similar
• pick you own strawberry farm
• have picnic lunch somewhere with friends

Our sandpit for garden has been a great buy. Plonk them in, sun umbrella over and good entertainment.

I had a bum shuffler who didn’t walk til 18m, it can be a challenge. At that age mine loved our little sand and water table, plus standing at it helps develop muscle strength for eventually standing and walking. You could use a large tray or storage box with some water in if you don’t want to get the play tables.
Also, the park, get a puddle suit if you’re worried about them getting clothes muddy. Although she couldn’t walk mine could still use the small climbing frame and slide at our park. Take bubbles or a small ball and roll it down the slide etc
Libraries are great for story time or rhyme time if they’re running again.
Play dough is fun and non-toxic if they eat any. Or you could try some spoons and cups with a tray/deep box of cereal/rice etc. A water mat might be easier than crayons (we had a lot of chewed crayons too).
We have toy animals that we match to the animals in books (eg we read the first page of dear zoo and then look through our animals to find a lion, then the next page etc) - you could do this with soft toys too. Stickers can be a good craft for small children, and are cheaply available on AliExpress.
I hope that gives you a new idea or two, I know it can feel a bit repetitive but it really won’t be long until they can do more.

Some great suggestions, thank you!

With the sandpit - do you worry about sand getting up their nose/in their eyes? I’ve always been a bit cautious for that reason, but maybe I’m overthinking.

I’ve never heard of a water mat but just searched and they look really good, thanks!

Mine tried to eat the sand once. Realised it was disgusting and hasn’t done it since.

It's hard with a late walker and lots of the places PP are suggesting just aren't open at the moment round here - I was always at the library activities with DC1, now it's open 2 days a week for 4 hours at a time with no sessions for children. Children's Centres look shut for the foreseeable and booking a swimming slot is more difficult than getting a GP appointment.

At home my DC 1 loved posting things and any sort of pouring activity (sand, water, dry pasta, lentils); Duplo towers (you build, they knock down); story sacks (add props to a book to extend it); play kitchen/play food was always a huge hit; sofa cushions on the floor for cheapo softplay. Paint sticks and those water paint mats are good for not messy art time. Mine was mostly interested in the contents of the kitchen cupboard though.

Outside we'd go for a little toddle round the playground/go on the swings, see the ducks, supermarket, coffee shop, visit friends & family. We've got a couple of toddler sized softplays nearby (as opposed to the ones with a big frame) so we might go there but it's not always easy to book a timeslot.

It's hard with a late walker

@Blippibloppi Does it get easier to entertain them when they start walking then? I really hope so!!

Cut a hole in a Pringle tube lid and post things through (I turned mine in to a caterpillar and posted pictures of hungry caterpillar food through.
Cook some spaghetti and play with that
Turtle beans/lentils/dried pasta/rice etc in a tray, with spoons, scoops, bowls etc
Basket of flannels/cloths/socks to empty and fill
Water play. A brush and a bucket of water to paint the patio. Have a bath in the middle of the day if they enjoy water and you don’t have a paddling pool/it’s not warm enough outside.
A mug tree or kitchen roll stand with some bracelets or curtain rings to hang on.

I used to go to a lot of baby groups when mine were little. I’m not sure how many of the cheaper parent and toddler groups are running at the moment but maybe ask around and see if there are any near you.

www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODc0MDkxOTcwMTkxMDAy?story_media_id=2497276611160597231_21880395193&utm_medium=copy_link

I hope the link works?! If you're on Instagram or FB, there are lots of good play resource pages like play.hooray

I'm also a SAHM and have a 15 month old.

We do swimming and 2 baby classes each week.

Try soft play centres with baby / toddler areas. It's quite fun at that age watching them explore. He'll be fine crawling or shuffling.

Messy play with: dough and cutters, bury toys in cereal sand (e.g. dig for dinosaurs), get hands stuck in jelly, oobleck, cooked pasta etc.

Water / sand tables: a washing up bowl and cups / utensils to pour works just as well

Lots of reading and singing

Parks with paddling pool / splash areas or ball pit / paddling pool and bath toys at home (when the weather perks up)

Otherwise we often do a long afternoon walk too. It will get easier when he can walk and potter about the playground and wear himself out!

Thank you! You are all so inventive, I would never have thought of all these things.