Isolating with a toddler - top tips?

[Bramwell2020]

We've just tested positive for covid and we're not in the UK so the rules where we are mean that isolation is still 10 days. Thankfully so far we only have mild symptoms but Dh and I both work full time (will have to do a rota from home) and have our 18 month old. I know many of you will have isolated with a toddler so what are your top tips? We've done lockdown and other isolation periods but I was either pregnant or he wasn't walking/younger so this is a new challenge. He's at the stage where books take precisely 5 seconds to read (he flicks all the pages at once), the toilet flush is the most fascinating he's ever seen and he knows how to get his shoes and can't understand why it's a no to a trip to the quacks quacks (ducks!). We're only on day 1 and already short on entertainment ideas. We moved here relatively recently so I did a big clear out and don't have many odds and ends I could use for imaginative play.

We're currently isolating with a three year old. She was 18 months when we were in lockdown the first time. At that age I found half hour chunks worked well for activities. Also snacks that take ages to eat - cheerios, peas and sweetcorn - small things that need picking up one at a time!!

If the weather is nice enough then get out in the garden for a bit. Balls to roll or kick, watering plants, collecting twigs or stones. Anything for a bit.

She enjoyed playing with lumps of ice floating in a bowl of water.

Any bun tins/muffin tins and an array of bits to move from one hole to the other (dried pasta, small balls etc).

Nursery rhymes or music to dance to to get out a bit of energy.

Hiding under blankets - drape over a table to make a cave.

Will come back with other ideas later if I can think.

Oh and long bath play times!

And bubbles are good to chase indoors or outdoors.

We did a winter lockdown with an 18 month old. I'll second long baths for water play and bubbles – lots of random kitchen bits and toddler toys are in fact perfectly fine to go in the bath and help to mix it up a bit.

Think about ways to get some indoor exercise – think indoor toddler obstacle course, cardboard box to crawl through, sofa cushions to clamber over, etc. We have a reasonably long hallway, and played games there with a soft ball to chase (also rolled it back and forth through the tunnel), or where DD ran to one end, then back to us and we swung her up in the air. We may also have decided we could live with DD riding her scuttlebug in the kitchen.

Playdough (basic homemade) was also a hit, mostly pressing things into it to see the patterns they made, and scribbling with crayons. We also bought a book of reusable stickers, and she spent a surprisingly long time arranging them on the patio doors (and still likes them a year later).

'Helping' with household chores was also popular. Not efficient, but anything you actually get done whilst minding a toddler is a bonus.

Don't worry about imaginative play! As pp have said, focus on bursts of physical activity and rushing around. Then don't be afraid to use TV time when you need to. Honestly.

Balloons are a big hit in our house. Lots of time spent throwing and chasing them.

Sofa cushion fort
Sofa cushion obstacle course
Banging saucepans with wooden spoons (obviously not if you're doing loads of zoom calls!)
Chase your DC round the house.
Anything to they can safely climb

Thank you so much for the ideas! Just went to put some ice in the freezer to try the ice idea and realised we don't have an ice tray...doh! We don't have a garden either as we're in a flat but we do have a long hallway so will be making use of that. We've done a lot of sofa cushion jumping this morning. Will work through the other ideas...thanks again! So much easier to get through when you just have some ideas in your back pocket. I'm not feeling that bad but covid is definitely making me a little less on it that normal.

And good luck @SquigglePigs with your isolation. Sending lots of solidarity!

Thanks @Bramwell2020. Good luck with yours too!

Any freezer-proof contain is an ice tray, and slightly bigger blocks are actually better, as they last longer (and you can make plastic animals ride on them, or maybe that's just us...)

Good luck to those isolating!

I’m isolating as I tested positive and my Mum said she wouldn’t take DD2 like she normally does during the week so she’s isolating with me. She’s bored stiff! DH is luckily allowed out still so takes her to get DD1 from school.

Following this for ideas.