What do you play with your toddler?

[MashedUpMum]

I've been back at work since DD was 9 months and now at 17 months I am reducing my working hours to 2 days a week (yay!).

I'm ashamed to admit though that I'm a bit nervous about having all that time with her again.
Looking for some suggestions of fun and cheap things to play/ do that will be fun for us both. There are lots of nice child-friendly days out we can have locally, but I'm thinking more of the day-to-day stuff.

Also, does anyone think of a mental timetable for their day with their child, or is that just weird? When on mat. leave I very much went with the flow, but now I'm finding it hard to imagine going from the structure of work to unstructured life at home.
Thanks!

we always did something in the morning then something in the afternoon after lunch.

it could be housework one morning then park in the afternoon, or shopping one morning then meeting friends in the afternnon.

i needed structure to my day though and we had to be out the house at some point everyday or else i would have gone insane.

Housework and getting ready in the morning lunch then some sort of activity in the afternoon. That's what I do in the school holidays when I'm at home with them.

Stuff like ..

park, baking, supermarket including a trip down the toy aisle to browse, play date with friends, soft play, swimming, park, library, story sessoin at library, Tumble Tots...

Lack of structure is something I find unbearable, I can't go with the flow (sadly).

We also go to Pets at Home to look at the animals and DD likes trying on Giltter Babes make up range in Boots (take baby wipes). Look at toys in Woolworths or similar then coffee / cake afterwards.

DS (17 months) has been ill for a couple of days and we have both been forced to stay indoors. We are both being driven insane. Go out every day, whatever you do.

I have a 4.4yr[in morning nursery],2.3 and nearly 15mths old. We spend a lot of time out and about at parks with friends,at toddlers etc as it helps with the playing and to break up the boredom.
Games we play in the house are making dens,colouring, chase,tickling games, making cakes, house, babies, hairdressers, transformers and general play with playdoh painting etc.

However I am also a great believer in letting them do a lot themselves so they often all 3 go upstairs to play while I put washing away etc

We always do something in the morning (playgroup / shop / walk into town), back for lunch and a 'rest' then garden or creative activity in the afternoon.

I like structure too. We always go out or have friends with todders over in the afternoons. Sometimes we go out in the morning but usually we just get ready v e r y slowly and I try to get some house work done (not a lot though - mainly laundry and dishes).

We often go out for a whole day with or without a mom/toddler firend - going out about 10.30 coming back by 6. Those are the best days - we just seem to have such a better time when we are out. Being at home all day is torture.

Cheap, fun things aren't always easy to find. A local playgroup, the library (a godsend for me), the park (feeding the ducks is my DS's latest craze); in fact, just going out even if it's just your local supermarket or newsagents can be fun. I definitely have a routine - breakfast, play, nap, and then out. Lunch, play, out again, back for nap, play, supper, bed. With CBeebies for the hour between 6 and 7. Things my DS loved at about 17 months: going on the bus, the library, local playgroup, the swings, - there will be lots of MNers with ideas!

I meant to also say: well done! I'm sure that your DD will love spending more time with you. And I know what you mean about being anxious - but you will work out something that is best for you all. It can take a bit of time though and don't forget to try and make some time for just yourself. Very easy to work (and you still will be!) and be the main child care provider and probably also have most of the housekeeping responsibilities - exhausting for even the most superhuman mum!

DS is 13mo and we have more or less the same structure every day, unless we are going somewhere special. (It's hard to go out all day because he won't nap properly unless at home in his cot!)

The day goes like this: breakfast, go out, play with toys, lunch, nap, go out, play with toys, tea, In The Night Garden, bath, bed.

We don't have much money to spend so 'going out' usually involves free or cheap stuff like shops/swings/feeding ducks/library/coffee shop/soft play. We go to a music group once a week and M&T group once a week.

It's fairly mundane when you write it down, but the days seem pretty full and we enjoy ourselves

Things i've done with DD2 recently who is 2 yrs 3 months -

Played what do you say to a 'a dn she makes animal noise and acts it out

Making up songs and dancing in the kitchen

Trip to park involving hiding behind trees and chasing each other round trees, pretend races, feeding ducks, taking paper and crayons and doing bark rubbing

painting, stickers, fuzzy felts, drawing round each others hands and feet

making cakes

she helps me unload dishwasher, clean etc

Sort of hide and seek!

bundles on bed, throw her around, tickle her

picnics / doctors

when food shopping she picks up the stuff for me and I teach her the names of things at same time