Good ways to entertain a 5mo baby?

[pelafina]

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an older sibling is the best entertainment IME but, failing that, my 6mo loves:

• taggie blanket

• set of plastic teething keys

• [top favourite] rolling about with no nappy on (but this may be extra special because she is in cloth nappies, which are a bit more restrictive)

I do have to change her scenery quite a bit by moving between rooms- I have a floor mat in each room and just take her with me when doing housework etc.

One thing DD1 loved which I haven't had to resort to with DD2 yet is getting all the lightweight kitchen stuff out for her to play with e.g. tupperware pots, measuring spoons.

My ds loves his door bouncer, he's 6 mo now, but he's loved it for ages. He can spend ages in there, I usually put him in it when I'm in the kitchen when i'm making dinner and he'll happily bounce for ages, getting really excited. It wears him out too, so bonus!

i second the bouncer for keeping a 6month old amused. we have a jumperoo and its the best thing i have ever bought. also when DS is wingeing our dog is the only "person" who can make him smile. DS will reach out to have his hands licked and he roars with laughter. he also loves noise and i put a couple of tablespoons of rice into a clean drinks bottle which he loves shaking and bashing.

I third the bouncer - gives them a sense of independence and knackers them out.

Also singing to little ones works quite well and brightly coloured picture books.

A sling!!! Put him on your back or front at this age - get a good carrier that won't hurt your back and is really versatile - then get on with whatever you want to do! Do the washing up with some music on and jig around. Mop/sweep/hoover the floor. Before you know it he'll be asleep and you can lay him down and do whatever you fancy

Seriously, in most other cultures babies don't get dedicated baby-time - they just enjoy being a part of the adult world. They also love being with slightly older children - do you know any 8 year old girls who would like to come over and play with him after school sometimes? All the girls around that age I know can't get enough of my children

Have a look at the Baby Station www.babystation.com
My daughter has had one since she was 4 months and she is now 15 months. She doesn't sit in a lot now, but it still gets used every day while I get ready for work.

It was great when she couldn't sit up unaided, because she could reach her toys and was safe. Its been a godsend through the crawling stage, because she was into everything. You can use their own toys, which means they don't get restricted to static toys. Easy to clean, easy to store, great for the garden - its been a great entertainer/high chair/floor seat for us.

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Second the slinging and singing suggestions.

Put him in the sling and go for an adventure - a trip somewhere you'd like on public transport for example. Give you a huge sense of achievement and it will therefore probably improve his mood as well. Even if it's a disaster you'll both be glad to get home.

my ds, also 5mo, got terribly annoyed being put under his - previously adored - play gym. eventually realised that he was irritated by the hanging toys getting in his way - he's now much happier on a regular mat, with toys nearby to grab, where he can kick and, crucially i think, see what's going on around him.
oh, and bouncers are a godsend