Activities to stimulate a 10 month old

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

Ok this is going to sound embarrassingly PFB (Ok, I've admitted it so no need for anyone else to point it out) but I am just wondering what I should be doing with my 10 mo.

I have just gone back to work PT and DH and I both share care so she doesn't go to a nursery or anything. I have really gone off baby groups as I find them such hard work. I see other mothers once or twice a week, sometimes the babies just play together, sometimes we are out and about in town/having coffee. I'm just wondering if I should be doing more to, you know, "stimulate" her?

When I am off we usually go out for a walk once a day in the afternoon, occasionally to the swings, but don't often seem to get out in the mornings, and typically DD just plays with her toys or explores the flat now she is crawling around while I mumsnet do housework. I'm just wondering if i should be doing more stuff with her like flashcards craft activities?

I guess I am feeling a bit insecure because the mums I know who have babies at nursery/childminders tell me how they do all this stuff like make Easter baskets, painting nursery rhymes while I just let DD crawl around eating crumbs off the carpet (which she seems to quite enjoys!). Am I a bad mother? Am I holding her back with my neglectful ways? Can someone give me some ideas of what to do with her?

don't worry too much about structured activities if she's happy to mooch around - she's entertaining herself...

..but when she gets fractious, I'd suggest (and I'm a big fan of activities babies can do for themselves):

basket of safe kitchen implements to bang

washing up bowl with bubbly water and plastic cups etc - sit her in a high chair or put on floor and use plastic sheet!

playdough - she might eat it at this age though!

cushions on floor to climb over

try rotating her toys a bit so you put some away and bring others out

lots of walks which you're already doing

and when you're feeling really SuperMummy fingerpaints etc are good

Thanks monkey, i'm going to go out today and by a splash mat!

anyone doing easter bonnets with 10mo needs their head examined....ds is nearly 11mo now and whenever i sit down to selfconsciously Do Some Entertaining Baby Play, he humours me for about five seconds before crawling off to spend 20 minutes dropping cutlery into the dishwasher with great absorption.
the other things he really likes are sitting on the patio eating handfuls of compost from the plant pots, opening and re-opening every cupboard door in the kitchen, and bothering the dog. im not being much help .
but you could always read books. or get a big cheap shower curtain and spread it on the floor and stick him on it with a big bowl of water and some things to pour/splash/mess about with in it. at this stage he really likes looking at people's faces, inc photographs, so has had a lot of fun tearing up old maagzines. also any public place with new stuff to look at is stimulating - we went to the aquarium the other week but he was less interested in the fish than in the other kids running around and in the cafe (baby after my own heart...)

flash those flashcards!

I didn't know she was crawling bumper . When did I miss that info? I knew this thread was you btw, before I even openend it

DDs favourite thing at the moment is emptying old letters and paperwork out of a box on the floor under the desk......crinkly envelope windows are much more fun that crinkly baby toys, obviously.

She also likes wooden spoons and trying to hook things off the shelves that are marginally out of her reach, and putting the bath toys in the bath when I'm in the shower........and upending the cat bowls. Don't feel that you need to entertain her constantly, or that you are neglecting her if you don't. Babies learn about things by exploring theri world and she will be perfectly happy!

Her own toys she can take or leave really, although musicval ones are a big hit. WE have a little tykes xylophone that she loves and a turksih goatskin drum that takes a beating regularly.

We were at a party at a soft play centre recently and she loved the baby section in there. I'm thinking of tumbletots or something like that as well.

Thanks all, DD loves envelope too, and magazines, pots and generally anything she shouldn't have. I feel better from your responses as I thought I was neglecting her, I'll just leave her to get on with it! Though I will try and play with her a bit more, but doing whatever it is she wants to do.

I bought one of these (the ladybird one) today so we can splash around and have indoor picnics.

Hello Bumper and Daisy. My 10-month-old gets to go to her brother's playdates, has toys ripped out of her hands by her brother ("No! That will choke on you!!!"), and likes to chew on her brother's cup after he's drunk all the juice. It's not much of a life, if you ask me, but she seems content.

DS2 is 11 months and his favourite things are:

smiling at people
dancing to whatever music is on
picking crumbs off the floor
standing up and cruising along everything
emptying the kitchen cupboards
touching electrical cables
going to his brother and sister's school
sleeping
eating

He doesn't need much more stimulation than that. He is not interested in toys (not that he has many to play with at the moment).

If you are a bad mother for letting your dd do what she is currently doing then there is no hope for me

dd who just so happens to be engaged to cameroonmama's edible ds likes:

tearing things up
putting things in things (raisins in the dvd player, anything important in the bath etc)
posting things through the fireguard
touching cables
clapping
dancing
stealing fridge magnets (see posting things through the fireguard and putting things in the bath)
smiling at anybody
cruising madly
opening and emptying drawers
singing along to the radio

All of the above are her preference when entertaining herself. Below are things I do with her to stimulate her:

jigsaws
nursery rhymes
physical play- tickling, catching her etc
playing piano, drum, xylophone, maracas etc
basic baking
dancing together
water play
stacking stuff
hide and seek
nature trails- collecting leaves, grass etc
reading and regular trips to the library
banging pots and pans

We go out at least once a day and point at things while she's in the carrier, go to the park, library, feed the ducks etc

When my daughter was this age, she was perfectly happy to sit on a pile of cushions with me, putting things in a little bag and taking them out again while I watched stupid television, read a book, chatted to her, drank tea etc. All day. She was in seventh heaven as long as some part of her was touching some part of me. Swings/crumbs on the carpet/going out for coffee sounds fine. I really don't think a bit of constructive boredom ever hurt anyone as long as the child in question knows his/her mum is there and available if they want her. We still do a lot of this kind of thing, actually. Babies like being at home with someone who loves them. It doesn't really matter what you do as long as you chat while you're doing it, I think.

Wow bumper, you actually do things with your dd?! My ds mostly just gets up to mischief whilst I chase him round the house trying to extract dd's toys/hairclips/pens/magazines out of his mouth/hand and try to stop him shutting himself in the bathroom or emptying the cleaning products out of the cupboard under the sink!

Dd has one of these, one of these and one of these. They are the only things he really enjoys playing with! Dp is serously concerned!

Don't worry so much, you are doing a great job. You put me to shame!

Sing, dance, cuddles interspersed with a good long walk (weather permitting). I agree with lucicle, talking is the most important thing.

And as for easter bonnets.......mwah ha ha!!

Who's that activity for? Not the baby, that's for sure.

cuddles, eye contact, chatting, reading aloud (her books, your books, the paper) bath time,

all you really need to be doing is engaging her in what you are doing.

Also, I am never going to be making an easter bonnet. They can make their own, frankly.

WE do endless rounds of Row Row the Boat and Wind the bobbin up as well

lol holly....all DD wants to play with is bionicles and power rangers....maybe we need to swap little ones.

Hi cocobear . How are you doing? Come and say hello on the PN thread

No holly the whole point of this thread is that I don't do anything with DD! but feel like I should, unlike you and daisy though DD doesn't have any bro's or sisters to entertain her.

Actually I think it will be easier when she is bit old, as I saw some of those toys in the ELC yesterday and I can't wait till she is old enough to appreciate them, and my little ponies and stuff, I'll want to play then

Thanks for all the replies though! I no longer feel like a bad mummy