Entertaining toddler whilst pregnant

[Newusername2024]

I’m 17 weeks pregnant but struggling with tiredness and entertaining my 2 year old. We get our first thing most mornings for a class/park but I am finding the afternoon post-nap difficult.

He will watch tv but I’m finding it’s becoming more frequent. We do go in the garden, books, drawing etc. We did some baking this afternoon. Any other ideas??

Does he like puzzles. Does he have any animals to play with we used to have a box of farm and zoo animals. Mine used to love playing with them. Have you got any pairs games you could get some with a favourite character.

I found the game where you hit a balloon up and don't let it hit the ground a brilliant one to play when heavily pregnant. I had a very high energy 2 year old and this could have him running around giggling with not too much effort or energy from me (also got his dad involved and I could join in still sitting on the sofa!)

Any older kids nearby who’d like a £5 to run round the park with them after school while you sit and watch with a cup of tea in a travel cup?

Can you have a nap when he naps?

We spent a lot of time at the library and a lot of time watching Zumba Kids on YouTube or making an obstacle course in our front room (while I sat on the sofa with my feet up).

My little spent hours playing with a masking tape road on our hard floors, whixh turned into a city and went all under the chairs and tables and armchair legs. I sat. 2yo played. We had it out for about 3 weeks at least before Little got bored of it. Then I added 2 new pieces of tape and hey presto, so totally new again 😆

Oh and lots of up and down the stairs, fetching things from one room to another etc etc.

I would do park or library in the afternoon. Or running around a shopping mall playing on the moving cars etc. or swimming.

I also found the balloon game useful, and tried (unsuccessfully) to find a pre teen / teen who to pay to play with him downstairs while I lay down upstairs.

At this time of year jumping in puddles and a wheelbarrow to collect leaves in the garden was fun. We also went to the library a lot, to a big building site near our house to spot diggers, to a supermarket where we played ‘spot the x’ (eg spot the bear), and to pets at home to look at the fish. Play dough uses up lots of time if you haven’t already done it! And making birthday cards for people.

Playdough and kinetic sand entertain my son for absolutely ages, I just sit at the table with him.

Also, a tray of oats, dry weetabix or dry pasta on the kitchen floor with some spoons, bowls, vehicles etc. I could just sit nearby having a cuppa while he explored. Messy but just sweeps or hoovers up after.