Rainy miserable day, 11month old bored - what can we do?

[violentviolet]

I've drawn a blank because I have loads to get done but he's whinging and clinging to my legs and I feel really guilty. What can I do with him to cheer him up?

Give him a washing up bowl and some wooden spoons

Give him an old newspaper to scrunch up.

Ooh, can't do that actually, he sword swallows them and retches at the moment (used to play happily with them)

we just trashed the place in 20 minutes painting at the table in high chair then splashy bath then she slept for 2.5 hours

aargh, can't give him newspaper as he does actually eat it! God it's a pita having such an orally obssessed child. He chewed lumps (and swallowed, until I noticed) off a piece of cardboard last week.

Let him empty the contents of a cupboard or your handbag

put him in the bath in his nappy and some (washable) paint?

bowl of water and smaller bowls to pour

basket with lots of toys and stuff in you can take round with you as you do the chores?

Painting, eh? I think he'd suck the brush rather than touching it to paper. I only have acrylic or oil paints, no child colouring implements yet. hmm...

mmm acrylic prob not the best idea
it's a pita when they eat everything, isn't it? Luckily they grow out of it (kind of)

Hmm. I'm afraid I used to turn a blind eye when my LO used to eat cardboard.

Put some music on? My LO has always loved a bit of a disco in the kitchen.

Pouring could work (although cleaning the bath is one of the things I need to get done, it's manky from dp's bath last night)

was just blobs of paint dd also shoves everything in her mouth but seemed not want to shove paint covered hands in thank god

He would. I have to have eyes in my arse.

You can do painting with an 11month old. I have some washable paints from ELC, and my 6month old has used them a few times! You have to make sure they don't eat it obviously, but its great fun. MY DD made her own fathers day cards for her daddy and grandads by doing hand and footprints. She loved swidging the paint in her toes!

Cornflower and water play is great too, very messy, but great fun

Love the idea of doing it in the bath to reduce mess - had never thought of that!!!

I have the same problem though about having nothing to do on the rainy days. My DD gets so fed up of not having a change of scene. Not looking forward to the school hold where toddler groups are not on, swimming pools etc are packed of school kids. Really not looking forward to it!

Well, I filled a kitchen cupboard with the safest kitchen implements, caketins, eggcups, plastic jugs, metal teapot etc and he spent a few mins bashing them around, then the rest of the time doing everything he knows gets a "no", slamming the drawers, unlocking the washer and then slamming the door, messing with the cooker knobs... but I ignored him and so at least I got my washing up done!