Toddler indoor activities

[LaTrucha]

I'm in the early stages of pregnancy and have a 22 month-old DD. I'm really thinking that less outside activity is a good idea, especially on dark, rainy afternoons.

What are good activities to do with a toddler juts under two?

Are any of those 'Things to make and do' books good?

If you don't mind a bit of mess, you can fill a large vessel such as [[http://www.lakeland.co.uk/oven-rack-soaking-tray/F/product/20228 this with rice (or flour if you're very brave), and then stick lots of toy diggers in it. A mini building site. Keeps my 21mo busy for ages.

Disclaimer: if you have a spaniel or other stupid/greedy dog I strongly advise you don't let them anywhere near this. Mine ate lots of the dried rice when my back was turned and was quite unwell the following night.

sorry, made a pig's ear of the link, should be this

My dd has loads of fun with stuff that's lying round the house.
For example:

Keep small cardboard boxes that can be used for building towers.
A big cardboard box with paper plates stuck to the sides bacomes a car
Odds and sods of fabric are good for dressing up
Cotton reels and shoelaces make a threading game/snakes
Stickers & tissue paper can be stuck to odds of paper

These all make minimal mess too

I often bung the ds's in the bath during the day - they can stay and play in there for up to an hour sometimes!

Thanks. We usually have a bath before dinner and it is really good for when the afternoon is wearing a bit thin.

I do have a big waterproof playmat so could contemplate the rice flour. I had been trying to think of something that wasn't water that she could pour and shift about.

Ok, I may make my first foray into glue!

Cornflour and water mixed together makes Gloop. Its hardish liquid that turns into liquid when you pick it up.
Its great fun and you can also add toys etc into the mix. Just need a tray/baking tray to put it in.

Pasta is also good for digging/pouring. Also good for making pasta necklaces.

Sand- Mini sand tray. Can get coloured sand which is nice.

Painting is fine.. Hand/foot prints are good fun. Finger painting too.
Colouring with crayons/pencils/pens. Go onto the CBeebies website and print out the colouring pictures of her fav charaters. This is always a huge hit.

Playdough- make your own its really easy and also doesnt matter if it ventures into thier mouths as its not harmful.

Messy play- Strip them to nappy on a large plastic sheet,Plastic bowl. Shaving foam, Baked beans,water,soap flakes etc.

Cooking- Crispy cakes are so easy. Chocolate and rice crispies- Tasty too!

Can you tell we like to keep busy!!
DD is 15 mths and I am 13 weeks pregnant with Number 2 too.

I'm impressed

At ds' playgroup they do cous cous in a tray, with dinosaurs. Also custard (cheapo 4p tin) with pouring items. And soap flakes with a bit of water, voila modelling material. I have no inclination to do any of these in my house but if you have a waterproof mat and are fairly laid back you could try these.

I was on rota duty for the custard and the soap flakes, clearing up after them was not my idea of a fun time btw. But they all loved it.

How about one of those threefold airer things with a big sheet over to make a den? Throw in a tea set and some bears, peace for ages.

The den idea is another good one.

If you need DD to dispose of some energy then what tents and tunnels. We bought this Can also be used seperately. Throw lots of cushions on the floor, great for running over, diving on.

Paper shredding- rip up newspaper and throw and catch it.

Dancing- DD loves a boogey to MTV!

She does really like it if I put wrapping paper or tin foil on the floor for her to run over.

Good ideas on things to get messy with / dens!

Get a big sheet of paper and draw around her. Then let her loose decorating herself with wool (have to get a glue stick out!) for hair, buttons, crayons, paints, bits of material, etc.

Dressing up - DD loves my old sarongs especially.

Music - dancing is good

That's a lovely idea about the drawing. And thanks a lot for the sarong idea. I spent this afternoon trying to think of things to dress her up in without buying an overpriced fairy costume!

shaving foam (or we used the foam noddy soap earlier today!) and a tea tray, plonk in toy cars/anything, let her make a fantastic mess- works every time they love getting dirty- but are consequently easy to clean!

really good ideas on here - I'm a childminder and I find the thing that keeps my 23 month olds busy is threading beads/pasta!

When the weather's better go out and collect leaves /twigs etc and make pictures with them

Obviously, it is time to brave glue and assorted gloop! I bet you have laminated floors!

No laminated floors here

Glueing is done on a big plastic tray on top of newspaper.
Pritt sticks are brill for card/paper, but pants for anything else.
I use Early Learning PVS glue in a Copydex tub (the one with the brush in the lid).
get a good apron on your child and off you go
Keep a supply of wet wipes on hand too and you'll be grand

someone on mn linked to this site a while back, tis very good.

Oooo that is good. Thanks.

The Imagination Tree has loads of fab ideas.

Her Facebook page has lots of less-effort ideas for 'invitations to play' too.

make a pirate ship from an empty cardboard box - plastic sheet on teh floor, they can spend ages painting it and then sitting in it and filling it with toys

Baking - not necessarily for real, just playing with real kitchen equipment. Balance scales are great for just measuring etc....

and if you are up to it, just really simple cupcake baking and eating - I have done that with mine since really very young. also decorating biscuits with icing pens etc.

playdough - I find soft stuff from elc, which I buy by the bucket load when it is on sale, is great and doesn't go dry really quickly. mine spend hours doing it!

sticking and glueing - I cut up lots of bits of old wrapping paper, cards etc, and then we just happily sit and stick and glue!!

If you have any space outside, I have a little water/sandpit table, that I only put water in as sand goes everywhere. they spend hours playing with jugs and empty yoghurt pots etc just pouring, and watering plants, and throwing water around. We literally have a postage stamp sized patio as a garden, and this works great.

As twofalls suggested - get a big roll of paper, draw round them and then again spend hours sticking bits of paper etc on/colouring in, then have a life size toddler stuck on the wall!

inner rolls of cardboard from wrap rolls make great swords for play fighting

Stickers - lots of them! don't buy those really expensive little packs of stickers. If you google Melissa & Doug stickers on Amazon, they have massive books of stickers, literally thousands, for about £3.99....