About to spend a year at home with a newborn and a three year old - activity suggestions wanted!

[CeeCee123]

Hi,
I'm on mat leave and once the baby arrives will be home with my 3 year old and the new baby. My son will start play group in September for a couple of hours a day, but I would like to get a bit better at coming up with activities to help fill the time when we're home together. If anyone has any suggestions of books of ideas/resources that would be great. So far I've been planning on water/sand play, cooking together, setting up a little garden with him and obviously arts and crafts but a few more would be great. Has anyone used any early numbers/letters books with their 3 year old? I don't want to push him but he definitely has an interest in letters and numbers so it might be fun to encourage him. His childminder has always done such a great job with all manner of different activities and I've definitely swiped some of her ideas, but I guess I'm just trying to get prepared!

I'd definitely get him a scribbler type thing. He can sit next to you and doodle, and there are lots of games you can play together without any mess and leaving you free to feed, hold sleeping baby etc. as well as talking about numbers (you can draw and count shapes etc.) and letters.

There was a nice thread asking about this sort of thing a few days ago - here.

home made playdough. He can help you make it and at 3 they usually love playing for ages with it. Gloop (cornflour and water) mixed together that goes hard in the tray but when you lift it up it becomes runny.( can be messy but most 3 year olds love mess) Paints, jigsaws and books for quiet times. ie you could read him a story cuddled up to you whilst feeding baby.

go out a lot
library etc

for later in the year.

Wooden railway track. My DS can play with it for hours leaving me to mumsnet in peace do all the housework.

As for activities you could try baking, painting, sticking. They are all things DS loves to do.

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I've just had 8 months of this and have to say I've failed to do half as much as I intended to do. My 3yo has had to get used to amusing herself as the baby is not a good sleper in the day and for a long time was colciky and needed constant feeding/holding.

Baking was good around Christmas. Library is a nice morning/afternoon out. Walks. Making cards. Train track has also been a success here. Cbeebies. Trampoline. Friends next door. We got wipeable write-on number and letter books from Costco which she has been able to amuse herself with. One of the few things that keeps her self-occupied for any length of time.

I would second maybe trying to find some local friends with similar age DC's. Very handy for when you've run out of ideas - my DS1 will happily run round in circles and jump on the sofa for hours with our neighbours boy of the same age!

Trains and tracks have also become an invaluable toy here for self-directed play!

I agree wooden train ttracks are great

I printed the alphabet sheets off starfall and put them all in a ringbinder, explained the concept of colouring the pictures in then drawing the letters in boxes to dd at about 3.5. She used to take her folder to 'boring' places and i let her do whatever she wanted with it, about half the alphabet is filled in nicely the other half scribbles and drawing but it kept her quiet and she can write all the letters now.

I have replaced folder contents over time with sheets on space and different topics, its just a homemade version of cbeebies magazine i suppose.

My DD1 is a similar age and Playmobil has been a total godsend in our house since the new baby arrived. If I get a chance the night before I set up a little scene and it buys lots of time to change/feed/mumsnet in the morning! Also works well with train set- the children can go on a journey on the train to a farm or safari park. Today we pulled lots of weeds out of the garden, popped them in a tray (earth and all) and made a jungle for the animals...

what's the primary times?

Don't worry. You just get onceuth it like you did with baby no. One. You just take ages to leave house. Playground swimming library etc. That's all

H and lots of poisson rouge.

A decent sling will be a lifesaver - a newborn really doesn't need activities, they just need to be held, and as they get older, to be able to observe what is going on. So just think about things to do with your toddler, the new baby will be happy to tag along and watch and join in when they start crawling. A sling is brilliant for this as they feel secure and you have both hands free.

I'd say a stretchy wrap sling is best for a newborn, and it will support your back and be really comfy to wear even for long periods. You can apparently breastfeed in one too, but I never managed it. If it's going to be hot when the baby is small then maybe look at a gauze wrap (lighter, more breathable material) or a wilkinet.

Boo to slings. I made son 1 "nappy man " and kitted his rucksack out with kit. He was2. So he rushed off to get it and felt involved. Also calked son2 " your baby" a lot. They all still adoreceach other and never fight. Sibling rivalry just ain't happening here but those early days are vital.

Yea ahmobil good but lots of tiny pieces. We glued a lot of feathers into hats!

cultivate a gin habit? [helpful]

toddler groups, swimming lessons, libaries( some do rhyme time in pm so great to take both kids). you'll meet loads of mums at pre school so you'll have lots of play dates.
chalk great for outdoors. get them to draw around you and each other and then get them to wash it off.hours of fun with scrubbing brush and buckets of water!
paddling pools. get some paint stripe kids down and let them paint themselves and then jump in paddling pool to wash!
bubbles, balloons work well in doors. have fun and don't plan to much for one day! let yur oldest choose what they are going to do for the day. don't worry about time

this book is good for simple stuff

I think this is the new edition

Buy a few rolls of old wallpaper, they re about 50p in charity shop. Great for drawing, panting etc also draw around the outside of your child. Tents under the stairs are also a good one, made from sheets and so on. Cardboard boxes made into castles, spaceships. Teddybears picnic in the garden/ park. The disney website and enchanted learning have loads of craft ideas.

Building tents /dens and having tea parties under the table - collectiong objects when out like leaves.Trains good as well as marble run - ELC, which my ds loved.also loved rolling balls or cars of a plank.! Also water play - indoor washing up bowl and some plastic toys on the floor and outdoors painting the wall or floor with water,chalks outside good too.mud pies !nature walks.......The big roll paper idea was one we did too..also play doh and cooking.Sometimes little ones liked to do pretend cooking like make a" soup " with grass ,bits pasta etc.We also liked to glue pasta shapes for pattens.Often go to a river.I had two close together - i used to cook tea when a more sunny mood in am quick then go out or have friends round- nap after lunch then afternoons in mostly -if stressed or hyper used to put everyone in bath with a drop lavander oil - well it relaxed me never mind them!!