With the weather being so bad, and obviously Lily just being born, we are pretty housebound at the moment.

My OH is taking Aimee out for a walk in the mornings to try to get her some fresh air, but she seems to be going mad being stuck indoors.

I just cant think of what to do to entertain her, and feel like such a mean mummy that its soon going to be just me, Aimee and Lily and too cold for me to take them both out.

What does everybody else do?

x

If anybody else is stuck, I have just signed up to this:

www.notonthehighstreet.com

I have had the first email through and it seems pretty good.

Its free and they send you an email every couple of days with cheap ideas of what to do at home with kids to stop you (and them) going crazy x

dancing to music - off her nursery cds or just general TV stuff
throwing balls
building blocks
dollies
drawing with aquadraw/painting/drawing
making stuff with megablocks
playing with picture cards
playing hide and seek, or chase
looking at books
general mess making/taking things apart/rummaging in things
helping with me, just general mooching around the kitchen!

we also sit for 15 mins or so and have a cup of tea and cake/biscuit and watch some tv together. she does have the tv on in the day but rarely sits long enough to watch more than 5 mins at a time!

she goes to MIL's twice a week and I know they go for walks alot, and at my mums on Fridays she gets to go round the farm - so I dont find the need to take her out side specially, although she always comes with me where ever I go so its not like she doesnt get out

Laura wrote:

If anybody else is stuck, I have just signed up to this:

www.notonthehighstreet.com

I have had the first email through and it seems pretty good.

Its free and they send you an email every couple of days with cheap ideas of what to do at home with kids to stop you (and them) going crazy x

is that the right link!?

Lol, I was thinking the same thing about the link..Notonthehighstreet has tips for entertaining a toddler?

We do very similar stuff to Lisa and Izzy -
but just to add we also do things like;
build a tent/den
watch nursery rhyme dvd's and dance to them
have story time
Playdoh, colouring etc
Play hide and seek with teddies
I find just generally going into different rooms throughout the day helps as its a change of scenery for them and you - such as the bedrooms, he plays with different toys and I can get stuff like cleaning done etc, cleaning the bathroom and I let him play with his toys in the sink.
In the kitchen he either plays at the sink or hoovers for me

ZeeMoo wrote:

Lol, I was thinking the same thing about the link..Notonthehighstreet has tips for entertaining a toddler?

We do very similar stuff to Lisa and Izzy -
but just to add we also do things like;
build a tent/den
watch nursery rhyme dvd's and dance to them
have story time
Playdoh, colouring etc
Play hide and seek with teddies
I find just generally going into different rooms throughout the day helps as its a change of scenery for them and you - such as the bedrooms, he plays with different toys and I can get stuff like cleaning done etc, cleaning the bathroom and I let him play with his toys in the sink.
In the kitchen he either plays at the sink or hoovers for me

oohhh interesting I was just thinking about these today! which ones do you have/are good?
I really want to get Izzy one or 2 cos now I just put it in the xbox and have it on full screen visualisation...which sometimes puts her in a trance

Oliver loves his, I mean he is obsesed From the moment he gets up he wants his 'di-di' (dvd) when asked which one its either 'bus' or 'goose'

I got this one from Home bargains for £1 - this is his all time fave. Have just had to get him a new one for xmas as he's played it to death and its all cracking with him getting it out the box
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1847110754/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00009B0PJ&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0F6TPHN4WBQ150JTYCMH
(the guy that does this one and the row your boat one is a tad weird but hay-ho )

Then he's got this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mother-Goose-Rhyme-Time-DVD/dp/B001CKZT5S/ref=sr_1_8?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1291151633&sr=1-8

We've also got him some more for xmas like this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Boat-Kids-songs-dance/dp/1847110762/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291151711&sr=1-1
and
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wheels-Bus-Nursery-Rhymes-Songs/dp/B000EZ7VQW/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_21

Have a look in your local Home bargains, Boyes etc cos you can get them much cheaper

Haha, just found him on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPoAe9_VfZE

This is the Wheels on the bus dvd..its not exactly my taste, but Oliver loves it

hhahahaha I will have a look in HB tomorrow then!

Thankooo! Izzy will love you forever I'm sure!
I, on the other hand, may not

Just sorting lunch so will be quick - in addition to activites and general ammusements - youtube and cbeebies iplayer are good to pop on comp / tv (can get them through wii channel too if you have one) - when you need a quick 10min distraction but there's something pants on regular tv

Just to add, maybe not much help with newborn!, but we've been trying to go out in the evening a couple of times a week - finding out shops that are open to about 7/8pm. I have a veeeery slow browse and hubby takes bean for a good galavant around. We went to matalan yesterday and going to the local garden centre tomorrow (late thu opening) - there's also b&q, a small retail bit with next, brantano etc. then obviously supermarkets. Is only for about an hour with only 5mins in the car - so doesn't disrupt bedtime and home by 6.30/7pm. Not exactly a thrill a minute but in this weather it helps to wear him out a bit and not go completely nuts! xx

Lol... sorry.. baby brain!!

This is the link http://doingstuffwithkids.com/

x

Have just posted on in the 'baby babble' bit a link for 1wk - 1yr btw Laura xx

Colouring pens and paper,
Beebies....toooooo much beebies
Bubble machine
Toy cars
Downloaded computer programms for toddlers plus little reader/little maths which i have anyway

Shall try and gather a few more thoughts while little one sleeps!

I think I've shown him too many times how to play with wooden spoons / pans etc. as he's never out of the bloomin pan cupboard and his toy box has more utensils in than my drawer!! He went and helped himself to a spoon this morning, then to a pan, happily banging away - I just rinse everything in boiling water now before use, it's easier!

We have an indoor tunnel / tent thing: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3498671/Trail/searchtext%3EBEANSTALK.htm - oooo, lookit - half price - that comes out every couple of weeks, I'm not quite so agile at floor-level at present though! We like making dens, having cushions off the setee, hiding and finding things, making ramps / tunnels for cars, building blocks - usually I build and he destroys but he's so good at building himself when he chooses! And if I'm not watching with that or his stacking cubes / pots / towers he'll come and get me to show me it with a look of glee... and then whack it down

And I need to rotate his toys again as there are ones in his room and in the lounge that could do with a swap and change of scenery. We've just brought his rocker in from the conservatory today after a couple of weeks break and I need some more playdough as ours has gone very sticky! Have an aquadraw for Christmas and a magnetic drawing board lined up for his birthday - no mess as well as crayons, paints, pencil crayons. Ooo - lining paper - I knew I needed b&q for something.

He loves balloons but I'm really scared he'll pop it in his face then today I found in my handbag a long balloon thing that you blow up and let go - it whizzes round the room with a squeal? Scared the pants off him, bad mummy His latest 'toy' is a set of dumbbell weights Huffs and puffs them about, in and out the case, the child is baby he-man!

Also books, more books and a couple more - am looking for a good a-z type one atm as ours is very well loved and taped and dog-eared! He'll look at it and read it with me and spot things and match things (e.g. toys etc round the house) for ages. Bean goes between quietly playing / reading to being very active and bustling about - wanting to climb / do / explore - at which point anything is fair game (birthing ball, washing basket, toy boxes emptied & tipped up, henry hoover...) we're not so keen on "baking" but we're quite good at "messing" - plus just general things like some flour on a tray for mark-making or making some shakers with rice / pasta in pots & empty plastic bottles.

Honestly though, we were doing so well and trying to get out and about more - out for walks, in the garden, going to rythm time once a week and trying to meet up with someone or visit somewhere at least once a week too... then I fell, we all got sick, then the snow came and now I've blinked and got really bigly pregnant and waddly
Away to Lidl & the garden centre tonight when daddy gets home - other wise the poor bean will go crazy cooped up! xx