Need Ideas of How to Keep 21 Month Old Occupied with Broken Leg

This is fun even if you don't have a broken leg, and I can't promise it will last for too long, but it might. A large card board box, think apliance, and some markers can keep kids thoroughly entertained for some time.

Hey R.,
I don't have any great ideas for you, but thought I would see if you are in the Lake Stevens area?? I just moved here from SF and have b/g twins as well (22mo). I have been meaning to join the twins group, but just haven't since moving here. Have you tried coloring? acting out/singing songs (sitting down), stickers? building forts around eachother? (mine love this:, a modified sand/water table? (we use a shallow under the bed plastic storage bin), playing with tupperware full of beans/pasta etc, etc etc. I admit, I haven't been too creative lately! I hope people have some great ideas for you, and if you live in the Everett/Lake Stevens area and ever want to chat about having two at the same age :) or meet up, let me know! My email is ____@____.com luck and sorry to hear about the broken leg!
J.

When my daughter broke her leg at that age we put her in a walking boot. After a few days of practice she was almost running again. We gave her a tricycle which she loved and because the cast was below the knee it didn't effect riding. I invited her friend to come over several days of the week for art/preschool activities. Also, there are some good internet learning game sights for that age. I learned to sit down and spend even more time with her or includ her in what I was doing. She helped clean windows, do dishes and I praised her for all the effort. My house was not clean for a few weeks but she was more happy then ever. I also formed a preshool group with other mothers and we each took turns running the group at our home. I used this oppertunity to do those things I couldn't get done when taking care of my child.

I am so sorry this is going on. Keeping an almost 2 year old down-that's the pits. It's harder because he has his sister running around.
Does he like puzzles? Those wood ones with shapes, alphabet, numbers etc.
Trains? They make those wood track trains that aren't Brio or Thomas the Tank engine, and most of them come with trains. He can play on the floor without moving around too much, and his sister can help him build the track.
The library has DVD's that you can borrow, they have alot of great educational ones that seem like cartoons.

I don't think this is much help. Good Luck!

I know this sounds really messy, but it might save your sanity!! Sand and water tables make for hours of fun, and your son can use it while sitting in a chair. If you have a covered patio, you can even set it up outside. They are really expensive to buy from school supply stores, but they are really easy to make. Just get some big, shallow sweater/wrapping paper tubs from Walmart or Target and set them up on a kid table (or just use a piece of plywood on blocks). you can fill one partway with water and put in water toys (boats, measuring cups, funnels, squirty toys, etc.) Bubble in the water make it even more fun. When he tires of the water play, trade the water tub for the "sand" tub. You can actually use sand, but rice works really well, too. You can buy rice in bulk at Costco, Cash 'n' Carry or any bulk foods store (it is easier to vaccumm if you are doing this inside). You can hide little plastic animals in it and put scoops, cups, seives, etc. in it for him to play with. My other suggestion is to have many different activities (the sand and water table, as well as some of the others that were suggested by other moms). Mix things up a bit. move him on to a new activity BEFORE he grows tired of the one he is currently doing. That way, he is still eager to do the same activities day after day and doesn't burn himself out on one or two activities. good luck to you!!

My daughter broke her left thigh bone just short of 21 months in December. She was in a cast down both legs and up to her nipples (there was a hole in the diaper area). We found out many things about her when she was completely immobile for 6 weeks. We found out that she has great concentration with coloring and drawing and that she could easily get her needs met through limited words, grunting, and body language. We had to use bean bags for her to sit in and carried her in a sling. We always had her where the "action" was. Either in the kitchen or on top of the dining room table. She did get to watch a bit of TV during this time. She never seemed to jealous of her older brother. We did borrow extra toys from friends and people in our coop- this helped with changing things up. It was a lot more work for us to keep her entertained and happy but we made it through it. It will seem like an eternity while you are all going through it but it will end. At 25 months she is back to her old risk taking habits and has hardly played with pens and paper. We had lots of questions when it first happened to us. You will find that your child and your family will settle in to a routine quickly and then it will all be over with. Good luck. S.

I know that being a twin there is always the urge to compete, I am one and we are 37 and still doing it, ask my mom. The best thing I can tell you is that new self sticking cling wrap for any craft ar activity. I wish that stuff was around when I was younger. It sticks to itself and any item. so it will help keep any play doh or such out of the cast. It will help also when the weather gets warmer and his sister wants to squirt him with the hose.
On the activities I woud look for the Cookie Mag. it has a lot of ideas for little ones. Some of my favorites are puzzles, sewing, crafts (you can buy a book of kid crafts) and of course play doh. Good luck, C.

omg, I just went through this with my 17 mo (who has a 3 yo brother).

I am wondering 1) how full is the cast; 2) did this just happen or has it been awhile?

I am going to assume that it is a full leg cast but not the kind that goes over the hip, and that the break is fairly recent. Based on these assumptions, I assure you that you will be amazed at how soon he starts actually getting around really well, either crawling or actually walking in an akward manner, and the frustration will go away very quickly.

You might try getting your children to play in places your son can hang onto something while standing, such as at train tables (if you don't have one at home, there is one at Barnes & Noble at Lloyd Center) and at Omsi, where there are a lot of low surfaces he can hold on to while playing (just keep him away from the sand pit and the water).

But FYI, once my daughter adjusted to the cast, her frustration level was actually much worse when the cast came OFF. She had to kind of re-learn to walk and it was challenging because the muscles were really weak. Also, for several days she was really sore as she started using the muscles and stretching the ligaments.

Good luck!

My son broke his foot when he was 27 months! It's pretty frustrating trying to keep a little one sitting down and "resting".
Try play doh if you haven't already. My son LOVES it. He is not one to sit down and read or color quietly, but play dough seems to be the one thing that keeps his attention!
I feel for you. . . it's no fun for anyone when a baby's hurt. :( Good luck! I hope you get lots of great ideas! :)

Legos, Duplo if your children put them in their mouths. Tinker toys, drawing, cooties, potato head. I hope your little guy feels better soon. So sorry he broke a leg. :(

My son was 2 when his leg was broken and he had a cast from the tips of his toes all the way up to his hip just about. He actually took a few days to get used to the cast, but then it didn't stop him. He ran around on that thing like no body's business. He was in it for about 2-3 months too, it was quite a while. He would climb stairs, and even run. I took him outside even and just put one of his daddy's sockes over the whole thing so he didn't get it all yucky. I hope he's able to walk around in his. It's such a helpless feeling.
W.

My daughter (a twin) broke her leg at about 18 months. At first we bought one of those lap tables so she could sit and do activities but that didn't last long. She figured out how to walk on the cast, even though she wasn't supposed to, and that was the end of it. Thankfully she only had to have it on for two weeks.