I have a 9 month old daughter who needs to take naps, of course. My son is almost 3 years old and it looks like he has given up naps. I need to think of activities for him to do during the afternoon nap time that are quiet and he can do by himself. where I can work on the computer for my job for about an hour. He has lots of books that he likes to go through and puzzles, but he's getting tired of those. I'd love to have some extra ideas.
Thanks!
Will you be working on a computer? If not, let him play computer games.
Any type of ipod with heaphones will keep him busy for awhile!
Stickers, coloring books are favorites at our house.
Or what about letting him watch a movie for an hour?
Go to Michaels or Hobby Lobby and get crafts and let him sit next to you and put those together while you work.
First off, I only have girls so I know that's a bit different. But what always worked well for me was play-doh, coloring, painting, and short cartoons. As long as you are strict about quiet time they will start to entertain themselves just using their imagination. And I think that's a great trait for kids to have.
Play Doh.
Finger painting.... in the tub. Easier clean up that way.
Coloring books
Puzzles.
Books
Leapster
at that ages, a child can't sit for long periods and be quiet. So... you will need to go back and forth to them... anyway.
Have a DAILY regular routine... for you/them everyday.
My son can play quitely with Thomas the Train stuff for long periods of time. Also matchbox cars keep him playing quitely in one spot for a while. We got a kid tent that he likes to play in while his siter sleeps. He take s a flashlight and his little cars in the tent.
Quiet toys are easy, ones that he will play by himself is more challenging, at least it was for my son....
Moon Sand is horribly messy, but it is one of the few things that kept my son self-occupied. I would put it in a big baking pan and he would drive his trucks or bury his super heroes in it.
Cars! My almost 3 year old son loves playing with cars. For christmas he got a 2 ft tall car toy. You put the car at the top and it sprials down, I think Fisher Price makes it. It's pretty quiet besides the vvrrmmm and crashing sounds my son adds to it! My son still naps but sometimes he doesn't want to take a nap so we have quiet time where he will lay down and watch a movie. Toy Story 3 keeps him pretty entertained at the time being.
