It has been raining the past couple days and I am out of ideas!! I have a newly mobile 10 month old (very good crawler/cruiser, no walking yet) and a VERY active 2 1/2 year old. We all have cabin fever and it is not even winter yet!!
We do chores, lots of reading and singing/dancing, and spend alot of time out side. Pre-baby mobility we were doing some art/playdoh type things, but now my infant wants to eat all the supplies and she is able to reach them :) So while I can keep them out of her mouth, those activities are very grumpy times for her and result in lots of frustration screaming (she is very persistant), thus making it not much fun for me or my older child.
So I am looking for more ideas to keep us all sane on rainy days . . . .
Thanks ladies!!!
My 2.5 year old loves to play with pipe cleaners! We make shapes and swirl them together, practice colors and counting! Ibhave a 12 month old as well. While big boy plays with pipe cleaners, I usually sit baby in his high chair for a snack or give him toys.
We also like to put on toddler friendly music and dance our hearts out!! Baby loves clapping along and bouncing, and big boy dances, sings and plays with brother :-)
My son is just over 2 and he loves to play in the sink. When my daughter was this age she loved it too! I would put some water and a few plastic bowls and a spoon in there and she would stand there forever! Everything got a little wet, but that was the worst of it! ;) When my son started crawling, etc. I made our kitchen table into the craft area. He couldn't reach it and I would just put down paper grocery sacks if it was something messy. That way she could do her crafts and he could roam around!
You could try doing an obstacle course of some kind so that if the baby were to crawl through it and destroy it wouldn't be a huge deal. Also, maybe look into getting a crawl through tunnel (maybe a good holiday gift?!) b/c that's an activity both kids would enjoy. Most of them fold down easily and can be stowed away under the couch or in the closet!
Your 10 month old might LOVE to splash in a shallow container of water if you put it on her high chair tray.
I usually do this for my babies when I want to have art time with an older kid. I figure I'll be needing to wipe the area down anyways afterwards, so I just let them make their own age-appropriate messes.
I had a very hard time staying home all day with little ones, regardless of the weather. If it was yucky out we went to story time at the library, or an indoor play place, either a free one, like they have at the mall center court, or a cheap one, like at a fast food place. It also helped MY sanity to get together with another mom with kids the same age. Just being at someone else's house for a few hours with some ADULT company really helps that cabin fever :)
As far as fun stuff to do at home, at that age they LOVE to make forts! Bring out some blankets, take off the couch cushions and let them at it. Having a few large boxes makes it even more fun. Sometimes the boxes were part of the fort, and sometimes the boxes were "trains" or "cars." One time I gave them a bunch of old shoe boxes and they turned them into a zoo using their stuffed animals, so cute!
We bring in our little tikes plastic slide in the winter and it has entertained each of my kids when they were little and we couldn't go outside. That way they have something to climb on that is safe! I also echo the balloon idea, this will work for years. My 17 month old loves watching them fall and trying to get them while her brothers (4 & 6) try to play volleyball. Balloons are also great for teaching catching and throwing skills to little ones.
Is it plausible for you to take them to the mall. Your older one can walk around & burn off energy & the your baby in the stroller.
Build a semi large fort in the living room.
Will you allow the 2 1/2 year old to watch part of an animated DV like teh movie "Cars" or some other one?
Build blocks
Play w/matchbox cars
Some of these only last a few mins each but...
Kick around a few blown up ballons in the living room
bring out all your stuffed animals. Line them up, toss them.
Toss around some bean bags in the living room
Let your baby play w/some tupperware & lids on a blanket if he/she can sit up.
Have a puppet shwo (just a few hand puppets)
have the older one put together one of those wood puzzles w/the animal cut outs (only about 6 pcs & easy to put in)
Put on cartoons.
Stack throw pillows in living room & knock down.
If you have those soft, square blocks...fun to build with.
Hang in there & good luck.
I dont know if your kids are into Disney Pixar Cars but we have these color changing cars from the movie and my 2.5 year old son LOVED them for a good week or so before he lost interest. He could spend hours dipping the cars in ice water and warm water and watching the colors change.
Not sure about your 10 month old, but I got great ideas for activites for my 2yr old on my question "Active things to do when it's cold/dark out."
Obstacle courses (jumping, climbing on/over/under, follow a tape line, etc)
Marching band (I'm sure your 10 month old would love the instrument sounds)
An "animal parade" (walk like crab, jump like a frog, slither like a snake)
Sock chase (crawl around and try to take each others socks off - I can't wait to try this one! And it sounds like it would be a perfect way for your 2 kids to play with each other too!)
Yogurt/pudding "painting" in the bathtub/on the table. Both kids could do this as well. i"m horrified by this idea because I just envision a huge mess to clean up, but lots of mamas love this idea.
