Need ideas for simple games/toys

[divabell]

My creativity is tapped out. I am out of ideas for games to play with DS. We read books, sing songs, play with his Peek-a-Blocks and other toys, play peekaboo... what else can we do? It's not even noon and we're already bored! (It's too hot and we have too many mosquitoes in our neighborhood to take a walk. :( )

[vpalmer]

Do you have a pool nearby you can join? That is a great thing to do in the heat. :-)

Veronica
Mom to Eva
Born on 6-12-03

[August Mom]

I'm not that creative, but I bought a set of cards that gives suggestions of activities to do called "Bright Ideas for Mommy + Me" (although I know that Daddy can do these too) by Pal Toys. They are available for 0-12 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3-5 years. I have the 1 year and 2 year cards. Here are a few examples from the 1 year old deck:

*Bag O'Squish*

Squeeze several tablespoons of ketchup or mustard into a quart-sized resealable plastic bag. Lay the bag flat and squeeze out as much air as possible. Place that resealable bag into another one (just in case the first bag splits), and give it to your child to squish around.

Draw a few small pictures (smiley faces, stars, hearts, etc.) on a piece of paper and place the squishy bag over it. Show your child how to use his finger to press down and displace the ketchup or mustard to reveal the pictures below.

**FWIW, although I have not done this particular activity, the cold packs that came with my Avent Isis travel pack have a squishy blue substance that you can move around when not frozen and DS loves playing with it.


*Slot Drop*

Cut a slot in the center of the plastic cover of an empty coffee can or other similar container. Use masking tape to cover any sharp edges. Show your child how he or she can drop frozen juice can lids (or other objects) through the slot and into the can. You can make the slot large enough for your child to easily drop the lids through, or, to make it more challenging, cut a narrow slot that requires him or her to push the lids through. He or she can shake the can, remove the cover, dump out the lids and try again.

**DS loves this. I used a big Cheez It box from Sam's Club and square storage container lids.


*Big & Little*

Use household items to teach your child the concept of sizes - big and small.

Bring out two or three differently sized spoons. Lay them before your child and talk about which is the biggest and which is the smallest. Shift the spoons around and then encourage him or her to pick up the biggest one. You can follow this up with differently sized bowls, plates, pans, utensils, socks, etc.

Use other everyday objects to discuss longest, shortest, fattest, thinnest, etc.


*Brush & Buff*

Gather a group of your child's small toys, such as plastic farm animals, toy trucks or toy dishes. Place the group beside a small bowl of water and show your child how to use a nailbrush and sponge to scrub the toys clean. Encourage him or her to dry the toys with a washcloth when she is finished.

Continue with more pretend play. Help your child line up the animals and award a blue ribbon for the "best groomed." Toy trucks can be turned into a "truck dealership." Dishes can laid out for a picnic.


*Get the Picture*

Draw pictures of everyday household items such as keys, a cup, a spoon, a baseball, hat, etc. (or cut pictures from a magazine). Glue each picture on a separate index card for durability if you wish.

Gather up three or more items depicted in the pictures and lay them out on the floor near your child. Hold up one of the pictures and encourage your child to pick up the matching item. For example, hold up a picture of a cup and ask her to show you the real cup beside her on the floor.

[slknight]

I had that deck of cards for 0 to 1 and really liked it. There's also a good book by Gymboree that has similar activities.

[cchavez]

I had the Gymboree book for 0-12 months. I thought it was ok. Where can you get the cards? What about "The Toddlers Busy Book?" I am thinking about getting this one. TIA!

[divabell]

Those are great ideas! Maybe tonight after DS is in bed I can get somethings ready for tomorrow.

I had to laugh because soon after I posted this, DS came up with his own game: make Mommy clean up poop everywhere. Not my idea of fun! But at least it gave us something new to do. :)

[redhookmom]

Check out the newsletters section of this site very sweet ideas:

http://www.magicalchildhood.com/index2.htm

[August Mom]

I got the cards at a local independent toy store. I did a quick Google search and it looks like you can get them at Amazon. http://tinyurl.com/2q37y

[mommy_someday]

I don't have a child yet (still pregnant) but my mom gave me a neat activity idea book called "1001 Activites For A Smarter Child". Each task is rated from 1-5 for difficulty level and many can be done indoors. You can get it on Amazon for $25.

The ISBN for the book is0-7853-7208-3. You can type this in the book search area (without the hypens) to find it. Looks like a really interesting book that I plan to use a lot.

HTH,

Erica, due 1/18/05

[JacksMommy]

I have a book which I like a lot called "Baby Days : Activities, Ideas, and Games for Enjoying Daily Life with a Child Under Three" by Barbara Rowley. It's organized by time of day and includes sections on mealtimes, travel, bathtime, bedtime, etc. It has a lot of fun ideas along with a recommended age level. I notice that your DS is only six months old, so one thing I can mention is that it gets a lot easier to find things to do as they get older!

Laurel
Working Mama to Jack, 6/4/02
EDD #2 12/25/02