BORED-SUPER ACTIVE 15 MONTH OLD....PLEASE HELP!!!!

[rochelsmommy]

Hi I don't post here too much, but all of you seem to know so much. I am looking for some good, inexpensive toys for my 15 1/2 month old girl. She is very active, loves to climb and explore and doesn't like most of her toys anymore.

I have a nice big plastic playhouse set up in my small apartment already and she likes that, so i need space saving, not very expensive, stimulating toys for her.

what would you recommend? blocks? playdough? an easel with crayons? tunnels?

oh, and where can i get good kid's music cd's? she loves barney at playgroup and tries to sing it at home.

I think i'm feeling the "mother guilt" of not being able to afford alot of toys so I feel like she won't "learn" what she needs to...if that makes any sense.

please help! I know you all are great mothers with great ideas and I can't wait to hear them.

Connie mom to Rachel 10/11/03

[Jen841]

At 15 months we were in temp housing and these were Jude's FAVORITES-
A deck of cards (constant 52 card pick up)- when changing his diaper I had to give him a good hand (a deck from our drawer, so free!)

Set of plastic measuring spoons ($1 at the Dollar Store)

Set of plastic measuring cups ($1 at the Dollar Store)

Little Tykes shopping cart ($1 at a garage sale)

One of those $1 plastic balls from the grocery in the big bins

Play Hut tent he could crawl through ($3 at a garage sale)

The 6 thing above were all he wanted for the 3 months we were in temp housing, all the other toys I brought or bought were a waste. I forgot the other item.. A BROOM! Make it 7 items that we lived with day in and day out for 3 months. Finding a child size one was hard, but I did it.

For CD's we have all of the Ralph's World ones. "A Teddy Bear named Freddy Bear" remains to be the only song that will calm him down in a tizzy. The songs are catchy for adults. I confess, I forget to turn off the CD once I drop off Jude regularly, so adults can tolerate it.

DVD's - Wiggles and Baby Einstein. Around this age he really got into World Animals and Neighborhood Animals with the Baby Einstein series.

[vpalmer]

I would recommend getting her started on crayons, play doh, etc. Eva is an art nut! I have set up her table and chairs right next to my desk in the office and this works great for us. Whenever she wants to do anything art related she sits in the chair and we get started. I have three plastic bins in our office closet with her art supplies; one bin has play-doh, the second markers and crayons and the third contains supplies that require supervision or are for special occasions. In that bin I keep stickers, watercolors, and other crafty types of things.

My favorites are the new twistable crayons from Crayola. They are washable and unbreakable because the crayon is housed within a plastic casing like a marker! You just twist to expose more crayon. Eva's favorites are the markers, washable of course! Her table has a slick surface so after coloring I simply wipe off her table (and occasionally the wall) and all is well. She is not allowed to walk around with her art supplies. When she gets up, art time is over.

We bought our table really cheaply several years ago for my nephews when they would come over to visit. We bought it at Toys R Us and the top wipes clean. The surface is almost like a dry erase board. If you don't have room for a table, you could use the high chair.

The Wiggles CDs are great. Eva also likes her Rock N Roll CD which is basically a compilation of 50's music. Honestly if money is tight, don't even buy CDs. Just crank up the radio and dance! This is one of Eva's favorite things to do.

Balls are great as well. Eva loves to sit on the floor and roll a ball back and forth! That will keep her busy for quite a while.

I have found that stations work best for us. We have an art area, and all her toys are spread throughout every room of the house. That way no matter where she is she has something to play with.

Veronica
Mom to Eva
Born 6-03

[Java]

Our house is filled to the roof with toys but Kael's favorite activity is walking outside. Whether it's just out in the front yard playing the grass or going to an actual park, he's happiest just looking at all the different leaves and flowers.

I don't know where you live but where I am it's about 75-80 degrees so we've been going to the park every day. Beats anything we've got at home!

On cold/wet days, we go to the mall or Borders/Barnes & Noble. Kael loves the book store. He leaves every aisle a complete mess but boy he sure is tired when it's naptime!

[Vajrastorm]

I too have a very active 15 1/2 month old girl. :)

As a pp mentioned, getting out is the best "toy." Anywhere she can run, climb, or explore. The park, the mall, even large pet stores. She can run around a Petsmart, see the fishies and birds, and get her wiggles out.

At home, a big hit is out $7.99 cheapie doll stroller. Good for active kids to push around.

She is also into Little People and coloring with the "So Big" crayons. (http://edushop.edu4kids.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=56) They are the perfect size for her.

Don't feel any guilt about not buying fancy toys. I have bought the fancy toys, and they go mostly unused. Makes me feel a bit silly for wasting $$ on pointless toys.

[kseltmann]

I am embarrassed to even type this. Lately, DD has been playing with my old prescription bottles. I wash them and peel off all of the labels, put the child-proof lids back on and she thinks they are great. We play "crazy bottle eyes" where we each hold 2 bottles up in front of our eyes. We play "unicorns" and we each make a horn... you get the idea. I am thinking of putting rice and pasta or something in some to make shakers for when we have our disco parties... Now that I think about this, what is more embarrassing? Using old prescription bottles as toys or having disco parties...

ETA: I totally forgot about one biggie! Take the batteries out of an old remote control (or go to Radio Shack and get some cheapie for a few bucks) and watch the fun begin. It doesn't look like a toy, it looks like mommy's remote. That is what makes it fun. DD also thinks it's a phone, too, and she often makes calls on it and walks around babbling into it while she cradles it like a phone. Good stuff!

Kathryn
Emily 9.24.03

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