BabyWhispererForums.com
ACTIVITY => Activity Time & Toddler Activity => Topic started by: branwen on October 27, 2005, 14:18:10 pm
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Hi,
my dd seems bored :? Her awake time is still on the short side for 9 months 1 hr 45 or 2 hrs. and she seems to hate her toys (throws them all off to the side and then waves her arms at me). It's getting cold so I won't be able to take her out as often anymore so I was wondering if you guys could help me come up with some activities for her!
She's not crawling or standing yet, so she's not that mobile so I think that is also frustrating her.
Thanks!
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Hi Branwen,
Emily's favorite activities are me holding her up against the couch while she plays with a toy, playing with the dog, playing with dh's guitar, and playing with the computer keyboard. I can usually get 15mins of entertainment out of these activities. But she too is bored with most of her 'baby' toys, also I think cause she can't move around much.
Tarri
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hi branwen,
DS is 9 months also.
he loves:
1. peek-a-boo. (he starts to do it to amuse me!)
2. shake something that make a sound
3. open and close a cupboard door
4. roll something on the floor. try an orange or apple.
5. remote control /calculator
6. magazine
also teaching DS sign language, think this is the age he will starts to communicate.
btw, DS is crawling, standing, cruising .... he is standing every minute of his awake time!! will not sit still for 1 minute ..... i am exhausted chasing after him !! haahaaa.... so enjoy your quiet moment for the time being. once she figure out how to crawl, everything else will come very quickly.
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I usually get 3 small laundry baskets and fill them with toys, books, containers etc. I put one in my son's room, one in the den and one downstairs. Then I rotate the baskets every week. Even the toys he gets bored with become like new because he may not have seen them (especially if we havent spent alot of time downstairs (and missed that laundry basket entirely!)
Another idea is to go to a Value Village and buy used toys (They're cheap and you can sanitize them at home. Or try muffin tins and containers. My lo likes the lids from baby food jars. I even put him in a laundry basket and let him sit there while he plays with toys. He likes that. Sometimes I push him around the carpet. One more thing is to put pillows all over the floor and have him practice going over them. Try and make a mini obstacle course.
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Branwen - I posted in the Jan/Feb Thread today about Leah's "Treasure Box". It's just a small bin filled with treasures: old phone, old calculator, spatula, measuring spoons and cups, chip bag clips, small plastic bowls, cellophane tissue paper (the kind that just crunches), vitamin jar filled with beans that she can shake, refrigerator magnets, hmmm that’s all I can remember. Anyway, she just LOVES this box. She will pull everything out and put it all back in again. She will play for ever with it. It is the first thing she goes for now. Just an idea!!!!
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Christine- I made one for her today after I read your post! THANK YOU! She loves it! I'm going to keep adding to it too. So far the calculator is the biggest hit...and sunglasses. This is SUCH a neat idea. Thanks for your creativity! I could tell she wasn't bored because she was making these talking sounds to all the objects like "ohh, ga, ahh" and such. YAY!
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Branwen - I'm SO glad she liked it!!!! Let me know if you think of other "treasures" to add to the box. Isn't it crazy the amount of money we spend on fancy toys, and all they really want is an old calculator!!!! :wink:
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That sounds so brilliant.....I'm making a box up tonight!!!
Thanks!
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My ds loves this!
You can fill the small bottles of coke with something that makes sound likes stones, rice, or even water with oil, my ds loves this one!!
Be sure to close the bottle with glue!
Enjoy it!
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That treasure box sounds like a good idea! I have recently washed out a milk jug and her old formula can and Allison loves playing with those. She also likes grabbing any mail--junk mail or magazines or even newspaper-and waving those around and crunching them up to make noise. But you have to watch that, because she likes to stick everything in her mouth and she ate some paper last week!!!! :oops:
The great thing about the container is that you can hide little toys in there, and she can then find them! Plus, it makes lots of noise as you shake it!
My dd is 9 months old as well, and I am wondering if I am either not stimulating her enough or too much. She starting crawling very early, and has been pulling up for a long time. In fact, she takes 5-6 steps on her own, without holding onto anything. then she falls down and goes again! She is very active and spirited, but doesn't sleep well at all. So, her awake time is all day--sometimes from 6am to 8pm with 1-1:30 hour nap total, if that.
During the day, she has her run of the house, but prefers to play independently (as long as I am in the room, since we have massive separation anxiety) and goes all day long. She is very hard to wind down. She crawls everywhere, pulls up on the couch, takes steps , etc. She plays with all her toys, taking them out of the toy chest and plays with her exersaucer toys. When I try to play patty-cake or anything like that, she smiles, but isn't interested.
Any ideas? Should I have more structured play time? Is it too much? I've tried making the time before attempting a nap and before bedtime "quiet time" by taking away the noisy musical toys, but I don't know if it makes a difference.
Thanks!
~Sara, mother of Allison, 9 months
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Well congratulations on having an active little walker so early! I think you are doing a great job with all the ideas you are offering your dd. I bet though you get tired being together all day without a break for a nap. I know I do when my ds wont take his nap. I thought of a couple ideas that may help you.
1) Perhaps enroll in a play group (Check your local library) - something short (1hr) so baby can walk and see other babies. The visual stimulation of all the other babies and parents will be good for her.
2) My 9 month old can sometimes go 5 hours before getting tired. For your dd after about 3 hours of wake time, keep trying the low key activities that you were doing. Make it a long winddown and keep the routine the same as much as possible. So start by playing gentle music, clean up the toys so there is minimal visual stimulation, hold her and read a board book to her. Then walk around the house with her(she in your arms) not talking but just walking a route. Do the route a few times over. Then place her in her crib. Leave her one or two stuffed animals or a blanket for comfort.
3) Even if she just plays in her crib for an hour at least you are signalling to her that it is nap time. You too, get a chance to do your own thing. Now if she wont let you leave the room because of her anxiety then you stay with her and do pu/pd or have your hand on her back and keep saying "Its naptime darling." She'll eventually lose steam. You have to keep it up for the next day and the next day until she's ok by herself. There is a section on this in Tracy's 2nd book.
4) If all of that doesnt work, try taking her for a walk in her stroller at different times during the afternoon. This allows you to see what time she usually falls asleep. So go at 1:00. If after a 30-40 min walk she's not sleeping, try walking the next day at 1:30. Then maybe she'll give you a cue as to what time she does get drowsy.
I hope some of this helps you out. Good luck.
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I totally agree with Velvet. You have some fun ideas. I also have a spirited LO, who woulnd't nap if I didn't make her. I think your DD may be a bit overtired. Try putting her down for a nap around 9:00 in the morning. Like velvet said, if she doesn't sleep at least she is "resting". Check the nap forum for some good wind down routines.
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wow, my little one only 8 months but she is already pulling up and getting around on the floor pretty good, and trying so very hard to stand. I love the idea of the treasure box, i am going to put one together tomorrow, thanks for the idea!!! just wanted to post that...I am always looking for ideas for bella so she dosen't get bored.
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Hi Just thought id write to say I love the idea of a treasure box!! A great idea I thought that i would add to mine is a water bottle 1.5ltr filled with water + put different colourful cut up sponges and ribbons maybe some glitter you can also colour the water with a little food colouring. Make sure the lid is glued on. It is great for encouraging crawling or pretty to push around.
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Great idea Debprins! I am always looking for new ideas! :D
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My Lo loves our Computer Keyboard so I got my husband to bring home a broken one from his work for her to bash on. I also put it in front of the real one when i want to come onto BW site...Keeps her amused and me too! :lol:
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Going to make a treasure box tomorrow! DS loves to get his toys out of his clear roll-around toy box (7 or 8 dollars at IKEA), but he seems bored with the toys themselves.
Have a question about the computer keyboard - did you glue all the keys on? If so, what Kind of glue?
Also, what kind of glue do you use for the soda bottles to glue the cap?
Thanks! You have inspired me!
Our Dear Little Aidan
(http://lilypie.com/pic/050322/5179c0a.jpg)(http://lilypie.com/baby1/060209/3/15/0/-7/.png)
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Hi I didnt glue the keys on the Keyboard They shouldnt come off?? I Havent made the soda bottle yet but i was going to use super glue inside and then screw it on. HTH
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My 8 month old loves tupperware containers and wooden spoons.
I put toys inside the containers (they're clear so he can see what's inside) and he sits there pulling the lids off and taking the toys in and out. It's cute when he sits on the floor just waving the wooden spoon around.
I also show him how to bang on the containers with the spoon like drums and he loves to repeat it. So much for expensive toys :? .
Allysmom, just wanted to say that my little guy is the same way. Ever since he started crawling and pulling up he will literally go ALL DAY without a nap if I let him. He only sleeps about 10 hours at night and despite all my attempts he's a terrible napper(30 min. most times :( ) but I make it a point to try to put him down at least every 3-4 hours even if he only takes 30min. to give him (and me) a break! It does make for a long day at times since I'm SO exhausted from chasing him around all day. Luckily he's good at independent play.
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I just logged on to complain that I feel as if I can't keep my DS entertained sometimes (like now!! :( :( ) and saw this thread (thanks for posting your question, Branwen)! I don't have a lot of toys for him so he can get tired of the ones he has. There are some good ideas on here. My main concern is that DS puts everything in his mouth - it's very frustrating - so I have to be careful what I give him. However, there are some things on here that I can pull together and let him use.
I also can't keep him entertained while trying to feed him because whatever I give him goes right into his mouth and I have to trick him to get the food in his mouth. I'm trying very hard to not teach him that he needs to be entertained while eating but, unfortunately, he's a mover and a shaker at 9 months and so he can't keep still unless there's something going on. When we have company over or are somewhere where there are people, he eats very well!
Unfortunately, that's not the case most of the time here at home. Tried baby DVDs (he smiles when Elmo comes on) but I decided to not use it anymore when he started waking up crying at night (hasn't happened since I stopped).
Well, that's it. Gotta go get the booger and play with him some more. :D
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Georgia - maybe it is a spirited thing (yet again) but we have the same issue with needing to keep olivia occupied in order to eat. i never feed her in front of the Tv and i try to limit the "games" What we have had HUGE success with is just ensuring she ALWAYS has something to occupy her hands. she has at least 1-2 finger foods offered during each meal (sometimes 3 or more different things) + 1 or 2 of the following to occupy her hands/attention: a baby food jar/tin that i wash first, a lid, a bowl and/or a spoon. she will practice putting the spoon to her mouth, will bang the lid or dish into her cup and i encourage her by saying "tap tap on the drum..." She is like a whole new baby with food recently and i have relaxed so much which seems to help her even more. when at a b'day party at a friends house last weekend we grabbed a kids juice box from the drinks tub and that was such a new object for her she was thrilled and ate happily! even tried some chicken pieces!
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Another great activity and cheap too!
I took a box (size of a laundry basket) and filled it with empty tetra packs. Remove the straws. I also filled the box with empty water bottles wo the caps, empty rice cereal boxes, all sorts of little to big boxes. I keep them all in the big box in the kitchen. When I am cooking or washing dishes I bring the box out and my lo starts emptying, chewing, stacking, throwing, pushing, spinning, etc. He even takes everything out and climbs in the big box. That's when I have to give him a ride in his car by pushing his box across the kitchen floor. He just turned 11 months and loves this.
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Velvet, I love your idea. :D How cute!
Anything that involves destruction (pushing blocks over, tossing things around, making a mess in general) would catch his interest. *LOL*
Debra, when I give ds a spoon, food goes flying ALL over the place (and that's food that I've already put in his mouth). :? Anything else plastic just ends up in his mouth (again, even if I've just got the food to his mouth, so it creates a cereal mess) and then on the floor. Today I entertained him with some funny faces, and that got him through almost an entire bowl of cereal. Still trying to incorporate finger foods... he doesn't like new tastes or textures in his mouth so it takes forever to get him to eat something new. It's definitely both his touchy & spirited sides showing up in his eating habits. Thank you for your suggestions. In the next couple of weeks I'll definitely be trying all of your suggestions!