Author Topic: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?  (Read 8376 times)

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Offline C&B&E

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What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« on: February 25, 2013, 19:55:58 pm »
I posted something similar for preschoolers/kindergartners, but I thought we could have a thread for younger lo's too.....

I love hearing about the fun things that people have been doing with their kids as it helps me to think up stuff to do with mine!  So I thought we could have a thread where we tell each other something that our children have enjoyed today/this week - can be a craft/activity/toy/trip out/anything really - the more simple the better!  If it helps to put a picture up or a link to a blog/website then that would be great.  Oh, and the aim of this thread is to help us think of activities when we are stuck for ideas, not to make us feel bad for not doing more with them  ;)!!!

So, I'll start us off....

DD is 19 mo and really into water play (mainly with her beaker at dinner time  :P).  So today we got out some water beads which are always a big hit here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aqua-Crystal-Expanding-Storing-Crystals/dp/B007K6HEJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361818525&sr=8-1 I just set her up with a container, an egg cup to scoop and pour, and she was thrilled!

We also spent about ten minutes playing with some buttons.  I had some pink ones and some green ones that I'd picked up from a charity shop.  I quickly lined the bottom of two small boxes with a piece of pink paper in one, and green in the other.  Then we sat together and sorted the buttons into the two boxes.  She didn't really get the concept of sorting the colours (still think it's a little early for her) but she really enjoyed playing with and pouring the buttons :)

Would love to hear some snippets of what other people have got up to, or any blog links that you like  :).
Claire x



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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2013, 22:16:55 pm »
Ooh so glad you started this thread here too.  I saw the one on the preschoolers board and was tempted to join in for the ride and to get some ideas, but DS is only 2 so I have nothing to share for those older kids.

We had a few things this past week as it was half term and our regular toddler groups weren't on so I had to entertain DS a bit more than usual.  DS had asked if we could go to a restaurant so I set up a couple of lunches out across the week which helped
- lunch in a supermarket cafe.  Sounds dull but he had a GREAT time.  We just had sandwiches but he eats so well when we are out that he even ate an egg sandwich, no question.  Another day we went out for a pub lunch in a child friendly pub.  Another day we did the tourist thing and went to a chip shop.
- ride machines (without putting any money in it!) you know the sort that kids nag about going on.  Mine is more than happy to just get on and off a hundred times and pretend to be the bus driver, the ice cream man etc.  We had a happy 10 or 15 min play inside a supermarket (nice and warm) and could have spent a lot longer there only it was coming up to nap. Another day about 30 mins outside a supermarket, basically in the car park so on full alert even though DS is great with car park safety (this was a really cold 30 mins! Again DS would have been v happy to stay much much longer. I made a note to go back in the summer!).  We also went to one of the awful cheesy amusement arcades (we live in a tourist town on the coast) which DS loved, at least half a dozen ride on machines there and again he was happy to play on them without me paying for any of them to actually move.  Whilst we were there he went on his first fairground ride on his own, £1, and what joy on his face!!
- pet shop.  We've been once before.  Funny there were a few other families in there doing the same thing, just visiting the animals!

We did a few other things too, and on the whole had a great week (v cute he keeps talking about his holiday even though we didn't go away :) ), although I'm grateful for our regular toddler groups which mean I don't have to do all this every week :)


Offline anna*

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2013, 22:38:00 pm »
Audrey's fave 'toy' at the moment is a little shoe box (from her first shoes :-*) and some huge buttons. The shoe box has a slit cut in the lid, she posts in all the buttons, then takes off the lid and tips them all out again. I love your pink/green idea Claire but I think she would still just put the buttons in her mouth. Yesterday me and Stan made her another toy from a drinking chocolate container and some lollypop sticks, with slits cut in the lid so she can post all the sticks in but they don't go through iyswim, just stick out like a porcupine.

Her other mission today was to steal tiny Lego guys from Stan and trying to 'run' away fast enough that he couldn't catch her and grab them off her. Lots of screaming when he (of course) did and (of course) reclaimed his Lego.





Offline C&B&E

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2013, 19:29:39 pm »
I love the ideas ladies! Keep em coming  :)

Creations - we love going to the supermarket cafe too - we're so rock n roll  ;)!  Your post inspired me to take a trip to our corner shop this morning which both of them *loved*!!  E loved mooching around looking at all the fruit an veg and choosing an apple to buy  :)

Bought a little pot of cocktail sticks which I tipped into a box and she enjoyed poking them all back through the little hole in the lid.  Anna, I love the buttons idea - I am going to try that tomorrow. 

Another hit here is playdough (make a big batch in about 3 minutes - or 10 when E is 'helping'  :)) - especially with some cut up pipecleaners to stick in, or I've got some silicone muffin cases and birthday candles that are fun for making little playdough cakes with.  I love this site for playdough ideas - she's so creative http://www.theimaginationtree.com/search/label/Play%20Dough
« Last Edit: February 27, 2013, 19:33:08 pm by Claire (&B&E) »
Claire x



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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2013, 19:36:10 pm »
Bubbles!
Short+sweet!






Offline C&B&E

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2013, 19:44:13 pm »
^^ ah, yes - a classic  :)

Thought of something else which we did last week.  I took some string, some (stale) cheerios and a pair of scissors to the park and we made some simple bird feeders.  Just tied a twig onto the end of the string to stop the cheerios from coming off and the kids threaded them onto the string.  We then hung them up in the trees  :).  Of course the kids ended up eating half the cheerios  ::), but I won't mention that bit  :P
Claire x



Offline anna*

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2013, 20:05:18 pm »
Audrey stood up on the step stool at the sink while I did the washing up. Put an apron on her, gave her a brush - she loved it. In fact, I left the warm tap running and she kept on playing for a good 15-20 mins after the washing up was done while I had a nice coffee and checked BW! The floor was soaked but it needed washing anyway, and she needed a change of clothes, but it was warm water so she wasn't cold.





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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2013, 06:23:11 am »
That was my favourite game as a child anna!
Unfortunately,it didnt carry through to adulthood!






Offline RachelC

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Offline Khalam's Mama

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #9 on: February 28, 2013, 15:29:19 pm »
Balls and balloons. Keep mine busy for ages.

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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2013, 09:46:39 am »
take a trip to our corner shop
Ooh we do this lots when there is nowhere else to go.  I always made a point of taking him to the shop when I had nothing or just one or two items to buy so he had my full attention.  He is a DREAM at the big supermarket shop (and helps get the shopping and push the trolley), I'm sure it's from our regular practice runs to the local shop.

Anna you reminded me of a toy I made.  An empty pringles tube, slit on the lid. Covered the outside with decorative paper and made a set of letters on lolly pop sticks, using both upper and lower case stencil set and felt tip pens.  Kept him occupied for about an hour initially.  Lining up all the letters in order, then posting them through the slit, then working out how to get the lid off etc.

Claire love the bird feeder idea too - how creative!

Yesterday I was just recovering from an awful D&V virus, DS had already recovered so of course wanted to run up and down like a loon.  It was DS's idea, we played skittles with a ton of toilet roll tubes and a ball.  Could use balled up socks if you have a no balls house rule.  Took me a while to decipher his request of "make it a sh!t house" as being "making it skittles" lol

Off out to feed the ducks now.  Make him giggle so much!


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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2013, 13:02:13 pm »
We've been playing a bit of "I spy" when traveling and F really enjoys it - instead of saying the letter name, I say the sound, so for example "buh" for ball, or "sh" for sheep. That kept her amused for aaaaages this morning. And she's getting super fast at guessing, too! She also likes "who am I" - I give clues describing a person (or toy) she knows, and she guesses who it is.
*Nuala*










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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2013, 11:05:42 am »
Love the I spy - we sometimes did it with colours when B was younger. 

Ev has been enjoying digging in the garden this week!  We've got some soil and gravel and she gets her little spade and likes to make piles with it  :).

Also, playdough with boogly eyes - she spent a good hour making "cute" (in her words  :D) creatures. 

She liked threading (with assistance) some dried pasta onto some string. 

Oh and I bought a sticker book from the £1 shop which is a big hit since she is c.r.a.z.y. about sticking!

Claire x



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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2013, 13:56:37 pm »
Claire we used to make those bird feeders with Cheerios lots when C was younger and she loved it, she loves threading and will sit for ages doing it. Love the googly eyes and playdough creatures idea, am going to do that this afternoon after her nap. She loves playdough too.

We played a good game at tumble tots this morning with a ball. We did the usual rolling, bouncing, throwing, etc. Then we had to stand with our legs apart and the DC had to kick the ball through our legs. So simple but C loved it and it was quite a challenge if they were far enough away. We also rolled it through and then swapped over and we kicked it through their legs, which C thought was hysterical! Especially if I missed. :P



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Re: What did your 1-3 year old enjoy doing today?
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2013, 13:09:31 pm »
Then we had to stand with our legs apart and the DC had to kick the ball through our legs.

F LOVES this. It's the only thing she ever wants to do with a ball - "Mama make a tunnel. Mama make a tunnel!"

DH and I were busy assembling furniture today, so F spent a fair bit of time "helping" - sorting through the screws etc. She always wants to use DH's tools, so she's allowed to use an allen key and she follows along behind us, pretending to tighten the screws that we have just put in.


*Nuala*