Re: What are some easy activities for a 1 year old and 3 year old?
Asked by MEL192

Question:
 

I have 2 boys (one is 15 month the other 3 and a half). I am looking for some suggestion for activities I

can do with them together (especially at home).

It is easy to entertain them individually, but I am finding it difficult to find things we can all do together.  For instance the little one will eat playdough, the big one takes the little ones toys. 

They are not particularly interested in crafts, but i am open to any ideas.

My Advice:

 

Hi there,

Ok here goes.... As a mum of 6 + 3 step children, finding things for kids to do is crucial to my mental health!! when I had the youngest child, Lacey, my childrens ages were 8,7,6,4,3 and a new born. I had 3 in school but 3 at home with me during the day. Some of the things that worked to keep them entertained were:

*  Make a picnic lunch with sandwiches and a water jug and some cups, take it either out the front of the house or to the nearest park where they would play afterwards, this way you can go for a walk too if you have a pram handy and get some excercise and out of the house away from the chores for the afternoon. The picnic idea can work aswell while you hang some washing out too and manage to keep the kiddies where you can see them at the same time but getting involved is probably more important.

*  Throw a few blankets over the kitchen table and classify it as the best cubby house in the world, it looks like it makes a huge mess which excites the children but really all you have to pack up is a few blankets.. I have found that I have had to learn that my house cannot be perfect with so many young ones,as long as the basics are done like mopping the floor, laundry, dishes and I have a rule that the beds get made every day reguardless of my mood!!

* Make a few empty cardboard boxes into a train, give them something basic like a plastic plate to use as a steering wheel, you would be suprised how much something simple like this can be entertaining, they can bring their teddies out of the room and set them up in their seats and make believe they are the driver of a train!! What could possibly be more exciting to a 3yo hehe.

* Pots and pans are awsome things to keep children entertained as long as they are metal ones and not glass of any kind.... for obvious reasons. Probably not the best game to play on a day when you have a headache or anything, but at times I have let the children pretend they are in a band with their own 'drums' lots of noise and nothing gets broken.. certainly allocate a rule for this one that they dont play this game unless you are all playing it together. Its not very fun at early hours of the morning if you are coming down with a migrane, but sometimes if you find the child within yourself and let go a little bit it can be fun for you aswell to get involved.

It's likely that after writing this down I will probably start thinking of a million other ways to entertain the lil ones, but there's a few things to kick it off. Once you bring out that imagination, theres no telling where it will end up.

All the best and happy playtime for you and your bubs

 From Mel xx