Bored 20 month old

Leanna

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David wants to be out doing something all the time. In response to this we have been going out a lot more, which keeps him entertained and stretches him, etc. But since we live soooo far from anything, the gas is costing a ton. We should really stay home more. When we are home he is *so* bored. He whines. I even tried to pacify him with the TV, and that's works okay, but I am looking for other better options than just him and TV all day.

So... uhhh... what entertaining things can we do at home for a 20 month old?

I wish we cuold continue getting out more, but we have to cut back for costs.

He's whining now and its annoying.... I will go read him a book and see if that makes it stop. :doh: :sorry:
 

~Mrs. A2J~

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How about play dough? You can make shapes with it, learn colors, work his fingers, but at the same time have fun.

I think at about this age my daughter started getting into coloring.

A nature walk outside? See how many flowers you can find? How many different shaped leaves? Look for different birds? See how many green things you can collect? Red things, etc?

Run around in the water sprinkler if it's warm enough?
 
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wanderingone

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Is he happy to just take a walk or play in the yard (do you have a yard?) When my kids were young we took a lot of walks... and spent a lot of time in the yard... when my oldest was David's age I was in college and I would set up her small table in the backyard and sit on the steps and do my school work while she looked for things I told her to find.. "find me a leaf" "find me a rock" "find me a bug"

For indoor and outdoor ideas I love books in the Williamson Kids Can series, the libraries I've been to almost always carry several, and finding them used is also easy. They have ideas mostly for kids 2 and up and the boredom busters and little hands art books aimed at slightly older kids are easily used for little ones to. The supplies needed for most of their activities and projects are usually fairly commonly found around the house.

When all else failed I was known to make up a batch of pudding or jello and have a messy finger painting time with the stuff on wax paper or in a large cake pan. (only on days when disgustingly sticky little people wasn't going to annoy me though)

Also do you know anyone with kids similar ages who could carpool with you when you do go places? Plan days out with a friend so all the gas costs aren't on you?
 
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Leanna

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wanderingone said:
Is he happy to just take a walk or play in the yard (do you have a yard?) When my kids were young we took a lot of walks... and spent a lot of time in the yard... when my oldest was David's age I was in college and I would set up her small table in the backyard and sit on the steps and do my school work while she looked for things I told her to find.. "find me a leaf" "find me a rock" "find me a bug"

We are working on direction following, but aren't quite to an easy level like that. For example, if I ask him to put his shoes by the door he gets distracted. If it is something we do everyday then he does fine. (on a side note there is a pretty good possibility he has ADHD because his father does and his mother struggles with certain aspects of it :blush:, although I know you can't know until they are older) He may not be ready for that just yet.

We do go outside a lot, I have a little veggie/fruit garden I am working on as well as flowers and he takes his little bike and some toys and we go out there. He labels stuff out there like "fower." He is actually getting a bit bored with that too, which is surprising. Anyway its too cold to go outside right now its in the 50's.

I suppose I could try fingerpaint with him, I have some here, but he'd need a bath after that.

Also do you know anyone with kids similar ages who could carpool with you when you do go places? Plan days out with a friend so all the gas costs aren't on you?

I have friends with kids of similar age, but none of them live near me, so no carpooling is possible. Its really frustrating to live here, but its just reality right now. :sigh:
 
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Oh, a no mess idea along the lines of finger painting. If you have the gallon sized zip top bags you can squirt a little bit of ketchup and mustard in it then get as much air out as possible and zip the top. He can use his fingers to swirl the condiments around like fingerpaint and mix them for a new color. That is of course he is the kind to try to open everything and figure out how it works.
 
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littlesister

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*Ugh* Those entire days at home can be soooo long. We live far away from anything too, also trying to save on gas by staying home more. I sent an email to a friend about the same a while back, and this was her reply (the rice idea was my favorite, though I keep forgetting to buy the rice...and the contact paper):

1. make some chocolate pudding Make some pink pigs out of construction paper. Tell him we are going to make the pigs messy. Let him finger paint the pigs with the pudding, he'll eat most of the pudding anyway so mess will be minimal.
2. They make these paints now that are self contained. You just squeeze the paint out. The container has brushes on the end and it serves as the paintbrush. The mess there is a minimal.
3.Water color paints are really not messy
4. Play dough...he's so ready for that. Make it yourself he'll love that even more. I have a great recipe for koolaid play dough which smells nice Pull out some spoons and plastic forks and let him have fun.
5. MY KIDS FAVORITE....get a storage bin, like 3-4 inches deep. Buy a cheap bag of white rice. Give him some cups, spoons, or some old beach toys. He'll make a mess, but rice vacuums like a dream. It's sort of like sand play but much easier to clean up.
6.Get a clear piece of contact paper, with masking or painters tape hang a large piece sticky side facing. Go through magazines cutting out some fun things he likes, get other things that will stick, I don't know cotton balls, feathers, and let Ian stick them on. Then when he's done place another piece on top you and you have a place mat he made.
7. pasta makes fun art if you want him to try his hand at some glue
8.I just bought my kids some dancing scarves and ribbons on a ring to dance and play with, I am worried they'll be couch potatoes until spring.

Hope there's something useful for you in there. We have a little beach tent that is small enough to set up in the play room, and sometimes I put that up for something different...a big box or chairs and blankets would have the same effect. Balloons are fun to kick around too...we did that today. Coffee cans and chop sticks...

Ian is 2 now, and we wonder if he has ADHD but are trying not to assume anything. He used to like the ring stacker we had that played music, the toys made by LeapFrog, and ANYTHING with buttons that did anything! Had and still has an obsession with the DVD player...where's the pulling-hair-out smiley when you need it?!
 
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Stan53

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Leanna said:
He's whining now and its annoying.... I will go read him a book and see if that makes it stop. :doh: :sorry:
Point 1: Don't put up with the whining. There is nothing more annoying than a whining kid. Man it drives me up the wall.
Point 2: Give him a box of toys and expect him to play with them. So long as he is in the same room as you he will be fine.
Point 3: Don't give him the chance to be bored in the first place. Involve him in what you are doing. It will take longer for you to do things but he wont whine and you will get to enjoy him and know him better and, more importantly, your husband will come home to a peaceful house instead of a cranky wife.
Only one thing worse than a whining kid, and that's a cranky missus!
 
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