Toddler ideas

MargaretC5 · October 2015

I need some help ladies.
I am in the hospital until I deliver (11 more days) and have been here about 2 weeks already.
DS just turned 2 and is getting bored coming to visit me.
Any ideas what we can do to keep him entertained when visiting? I have books, small toys, crayons and stickers but he no longer wants to play with those. We also try to take him outside, but we are in Massachusetts and it is getting cold in the evenings (he usually comes at dinner time).

rox7777 · October 2015

Have you tried crafts yet? My son is 2.5 and we've been making a lot of crafts lately. His favorite is gluing dry pasta on paper.

MargaretC5 · October 2015

rbradshaw77 said:
Have you tried crafts yet? My son is 2.5 and we've been making a lot of crafts lately. His favorite is gluing dry pasta on paper.

No, not yet, because I was afraid of it making a mess (at home i don't care). What kind of glue do you use?
Thanks for the idea, I am going to check Pinterest for not so messy craft ideas.

shellperry · October 2015

Hate to be one of those parents but have u tried an iPod game yet. My boys love the Mickey mouse club house

MargaretC5 · October 2015

shellperry said:
Hate to be one of those parents but have u tried an iPod game yet. My boys love the Mickey mouse club house

We tried a handful of different kid apps and they keep him entertained for 5 minutes at most. Thanks.

JStill0603 · October 2015

Along the lines of iPad apps... Try endless alphabet. It's got a free starter set and it does cost a little for the upgrade but it's so worth it. SS was 2.5 when I met him and I dl this and him and I would play it together spelling words for hours. He is now 5.5 and STILL plays it by himself and we have graduated into endless words too. The letters are little monsters and make the sound of the letter. It's a fun app.

rox7777 · October 2015

MargaretC5 said:

rbradshaw77 said:
Have you tried crafts yet? My son is 2.5 and we've been making a lot of crafts lately. His favorite is gluing dry pasta on paper.
No, not yet, because I was afraid of it making a mess (at home i don't care). What kind of glue do you use?
Thanks for the idea, I am going to check Pinterest for not so messy craft ideas.

They make a clear glue, the squeezable kind. We started with clear glue sticks though. He actually does very well and he's normally a very messy boy. I use one of those plastic mats for eating under the paper just in case.

nmwheel1 · October 2015

My DD's favorite thing at the moment (she is 2 next month) is her alphabet book and going through and saying her ABC's along with the book. Before we got the book I just printed the alphabet on a piece of paper and she would always get that. We seriously do this about 10 times a day. And coloring, but lately on plain paper instead of an actual coloring book.

Squirtgun · October 2015

Daughter loves fabric scraps. (All sizes, tiny bits to good sized scraps) Have a couple of Tupperware type containers, and he could sort them however he wanted. (Color, size, whatever idea his little mind has). He could also use them with the glue @rbradshaw77 mentioned.
You could ask your husband to bring some plain white onesies and some fabric markers, for your son to color on onesies for your little one.

MargaretC5 · October 2015

Wow, now I just feel like DS is behind. We tried sorting a few times before I was in the hospital and he just did not get it. He does not know any letters.
I know my mom has tons of fabric, I may ask her to bring some to see what he does with it. I like the idea of having him glue it to paper along with the pasta.

JStill0603 · October 2015

Maybe you could have someone bring you some new books for him so you have something exciting for him too when he gets there to see you... Maybe not every day but have two or three waiting. Ever tried the Pete the Cat books? They're amazing and if you get the originals (Pete the Cat I love my new shoes, my buttons and rocking in my school shoes) you can YouTube them and this guys reads the books to you and sings the songs in them. SS was 3 when we started them but oh my! he would sing along to the songs and they were the greatest thing ever. He still says Pete is his favorite book

Squirtgun · October 2015

@MargaretC5 daughter (20months) "sorts" by putting some in one container, some in another, no real logic behind it. She just has fun with it. If I sit right with her and tell her "put the blue one here! Ok,now put the green one here" she will (mostly) do what I say. She is by no means sorting on her own. And she for sure doesn't know her ABCs!!

katie10287 · October 2015

If you're worried about a mess try some paint and construction paper inside a taped shut zip lock bag. That way he can paint plus it's an extra interesting sensory experience.

MargaretC5 · October 2015

JStill0603 said:
Maybe you could have someone bring you some new books for him so you have something exciting for him too when he gets there to see you... Maybe not every day but have two or three waiting. Ever tried the Pete the Cat books? They're amazing and if you get the originals (Pete the Cat I love my new shoes, my buttons and rocking in my school shoes) you can YouTube them and this guys reads the books to you and sings the songs in them. SS was 3 when we started them but oh my! he would sing along to the songs and they were the greatest thing ever. He still says Pete is his favorite book

DS has the buttons Pete the cat book. He loves it! I will have to look on youtube, I did not know they were on there.
My mom brought him some new books and he did not even want to look at them here, but at home he loves being read to.

MargaretC5 · October 2015

Squirtgun said:
@MargaretC5 daughter (20months) "sorts" by putting some in one container, some in another, no real logic behind it. She just has fun with it. If I sit right with her and tell her "put the blue one here! Ok,now put the green one here" she will (mostly) do what I say. She is by no means sorting on her own. And she for sure doesn't know her ABCs!!

Thank you! I was starting to worry.

JStill0603 · October 2015

MargaretC5 said:

JStill0603 said:
Maybe you could have someone bring you some new books for him so you have something exciting for him too when he gets there to see you... Maybe not every day but have two or three waiting. Ever tried the Pete the Cat books? They're amazing and if you get the originals (Pete the Cat I love my new shoes, my buttons and rocking in my school shoes) you can YouTube them and this guys reads the books to you and sings the songs in them. SS was 3 when we started them but oh my! he would sing along to the songs and they were the greatest thing ever. He still says Pete is his favorite book
DS has the buttons Pete the cat book. He loves it! I will have to look on youtube, I did not know they were on there.
My mom brought him some new books and he did not even want to look at them here, but at home he loves being read to.

Definitely YouTube the song! It's soooooo funny! SS would sing it by himself eventually... I would highly suggest the I love my new shoes one if he likes the buttons one. And SS didn't know his letters when we started endless alphabet, didn't even learn the song til 3.5, but that app helped him learn the letters (out of order) and now he reads at a 2nd grade level and he's in kindergarten!

AshleeM7784 · October 2015

You can do some fun, pretty much mess-free crafts with leaves. My son is 20 mos and loves leaves right now. We go on leaf walks to find them and then do leaf rubbings or put them in contact paper so we can cut them out and hang them on the window. He also really likes stamps, sticker books, and simple puzzles.

VexedMommy · October 2015

You could also try some clapping/singing games. If you're happy and you know it and similar things.

I've got to say I LOVE the Pete the Cat books. DD has all of them and the I've met the author and his family. They came to the Children's Book Fair in my home town and they are really great people.

MoRay05 · October 2015

What about the crayola mess free products? They have a figure paint. I also second the Pete the Cat books. We just bought Love my White Shoes and my 2.5 DD LOVES it! I ordered more the other day.

ETA: what about play doh?

rox7777 · October 2015

MargaretC5 said:
Wow, now I just feel like DS is behind. We tried sorting a few times before I was in the hospital and he just did not get it. He does not know any letters.
I know my mom has tons of fabric, I may ask her to bring some to see what he does with it. I like the idea of having him glue it to paper along with the pasta.

He's only 2, don't feel bad. At the beginning of the year DS had very little knowledge of colors, shapes, numbers, etc. In the last 3-4 months he's learned 15 shapes, he can count to 12 and he recognizes most letters. Colors are his least favorite.

Crafts are his favorite way to learn. I draw shapes for him and he glues in pasta inside the shape and we practice saying the shape. The same can be done with letters and numbers.

As for sorting, try coloring the pasta and drawing colored circles on the paper and then have him glue the pasta in the right colored circle. Or to switch it up you can cut out shapes and draw a larger shape and have him glue the little shapes to the right big shape.

nmwheel1 · October 2015

MargaretC5 said:
Wow, now I just feel like DS is behind. We tried sorting a few times before I was in the hospital and he just did not get it. He does not know any letters.
I know my mom has tons of fabric, I may ask her to bring some to see what he does with it. I like the idea of having him glue it to paper along with the pasta.

He isn't behind! My daughter has maybe 10 words at 23 months old. She can say "a, b, c, d" on her own but after that I say the letter and she tries her best to say it back. "W" to her is said "dub-dub"! They all learn differently so don't worry about that!

Pontot31 · October 2015

What about a new little people set just for the hospital? My daughter was obsessed with the little people toys at that age and will still play with them at 3.5 year old.
She loved the farm and the fair ones the most but they have so many. It's something you can play with him with too.

It does he have a favorite movie? Would he snuggle and watch something with you?

Good luck! That sounds so rough.

Gapeach83 · October 2015

Matching games are also good things that you can do together. Wooden Puzzles where they have to fit in a space. They have ones for abcs ,colors, shapes and all different kinds of learning ones. Don't worry if he doesn't get it right away. He is not behind. Some take longer than others anyways. DD1 was talking like crazy at 2. DD2 didn't even say her first word till 18 months and says about 10 now at 21. So don't worry.

MargaretC5 · October 2015

Thanks for all the ideas everyone!
I love the idea of crafts with leaves, DS loves leaves too. I am thinking having him pick some leaves to glue to paper as a craft.

kmkrushi · October 2015

You will be shocked at how much they grow and change this year! I suggest puzzles, play-doh, and maybe some flash cards. You can also get some of those string cards or beads on pasta to string and make necklaces.

Pontot31 · October 2015

I forgot about play doh and lacing beads! Those alone would keep my kid busy for hours.

I plan to buy her new play doh sets from baby so she can entertain herself when he arrives.

NovemberSno · October 2015

Play dough and Lego

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