Things to do with 18mo old.

[Lilliansmom]

Okay so she just turned 19 month technically a couple days ago. However, that's besides the point heehee. Here is my (brief) situation:

I'm ashamed to admit we are living with the in-laws. We only have 1 car, and my husband uses it to get to work. Everyone works full time in this house leaving Lillian and myself alone. While we would absolutely LOVE to go outside and play, it is in the high 90s and that temperature coupled with the humidity in Tennessee makes it next to impossible, dangerous, and simply no fun to play outside.

It is a hard situation and while hardest for me, I am trying to be positive. Any tips on fun and easy activities would be great!

 

[Tacey]

Here are a few of our favourite things:

Playing with a tray full of washing up bubbles always gets a laugh for us!

No mess painting - Put a piece of paper in a see through zip-lock bag. Get a washing up sponge and cut into pieces. Dip each into a different colour of paint and put them in the bag. Get your LO to push the sponges around inside the paper. You can tread on them, throw them and generally have lots of fun! Take out the paper and leave to dry.

Play dough - you can make your own (loads of online recipes) or buy some.

Make dens with blankets

Potato printing

Music time with home made shakers and drums (saucepans are good for this!)

 

[Buffy71]

Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. Hope you can get yourselves somewhere of your own soon.

H is nearly the same age as your lo. I'm sure you do colouring/drawing painting etc, right? Building stuff/knocking stuff down, chase each other around, lots of ride the horsey (sitting on my tummy while I do bucking bronco motions and make horsey noises (good grief the things we do!), lots of puzzles, reading books with the different textures on, play with her little people in their dolls house, make cardboard box cots for all her little teddies, dolls, etc, play music (of a sort...) on her little piano thingy, push her around the flat on her little ride on car, play hide and seek in her pop out tube thing, terrorise the cat is her favourite passtime though...

It must be tough when you can't venture outside for playtime though as my failsafe for when nothing else works is to take her to the swings or the local urban farm to see the animals.

Xx

 

[Lilliansmom]

Wow, thanks Tacey! I will try those right after lunch. Lillian is my first and I like to blame my sister for getting all of the creative juices and ideas from my parents, leaving me none! heehee

 

[Lilliansmom]

Thanks for your kind words, Buffy. You're right, but trapped inside is the hardest. Normally that is my failsafe too. Heehee. She loves it out there! Making boxes is a good idea. They have a lot of empty ones in the garage.

 

[topazicatzbet]

callum loves to play with shaving foam.

just squirt a bit on a table and he has fun mushing it around and its easy to clean up after.

 

[laura1991]

Baking? Lily loves making cakes and biscuits!

 

[Lilliansmom]

Ooo.. I'll try that too, Topaz. We already played with a tray of bubbles. That was fun, but of course lost interest after 10 minutes or so, but luckily thanks to you guys, I have a few other new things to try. It's almost 2:00, time is going by faster!

 

[DaisyBee]

Bubbles in the bathtub, splashing in a big pan of water in the middle of the kitchen floor. Puffed rice cereal - put it in a big box or container & then use it like a sandbox or you can hide things in it for them to dig out. Bring outdoor type of things in - like a rider or small slide so they can burn off some energy.
Stickers - one of megans favorite things
Like the others have said - painting, coloring, playdough (megan loves paintbrushes) just get the washeable paint. You can put food coloring in elmers glue bottles & use a stick to mix it up - then you have colored glue but use it like paint. Daycare kids always loved that.

Playing w/ pillows. Picnic on the floor (put a blanket out & stuffed animals & things that arent messy to eat.
Dancing to music is always a hit -try marching. Put masking tape on the floor and try to follow the line. Also lots of singing - we do "wheels on the bus" "itsy bitsy" "head, shoulders, knees & toes" "if your happy & you know it" - she does all the actions even though she doesnt really sing the words yet
Are you able to get outside in the very early mornings? Is there any shade - wont help the humidity but it does help. MN gets hot & sticky in the summer. We bought a baby pool at toysrus for $5. I also got a water table at a garage sale which she loves. I found a sandbox at a garage sale for .75 and the lions club filled it up for $5. We put it where it would get the most shade & she LOVES playing w/ that.

 

[Lilliansmom]

Thanks Daisy, if I can get to the store I can get some of those stuff, they don't really have it here. Lillian loves to sing too, I think it's the cutest thing! It makes my heart smile. I could get out in the mornings, still high 80s, but it's better than nothing. Usually though, Lillian doesn't wake up until about 8 or sometimes 9! I would LOVE for their to be a garage sale! That's something we could actually walk to!

She has a sand table outside, too hot even in the shade, but maybe I will empty it and put water in it and bring it inside or something. Their house is kinda small, so no riding toys around :/

I wish some of you people were nearby! We just moved here so we don't know anyone either. X_X

 

[DaisyBee]

Could you wake her a bit earlier & see if she would nap longer midday when its too hot to go outside? Not sure if it would work - but the days I have to wake Megan up she makes up for it midday.