ideas for under 18 month olds?

[NatBrims]

hi there

I have an 11 month old mindee and a 16 month old daughter of my own, and am running out of ideas for activities for them:panic:

the 11 month old is already walking, but still quite wobbly and my 16 month old walks but only when assisted so i have my hands full just keeping them upright & not crashing into things! if we do painting/playdough i spend all the time keeping it out of their mouths, and they don't really sit still for more than 30 seconds anyway. would love to do more messy play but i live in a flat with no garden, and no separate play room so any mess quickly ends up all over the my sofas :(

we currently spend time doing singing/reading/puzzles but am just wondering what other people do if they have littlies under 18 months...starting to go a bit stir crazy:( (sorry for venting - haven't been minding that long so looking for all the help i can get!)

Nat

[maryp0ppins]

little ones don't sit for to long in my experience, i look after a 1 yr old boy & a 16 month old girl & i find free play with building blocks & figures keep them entertained along with dollies, i to do the painting play dough activities but find their not yet to interested but as they grow with it I'm sure they'll love it.

sorry im not much help :cool:

[venus89]

I agree - lots of free play. The 11 month old I mind loves posting things out of the cat flap, knocking down towers, and finding things to put in his mouth. Treasure baskets still work at this age.

Have you tried water play in the kitchen? Make sure you have loads of towels ready! And I spilt some flour on the floor accidentally which he spent ages playing with, though he looked a bit like a ghost come the end of it.....

[margaret]

what about a trug (large plastic container) large bag cheap porridge,different sized spoons, jugs,on the kitchen floor,close all doors,strip to tshirt and nappy if warm enough,you should get 30mins of play before getting distracted.Geli bath ,and normal jelly are other good ones.Aqua mats are quite good.

[Blaze]

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33689/33699/0/46384

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http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33689/33698/0/46384

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http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33689/33697/0/46384

:thumbsup:

[angiemog]

I have all under 2s. When I do painting I strap the youngest in the high chair and the other 2 mindees in the booster seats which have trays on them. Another thing I have done is one on one painting. This will depend on nap times..... Do you have a toddler group or sure start centre nearby? They usually do messy play and the mess is left behind...... I usually change the mindees clothes to some of my own spares and then I dont have to worry about them getting paint all over them.
I would definitely use a high chair if you have one available. Do you have anywhere that you could use to do painting outside?
It does get easier as they get older.... (I think!) xx

[Monkey26]

Buy a cheap fitted sheet-i have one and i use it to cover my sofa! :-)
I am lucky as i have laminate flooring-most things just wipe up...!
I also tend to my messy play activities just before lunch or a nap so that i clear up properly whilst they eat/sleep.
Good luck! x

[clairc]

i also look after 3 under 2 year olds. one activity I found that suited them all and wasn't too mess to clear up was using shredded paper. I pre-shredded the paper and put it into a relatively large box which they could stand at the side of. I then put lots of small toys inside the paper so it was hidden - i let them see me do this so that they knew what they were looking for. they spent a good half an hour putting things in and looking for them again. And best of all once it's finished it can go straight in the recycling!

[clairc]

thought about you again today when i was doing some water play indoors with an 18 month old and a 15month old.
I put two waterproof mats on the floor and covered them with towel, on top of this was two trays and a box they could stand at. Lots of tupperware, funnels and coloured water and before i knew it 30mins had passed.
the floor wasn't wet because the towels were down and could go straight in the wash!