SAH ideas for 13-15 month olds to break the routine?

[nukuspot]

DD is 14 months and I am just getting bored recently with our "routine". I need some advice! We live in the PNW and we have so far have been having the worst summer ever. Super rainy and cold. Today was in the 50s! So no kiddie pool ideas, please

Our routine:

8-8:30 awake
8:30-10:00 breakfast, clean from breakfast, take the dog outside
10:00-11ish-play on floor inside with books and toys (if DD is feeling playful) If DD is feeling clingy I put her on my back in the ergo and try to do household chores like dishes and vacuum.
11ish-Start getting DD sleepy for nap, either push her up and down the street in the stroller or nurse her to sleep.
11ish-12ish nap (she naps on my lap and I quietly watch movies with headphones).
12ish she wakes up from nap
12:30 go out in car, drive with dog to one of 4 walking trails (we can't walk from our house, too many loose vicious dogs in our rural area) and go on walk with DD in ergo and dog, possibly stop at store on way home for food items if needed
2:00-3:30 lunch and clean up from lunch
3:30 DH gets home

It's a routine and it works for us...But I've never been a routine person before being a SAHM and sometimes I get a bit despairing with it all and want something new. Help? I'd love to get some playdates in there but it is so hard with DD NEEDING that late morning nap or she's miserable all day.

[mokey4]

The nap thing makes it so hard to get out and be social, but I think it's important to do once or twice a week. Otherwise life can be so dreary! And I think kids at this age like new experiences, they don't need the routine to be so routine. At least that's how it is with my DD.

I have a 16 month old DD and I've joined a couple of meetup groups in my area for parents & small children, and I've been relying on these groups for a lot of my "break up the routine" needs. There have been get-togethers for library story hours, meetups at museums, and regular playdates at people's houses. I also belong to a mama hiking group and I make a point of hiking with them on Wednesdays. It often involves a long car trip (1 hour plus) and the nap doesn't always work as well, but it's usually ok. DD loves hiking in the woods in the ergo, and between the car ride and sleeping in the ergo she does ok. Plus it helps me keep my sanity, which is so so important!

Another thing I do is get exercise... a good jogging stroller with a rain canopy is worth its weight in gold. I only wish I had another mama to jog with in my neighborhood, but if I feel the need to see other people I go to a park where lots of folks are always out running with babies & dogs. DD appreciates that too.

And lastly, I've just started a childcare swap with a friend. One day I take her 10 month old baby, and one day she gets DD. I do it because I work 2 days per week, but the other mom is a full-time SAHM and she's doing it because she needs the break, and is taking some online courses so this is how she gets her work done. Having another child around is more work, but it makes things more interesting and makes me appreciate the days when it's just me and DD! Plus DD is very social and loves having another baby around.

[larzanna]

My DS is 13 months, and still needs that nap as well. so i plan things for either before the nap (although he gets up earlier) or from the 12-3 time frame.
I live in the city so we have a zoo membership, and a science center membership. Honestly i might even just go out to lunch at noon occationally to break up the day. Other than that i do all the same stuff....walk the dog, clean, run errands ect....
I go to the library (they have story time for babies once a week).
Sometimes i just take him to a large store where i know he can't get into too much trouble and let him run if the weather is bad!

Check with the local hospitals too, sometimes they host play groups.

[crunchy_mommy]

DS is 16mos and we have nap issues as well (though our whole schedule is shifted a bit since he sleeps at night from 11pm-10am) -- it's hard when social activities interfere with the nap but we just go ahead and do something 1-2 times a week anyway.

So our schedule looks something like this:
10am wake up, breakfast, shower, etc.
11-1 outing (meetup/playdate, story hour, playground, or library, depends on the weather/things going on)
1-2 come home, lunch, DS plays a bit if he's not ready to nap yet
2-4 nap
4-5:30 play outside or in his playroom, or go somewhere if he woke earlier than 4
5:30 DH comes home

It sounds like your DD only naps from 11-12 most days? Around here, that would work so well, because everything is either 9/10-noon or early afternoon -- seems like everyone goes home for lunch around 11/12am but maybe that's just my area? But I bet if you get out there and do things with others, your DD will have fun and will adjust to taking a slightly later nap if necessary.

Maybe make a rotating schedule, like Mondays stay home most of the day, Tuesdays do a play date, Wednesday go to the zoo, Thursday do a meetup, Fridays do storyhour... something like that so the basic routine you have wouldn't need to drastically change day to day but there's more variety in the week.