Activity boxes for a 15 mo old?

[Mama Rana]

For the most part, my toddler will just play with his toys while DS1 and I do our school work, but sometimes he seems to need something more. I've got some plastic shoe boxes that I'm trying to set up as activity boxes that I can pull out when I need to distract him. So far I have
1) some wooden blocks, some of which are "special": bells, kaleidoscope lenses, mirrors, etc.
2) foam puzzles with pegs
3) I'm working on a musical box: shaker eggs, maybe one of those echo mikes?, a maraca... I don't want it to be TOO loud or it will be distracting for DS1...
4) measuring cups/spoons and dry tapioca pearls.... But I'm afraid to give this to him lest he either try to eat the pearls [or rice or beans, or whatever I use], or just dump it on the floor.... Any tips/advice?

I also have a set of small chunky cars, but I haven't decided what else if anything to put with them.

Any other ideas?
Thanks!

[CrazyCatLady]

I have to run but I saw this and just wanted to add that my 15 month old loves to play in the freezer (we had a bottom one) or in the Tupperware cupboard while I did work with dd1. Not going to lie, he made a huge mess doing it. But we'd get a good 15-20 minutes of work time out of it each time.

I also gave him a big bowl of flour (I'm sure he ate a little bit) and spoons and cups to play in it with. Again...very messy. But anything to get some quiet time was worth it to me since he was such a busy body.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by CrazyCatLady

I have to run but I saw this and just wanted to add that my 15 month old loves to play in the freezer (we had a bottom one) or in the Tupperware cupboard while I did work with dd1. Not going to lie, he made a huge mess doing it. But we'd get a good 15-20 minutes of work time out of it each time.

I also gave him a big bowl of flour (I'm sure he ate a little bit) and spoons and cups to play in it with. Again...very messy. But anything to get some quiet time was worth it to me since he was such a busy body.

LOL, DS2 likes to get into my dishrags, and then wipe the floor [go go baby!], or into the basket where I keep the lunch boxes/bento boxes. But that's old hat, familiar for him, so if DS1 and I are doing something novel, it doesn't distract him, ya know?

But the flour idea.... Wow, I'll have to think about that, and get over the part of me that says, "Ack, a mess!" . Messy, but not dangerous if he ate it, and definitely novel....

[CrazyCatLady]

I did put it on a sheet, on the kitchen floor...but still

When I let him do other things that were crazy messy/sensory stuff I would just use a clean kiddie pool that I kept in the house for that purpose. Then you can just take it outside and hose it off as needed.

Yes, I even did things like let him play with a big blob of pudding in there.

Anything for a little bit of peace right?

[chfriend]

Michael Olaf and For Small Hands are good places to get ideas.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Michael Olaf and For Small Hands are good places to get ideas.

Thanks! I'll check them out!

Catlady, I was thinking just strap him in the high chair : Maybe put a sheet under the chair to catch any spills?


I saw some pop-beads today at the store today that I got for him, and I was thinking I could put a short piece of PVC tube in with the little cars as a "tunnel".

[moongazer]

I am doing a "senses" one with a light-up ball, tube you shake and it makes noise (wiggly giggler), touch and feel book, vibrating toy, glitter ball, etc.

I always use rice in the sensory box. I think it is easiest to clean up and no worries if they eat it.

Loving the pudding idea!!!

Looking forward to hearing more great ideas!

Oh, those round oatmeal boxes with the bottom cut out make great car tunnels, too.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by moongazer

I am doing a "senses" one with a light-up ball, tube you shake and it makes noise (wiggly giggler), touch and feel book, vibrating toy, glitter ball, etc.

I always use rice in the sensory box. I think it is easiest to clean up and no worries if they eat it.

Loving the pudding idea!!!

Looking forward to hearing more great ideas!

Oh, those round oatmeal boxes with the bottom cut out make great car tunnels, too.

Oh, I like the idea of the 5 senses box. I'll have to save that one for later since I already have my 5 boxes filled.

I also thought of a pringles can for the tube. Except we don't eat pringles : I joked with DH about buying some just so we could have the tube.
My mom eats them though, so maybe I can get one from her.

[Fillyjonk]

Does your 15 month old still nap? I really found that clever use of naptimes was the ONLY way to get anything done when I had a very small toddler.

I remember when dd2 was that age strapping dd2 into the sling on my back, and then walking with her and the older ones to either a coffee shop (my babies sleep freakishly well in coffee shops) or just walking round the block to get her to sleep and then coming home and working there (didn't sleep for so long but there are things, like violin practice, you can't easily do in the coffee shop).

Or just waiting til dp came home and getting him to work with ds, or take the baby, depending.

I may however have had freakish kids who wanted nothing but ME at that age.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by Fillyjonk

Does your 15 month old still nap? I really found that clever use of naptimes was the ONLY way to get anything done when I had a very small toddler.

I remember when dd2 was that age strapping dd2 into the sling on my back, and then walking with her and the older ones to either a coffee shop (my babies sleep freakishly well in coffee shops) or just walking round the block to get her to sleep and then coming home and working there (didn't sleep for so long but there are things, like violin practice, you can't easily do in the coffee shop).

Or just waiting til dp came home and getting him to work with ds, or take the baby, depending.

I may however have had freakish kids who wanted nothing but ME at that age.

He does usually, and I try to save activities that are hard to do with the baby around for then. For example, our archaeological excavation, or playing with small math manipulatives. We certainly don't work non-stop all day, but we do tend to spread schooling out over the day And I imagine things will change a lot once we start some outside activities--swimming, co-op "classes", etc.

Thanks!
[ps, I really wish we had a coffee shop within walking distance! Sometimes I hate living in the 'burbs!]

[AngelBee]

[Love_My_Babies]

I use The Busy Books by Kuffner for ideas. There is one for toddlers, preschoolers and children. Great ideas in there!

[LemonPie]

I don't have much in the way of ideas to add. My baby is more interested in *being* with us than anything. I've tried pulling out toys and activities that have been out of circulation recently, and she still just ends up in the dining room with us. I've been keeping her busy with crayons, paper, and the faux magna-doodle thing from our HWOT set And when the weather's good, sometimes we do school on the back deck while she runs around the yard.

The pool is a *brilliant* idea. There's no way my 23 mo would stay in there (I'd need a cage over the top, LOL), but that would be awesome for a kid who was more inclined to stay in one place with it. I forgot that she LOVES to be set on the doors and baseboards with a damp cloth too. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow.

[Naomismom]

http://www.amazon.com/Lauri-Toys-Tal...2760623&sr=1-2

I've never tried it but it looks pretty cool.

[Rivka5]

Originally Posted by LemonPie

I don't have much in the way of ideas to add. My baby is more interested in *being* with us than anything. I've tried pulling out toys and activities that have been out of circulation recently, and she still just ends up in the dining room with us. I've been keeping her busy with crayons, paper, and the faux magna-doodle thing from our HWOT set And when the weather's good, sometimes we do school on the back deck while she runs around the yard.

Yep. Unfortunately I've never been able to find a toy that was as interesting as Big Sister.

I didn't see how old your older one is, but I'm finding that with a K'er and a toddler it's helpful to do as many large-motor learning activities as possible. So, like, instead of a math worksheet, doing math with chalk on the sidewalk outside or playing a math game that involves hopping around. Learning vocabulary words by acting them out, or dramatizing a history read-aloud. The little guy is much less disruptive of things like that because they're fun for him too.

Doing "school" in short bursts and playing with the toddler in between also helps.

My toddler also spends a fair amount of school time nursing. I hope he's more distractible by the time he weans.

Some things we have to either save for naptime or save until the other parent gets home. On the days that I go to work before naptime, we do math in the evening when Daddy can play with the toddler.

[LemonPie]

Originally Posted by Rivka5

I didn't see how old your older one is, but I'm finding that with a K'er and a toddler it's helpful to do as many large-motor learning activities as possible. So, like, instead of a math worksheet, doing math with chalk on the sidewalk outside or playing a math game that involves hopping around.

I have a K'er and a 2nd grader. Love the idea of playing math games with sidewalk chalk--my MIL babysat last weekend and drew them a hopscotch which they have been thrilled with, so I bet they'd love to do math this way

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by LemonPie

I have a K'er and a 2nd grader. Love the idea of playing math games with sidewalk chalk--my MIL babysat last weekend and drew them a hopscotch which they have been thrilled with, so I bet they'd love to do math this way

Yesterday my 6yo and I practiced counting by 2's and 5's by drawing the numbers on the driveway [so "2 4 6 8 10 12 14 etc" and "5 10 15 20 etc"] and then hopping on them while saying them. He really enjoyed it, and I think it might have helped him get past that "always skips 40 and 45" rut he was in.

I'm sure my toddler would have enjoyed it too, but he was napping.

[LemonPie]

Ah, naps. . . my 23 mo has decided she doesn't need them anymore. Or she'll occasionally doze while nursing, but wakes up the moment I try to lay her down. Most days she doesn't even do that that.