2.5 year old HOME & NEEDS SOMETHING TO DO

new-here ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 3:50 pm

My 2.5 year old daughter has finished daycamp and will be home for the next two weeks.
I work from home and cannot be busy entertaining her.
Does anyone have ideas as to what to buy so she can keep herself entertained?
She's already done clay & painting the last two days - what else can I get her????

↑ new-here ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 3:59 pm

chocolate moose, I don't want to take her to a babysitter, because it is confusing enough to have had a new teacher for daycamp and in two weeks a new teacher for school. I don't want her to go to a new sitter for the interim.
Unfortunately vacation isn't an option either as my boss would never allow 2 weeks off. I do plan to take a day or two off though, but that still leaves me with two full weeks!

↑ mummiedearest ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 4:06 pm

faithohave wrote:

really? I thought that was for older kids, she can't really form anything with them yet I don't think.

colorforms are printed vinyl sheets that stick to surfaces via static. nothing sticky involved. most sets come with a background scenes and related "stickers." your daughter can stick, peel, and replace them to her heart's content. my kids (nearly 2 and 3) love them. we keep them as shabbos toys.

http://www.amazon.com/Universi.....r=8-3

we have this one. you can stick raindrops, snowdrops, sun, clouds, leaves, and a flower in the window. then you dress up the girl to match the weather. the kids love playing with them on their own or with parents. it's educational, and you get some nice conversations out of it.

there are different sets, some with licensed characters, etc. they're not necessarily cheap, but this company makes good quality products.

↑ new-here ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 4:11 pm

Sounds very interesting! For some reason I thought you meant the colorfoams.
I hope my local store sells them - I will check it out. Thanks!

↑ mummiedearest ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 4:12 pm

faithohave wrote:

Sounds very interesting! For some reason I thought you meant the colorfoams.
I hope my local store sells them - I will check it out. Thanks!

you're welcome. if you find any good deals, can you let me know? some toys are worth buying for future prizes/presents...

↑ chocolate moose ↓

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 4:45 pm

faithohave wrote:

You're a working mom! What does he expect?

pacifier

Tue, Aug 25 2009, 5:59 pm

get her a book and a pen. everyday she can write on a few pages. Try to teach her to make balloons and sticks (o and I), that could occupy her for a good 20 minutes.
What about beading perls, that also demands patience, but it's fun to see and wear the end product.
Speaking of balloons, kids LOVE to play with balloons, blow one or two new ones everyday!
Plus you can find a princess dress or ballerina dress/tutu for 10$, my daughter can dance for hours when she wears her princess dress.

I'm sure you have tons of ideas, just don't feel bad doing the same activities everyday or every other day.

amother

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 8:42 am

Get a neighbor/playmate to do round-robin with so that when she is home she will have company and will bother you less, and then you will have a free day when she is at a friends.

↑ chocolate moose ↓

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 10:31 am

What is your husband doing? There were times that either I was home or dh was home when the kids were out of school.

You can't let a baby wander around by herself.

de_goldy ↓

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 12:05 pm

Give her a box/bucket with rice (uncooked) in it and some plastic cups and spoons etc. she can have a lot of fun scooping the rice with the spoons and putting into cups/bowls/film containers etc. anything you can find around.

bubble wrap. Put it on the floor and let her jump on it with some music.

A plain carboard box that she can climb into and out of herself and can be loads of fun for little kids.

gluing is also a lot of fun. buy a squeeze bottle of elmer's glue and give her a paper and anthing at all to glue on. they looove squeezing out the glue.

a doll and carriage, or crib (can be a shoe box even) can be lots of fun. Also purses and mommy's shoes.

you can even let her stand at the sink and do water play. it might involve some cleanup for you later, but will probably keep her busy for quite a while.

↑ mummiedearest

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 12:07 pm

ah, yes, the cardboard boxes. I put my kids in boxes with a supply of crayons and stickers and let them decorate the inside. lots of fun.

↑ de_goldy

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 12:14 pm

oh yes, stickers are a lot of fun.

also play-doh with kid scizzors is a lot of fun. Even plain paper with kid scizzors is fun.

small bean ↓

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 3:41 pm

sorry to hijack. my daughter is also 2.5 and is on a nebulizer 3x a day. it takes about 45 min. she's on the nebulizer for about a month and we have a min of 2 more months. things I've done with her while she does it, is stickers, books, and makerboard. she's getting pretty board of these and its really hard for her to sit for 45 min with her head straight and she only has one hand because the other hand she has to hold the nebulizer with (she doesnt like when I hold it for her) any ideas what I can do with her?

↑ new-here ↓

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 6:16 pm

Smallbean, why don't you use the inhaler nebulizer - the puffer -as opposed to the regular nebulizer? It takes 1/4 of the time and is just as effective.

↑ new-here

Wed, Aug 26 2009, 6:19 pm

chocolate moose, you need to be a bit more realistic. Not everyone can just take off as they need unfortunately.
My husband has been unemployed for the last few weeks and now B'h started a new job this week so there is no way for him to take off.
I work in a small office and taking 2 weeks off is just not an option. 2 days maximum that I will be able to take off which I hope to do next week.
and you can't let a toddler wander on her own - it's not on her own. I'm home with her but doing computer -work, its not like I don't see or hear or her, y'know.