JMDRAD Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Ok, this is so type A and a bit of an overkill... but! I have three kids, as shown below. My youngest is 18 months old. I care for her: keep her dry, fed, clean, etc. but I'm so bad about just sitting down and playing with her. There's always dishes, laundry, cleaning, school... to do. It's so much easier to just have her sisters play with her while I try to get stuff done. But I really need to spend some one on one time with her. So... I'm actually scheduling things to do with her, just like I schedule school with the other girls.:o I know, it sounds crazy. Anyways, I want to put together a basket of special toys for us to play with together. So far I plan on spending a few minutes reading her board books, coloring (she loves that), and playing with magnetic letters. What are your favorite educational type toys or perhaps activities? I want to make some one on one time just for her. I do realize that this is more for me than her. I could always use what I have. And besides, what mom actually has to schedule play time with their baby???:blushing: I'm really doing my best here. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 We had a little house ( about the size of one of those toy barns) and the roof had different holes in various shapes. Inside the playhouse (had two large front doors) was a wagon with the shapes that fit through the corresponding shapes in the roof. My ds loved taking all the shapes out the little wagon, then we'd park the wagon inside the house, close the doors and he figured out which shapes fit through the roof. This toy came from a "educational toys" place and I cannot remember its name but there has to be something comparable out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 A cornmeal sandbox is always fun -- cornmeal in a large glass cake pan. Add spoon, small funnel, animals or cars. A geo-board with rubber bands is fun to play with. Lauri letter puzzles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Big piece wooden puzzles Play-Doh with rollers, cookie cutters and so forth Lacing cards Play food/play kitchen Books on tape/CD (when mom's voice is tired, listen together) Bubbles with lots of wands, blowers. Fun for all the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 You might enjoy searching at this site: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/totschool.html. This is from another homeschooling mom who wanted to make sure she spent one-on-one time with her toddler. She's got some great ideas on there--often using things you'd probably already have on hand. I really enjoy looking through her ideas--it's inspiring. You could read a different story each day and then do a little activity to go along with it. It wouldn't take too much planning--you could easily find some fun things on the internet for this and you could make it as simple or elaborate as you're in the mood for. For example, with "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," you make cookies together (or just eat them with milk) or with "The Big Hungry Bear...Red, Ripe Strawberry," you wash fresh strawberries together, count them and eat them. Or with "The Napping House" you print out pictures of each of the characters, draw a bed and have your child pile them on while you read the story together. That might not be what you're looking for, but I have found it's pretty easy to 'extend' storytime into a fun memory or activity. One thing I've tried to do is have a different kind of activity each day of the week--perhaps a Learning Activity (sorting colored bears, counting buttons, playing with ABC letters), Sensory Play (water, rice, sand, playdoh), Art project (gluing beans, painting, markers, stickers), Physical Play (dance to music, marching band, obstacle course). Another idea is to find a chore that you need to get done and make it into a fun activity to do with her. Usually I just want to hurry and get it done, but if I slow down and match/fold socks with dd2 and then she gets to throw them into the basket, I've killed two birds with one stone. Same thing for sorting dirty laundry or sorting silverware or washing windows. It's a fun activity to her...if I let it be! But as for educational toys, my favorites are puzzles, counting frogs, counting bears, lacing beads, matching games. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerdingCats Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I second the Lauri puzzles. I got a number-peg puzzle from MFW a few years ago. I think that one was a Lauri too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 DD's absolute favorites are her pattern blocks sets http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Beginner-Pattern-Blocks/dp/B00005O63Q Her pegs and pegboard, do-a-dot markers, giant stamps and her cutting food box http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Cutting-Food-Box/dp/B000GKD09C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1280535659&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 One of my dd's favorite toys since about that age (she's 26 months old now) has been one of those things you can draw on with the magnetic pen. It's just black and white, and you erase it by sliding a little knob. Dd adores it. She "practices" writing, and it was a great way to teach her all of her letters and numbers. Plus, I can let her draw without worrying she'll start on the walls. She also loves anything that's a toy version of what mommy does. She has a play kitchen with worn out pots and pans I gave her, and she has a doll and a toy stroller and bottles that she can spend a good couple of hours playing with. Sometimes I give her a basket to carry, and we go on a nature walk. She puts whatever she likes in the basket, and we look it over and I tell her what different things are when we get home. Pets are good, too, if they're tolerant. :) And if you don't have pets, a trip to a reputable pet store that has puppies is always a favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happykate Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 First, let me say that I have to intentionally plan to spend time with my littlest one too! She is my most clingy so far and I often wonder if it's b/c most of my time with her is indirect communication! I am with her constantly, but lots of nights after she goes to bed I feel like I wasn't ever actually WITH her. You know? So sad! Anyway...I have found (and keep in mind that dh affectionately calls me a task-master!) that if I say things aloud to the big kids like, "Ok, guys, so-and-so and I are going to do..." and if I don't let them help if they ask to, she thinks it's just as fabulous as any game we could play! For example we often have spots on our den carpet (go figure!) and she thinks it is big fun if I put her in charge of rubbing the spots with a toothbrush after I spray the cleaner on. Maybe this is just b/c she likes to "help Mommy" right now, but we both end up happy. She also loves stickers and always wants to "make a picture," and if I'll sit with her at the table and talk to her while she works on s'thing she loves it. Sorry, I know I didn't really answer your question, but I wanted you to know I totally know how you feel and am watching this thread for great ideas too! Have a great day! Katie ds 9 1/2, dd 7, ds 5 1/2, dd 2 1/2, #5 on the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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