Easy activities that I can do with my 3.5 yo

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manishk012

New member
I'm currently 10 weeks pregnant and am having a hard time actually wanting to get down on the floor and play with my daughter. Usually I take her out in the morning and afternoon to a park because she is a very active girl but I was tired of doing this even before I got pregnant because there's never any other kids at the various parks that we go to during the day.

If we are at home we will usually play with her toys together, read, play with kinetic sand and play dough etc. She seems to have grown out of the toddler type activities that you see on Instagram. Even though I really don't want to at the moment, I will get down on the floor and play with her because I love her and it's my job but I'm tired of doing the same old stuff!

So I'm asking if there are any toys or activities that I can look in to getting or setting up please that will keep her busy for more than a minute!

She goes to preschool for 10.5 hrs a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 3.5 hrs a time and we will have the occasional play date (I'm working on making more mum friends!)
 
@saltlamp They can get pretty pricey but they are favorite toys for my oldest son (who is now 7) and my twins (3.5). We started getting them when my oldest was about 2 and he has consistently played with them since, and my twins love them as well. They are also easy to clean up and mess free, they are creative, and I think most adults will enjoy playing with them as well. They are also an EXCELLENT gift for relatives who maybe have more money than sense - its easy to mix and match sets so anyone can buy your kids more without worrying about them already having them.

My only gripe is that 1) they are pretty expensive, and 2) the kids always fight over who gets to use which ones and how many.
 
@katrina2017 We have both "brand" and several "off brand" sets and they all work well together! They "brand" ones have slightly stronger magnets in them, as far as I can tell, but the kids can't seem to tell the difference. That is part of why I like them - it doesn't really matter what set someone buys, they call go into the same box and build the same collection.
 
@saltlamp We got ours when kid #1 was a year old... he's now 10.5 and they are still in good shape and get near daily play (7yo sibling.)

I say this because they are pricy, but worth the cost. Serious r/buyitforlife toy.
 
@manishk012 Balloons!

Water table/sandbox with tools

Listen to children's audiobooks together

Lay outside and look at clouds

Make a race course or obstacle course and time her laps over and over.

Play on a sandy beach (we only have man-made muddy lake beaches around here but they do the job!)

Magnatiles

Duplo

Watercolor paints

I bought a canvas for each of my kids and they like to watercolor on it over and over, and eventually wash it themselves for a blank slate.

"Learning Resources Jumbo Colorful Eyedroppers" and a cupcake pan get a lot of playtime at my house.

Magnets, paper clips, nuts, bolts, etc in a cupcake pan.

Poking nails into a cardboard box or a pumpkin, or toothpicks into fruit.

Cut up celery and give her a spoon of peanut butter and a little pile of raisins to make her own frogs on a log.

Slice a watermelon into rindless circles and give her a dull knife so she can cut her own little pieces.

Teach her how to make a sandwich and let her do it herself.

Generally let her do as much as possible for herself and let it take as long as possible. :)
 
@babygems Ooh! This reminds me of a family favourite. Put a layer of baking soda on a cookie sheet and give the kid a couple of small bowls of vinegar/food colouring and and eye dropper. Super fun, easy clean up.
 
@manishk012 A couple of thoughts:

> 3.5 is a great age to be encouraging more independent playtime. It's REALLY good for her to play by herself. Child-led play > adult-led play.

> Cut yourself some slack! The first trimester is, IMO, the hardest when it comes to having toddlers at home. I felt so sick and tired until like 13 weeks. We watched a lot of TV and I don't even feel badly about it. We had great cuddle time and we talked the whole time. That is QUALITY time with your little one.
 
@ronna Yes OP, as a mum with a toddler and a 5 month old I can say that getting your 3.5 year old to play independently now will be a gift to your future self (and a gift to them! Don't want them to feel like you can't play as much because of the baby, even though that's true lol).
 
@ronna Agree with the independent play! Especially in anticipation of having a newborn in the house soon. Get her used to some solo play time for everyone’s sake.
 
@manishk012 We cover the coffee table with paper and squirt dollops of paint on it for my son to drive his cars through. Also, paint toys then give them a bath. That’s an activity that requires a little set up but is often self contained for a good while (could apply to any toys that can be easily washed).

Water wow

Seek and find books

We have the lunii storyteller, it’s a godsend.

We just got my 3.5 yo a John Deere Peg Perego (think power wheels) and it was the best $400 I’ve ever spent. He drives his 1yo sis around in that thing for a solid hour+ a day.
 
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