76 parenting boredom busters

Ideas for babies:

Give your baby a massage. Undress her, lie her on a towel in a warm room and then cover your palms in oil (baby lotion or even olive oil will do). Put on some relaxing music and talk to her softly while you gently massage her arms, legs and torso with circular movements.

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Ideas for babies:

If it's a warm day, put a bowel of water on the lawn and let your baby splash her hands in the water. Add bubbles for extra fun! But never leave a baby unattended near water.

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Ideas for babies:

Have a dance. Put your favourite song on, pick your baby up, and move her arms and legs in time to the music.

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Ideas for babies:

Give her scrunched-up paper to play with (but not newspaper because of the print) - babies love the rustling noise. A shiny, thermal blanket looks great and makes an even better sound.

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Ideas for babies:

Do finger painting! If it's a nice day, strip her down to her nappy and move outside for less mess. Try the ELC for finger-paints or add food colouring to custard. Yum!

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Ideas for babies:

Put some jelly or cooked spaghetti on your baby's highchair tray for her to play with! Make sure you've covered the floor with plastic sheeting. Try small pieces of cereal to keep your baby busy practising her pincer grip!

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Ideas for babies:

Fill a small, plastic bottle with rice (put the lid on!). She'll love the noise it makes when shaken.

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Ideas for babies:

A baby who can sit up will enjoy making music with a pan and wooden spoon.

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Ideas for babies:

A garden centre with a pet section is a great place to visit. An older baby will love a trip to look at animals.

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Ideas for babies:

Young babies love lying under trees so they can watch the leaves moving.

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Ideas for babies:

Sit her in front of a mirror for a few minutes. She'll be fascinated by the other baby!

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Ideas for babies:

Babies who can sit unaided will love putting things in and out of containers. Show her what to do first with a tub of blocks.

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Ideas for babies:

Let your tot help with the washing. Show her how to sort the 'coloureds' from the 'whites', and then let her stuff them into the machine.

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Ideas for babies:

Give her water and a brush and let her 'paint' the patio.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Get out her plastic tea-set and a bowl of soapy water and let her wash up.

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Ideas for toddlers:

If it's a cold day, put some sand from the sand-pit in a washing-up bowl and hide mini treasures. A spoon makes a good-sized spade and a sieve's fun, too.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make some playdough. Give your toddler biscuit cutters and a rolling-pin and show her how to cut out 'biscuits'. A garlic press is fun for making squiggly bits. In a pan, mix together 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, 4 cups of water, 4 tbsp of cooking oil and 1/2 cup of cream of tartar. Cook over a low heat until formed and not too sticky. Knead in some food colouring for interest.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Wrap up a few of her favourite toys for her to unwrap. Don't use too much tape or she'll need your help. See if she can guess what's inside.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make a photo album together. Find some family shots and a notebook and help your toddler glue the pictures in.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Do some magic painting! Draw a simple design on paper with a white candle or crayon. Make up watery paint in a strong colour and let your tot paint the paper to reveal the lovely designs - she'll be amazed.

Ideas for toddlers:

Play 'Follow my leader'. Your toddler has to copy everything you do, jump up and down, pat your tummy, sit down, stand up, walk up stairs, put your slippers on your head? The sillier the better! Once she's got the idea, let her lead you.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Trace a toddler using an old roll of lining wallpaper. Get your child to lie on it and trace her outline! Then let her colour or paint it (if you're feeling brave!).

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Ideas for toddlers:

Put on a lively piece of music and play musical bumps. Tell her she has to sit down as quickly as possible when the music stops.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make a letter box. Cover an old cereal box in red paint or paper. Cut out a slot for letters and make pretend envelopes. Your child can write on the envelopes, stick on pretend stamps and post them.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Dig out your old home videos. She'll love it if there are people she knows - more fun than watching endless Postman Pats!

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Ideas for toddlers:

Go to the park. Take a ball or a ride-along toy. You might find other mums to chat to.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make up thick poster paint, then paint your toddler's hands. Get her to make handprints all over some paper. When they're dry you can make a special birthday card with them.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Slice some potatoes in half and cut a shape into each flat surface. Dip the potatoes into saucers of poster paint and let your toddler use them for printing.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make a collage. Toddlers like sticking things. Use sweet wrappers, scraps of material, foil, cotton wool -anything really!

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make jam tarts. Your toddler will love rolling the pastry.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Have a dolls' tea party. Use a picnic rug and real food.

Ideas for toddlers:

Make a mask. Draw a cat's face on card and cut holes for eyes. Let her colour it, then attach a straw so she can hold it in front of her.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Help her to set out that train set, farm or zoo she got from Santa Claus at Christmas and hasn't played with yet!

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Ideas for toddlers:

Paint your toddler's face. If you don't have the real thing, use water colours or make-up.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Play traffic lights.You're the policeman and she's the car. When you shout 'red', she has to stop; 'green' means go.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Plant a tub with flowers.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Have an ice cream 'factory'. Put a scoop of ice cream in a bowl and let her choose a topping from a variety set out.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Play busesLine up chairs in pairs and fill the seats with dolls.

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Ideas for toddlers:

Make a tent. Just drape a sheet over a couple of chairs.

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Ideas for toddlers

Go to the library. An unending supply of books - for free!

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

 Settle her down with a story tape or CD or pre-record yourself reading her fave books.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make a hat. Cut a strip of card to fit round your tot's head, then get her to decorate it.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make a birthday card for someone in your family - get your tot to draw her own picture.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

 Construct a rocket by covering a loo roll in foil. Make a cone shape to attach to one end and add orange streamers to the other.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play skittles. Make some building block towers outside on the patio, then roll a ball to try to knock them down.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Do some dusting! Kids really love to copy Mum (just mind those expensive knick-knacks!)

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Go swimming. Lots of leisure centre run special children's sessions when they have extra equipment such as floats, balls and little watering cans.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

 Make a playdough sweet shop. Use different colours and shapes to make lollies, chocolate bars, candy bars and fruit drops.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Be sleeping lions. Your child must lie still for as long as possible!

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play musical statues. When the music stops, they must freeze!

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

 Ask a friend over. At this age children love to have a companion and are easier to entertain.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make a paper-bag puppet with buttons for eyes and wool hair

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play hide-and-seek but pretend to be a bit short-sighted when it's your turn to do the seeking!

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play hunt the teddy. Take it in turns to hide it in the house.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Go on a bus ride. It doesn't matter where to - it's the adventure of the journey that counts!

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Paint designs onto each other's hand using watercolours.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Thread tubes of pasta on to lengths of string to make some pasta jewellery.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play hospitals with dolls. Provide loo-paper bandages and a few plasters, then line up dolls and toys as patients.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make an alphabet scrapbook. Cut out photos from magazines for each letter of the alphabet.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Decorate cakes or plain biscuits with icing and little sweets.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Peg boards or 'Hamma' beads keep little fingers occupied for ages at this age

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make a home-made obstacle course in the living room or garden. Use chairs to crawl under, ropes to jump over, balls to dribble or throw into a bucket ? use your imagination.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Ask your child to cover a piece of paper with colour patterns, then help her fold it to make a fan.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Cut out a fish shape from a sheet of newspaper, about 30cm (1ft) long. Make a tube out of the rest of the newspaper. Move the fish along by beating the tube behind its tail.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play dressing-up. Old hats, scarves, shoes, beads, shirts and any other cast-offs will do.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make a garden in a seed tray. Fill it with soil and add plant cut-offs and flowers. A small container lined with foil and filled with water makes a pond.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Make magic potions! Fill plastic bottles and pots with water, food colouring, bubble bath, glitter, petals and stir. Remind your child that she shouldn't taste it.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Wash the car together

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Go on a bug hunt. Look under stones and leaves.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Do crayon rubbings. Coins work well, as does bark.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Put on some lively music and tidy her bedroom together.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Let your child draw with chalk on your patio or drive.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Play going to the seaside! Help her find her swimsuit, sun hat, bucket and spade.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Put 20 household objects on a tray. Show them to your child for 2 minutes, then hide them. See how many she can remember.

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Ideas for pre-schoolers

Turn the living room into a cinema! Put dolls and teddies on a row of chairs. Take money for tickets, then show a DVD. An interval with a chance to buy a snack is popular!

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