Entertaining a 5 month old

[abcd1234]

I need a way to entertain her so i can do things in the house.

It's got to the point where i end up carrying her around with me whilst we're in the house and she screams if put down, especially if i try and leave the room.

I put her in her cot with toys and that can give me about 10 mins to potter around the house, and she'll sometimes roll around the floor with toys.

I need my sister to be around on an evening as she'll lay with Tally whilst i get stuff done lol, but i really want her to learn to play on her own too as i'm not going to be able to play with her all the time

What does or did everyone else do when their LO was around this age??

 

[keli]

I bought a jumperoo he happily plays in that for 15 mins or so maybe longer its also a good one as i know he's safe. If i'm in the kitchen he'll be in his highchair just watching what i'm doing. He plays happily on his mat in the front room, if i have a bath or go to the loo i pop him in his chair and he's ok in it. I don't really leave him alone in a room he's always with me.

 

[Sherlock]

We got the goody box (a washing up bowl ) and filled it with household objects. Holds Galen's interest for ages and it's something he loves.

In box is (change different things from time to time so he does not get bored)

Metal serving spoons
Egg whisk
Silver scouring pad
Large sponge
3 funnels in different sizes
Woods spoons
Pastry brush
Small tubs and lids
Few bottles filled with beans etc
Spatula
Small card boxes
Duster
Choc box insert, plastic tray bit
Rustly wrapping paper
Loofa

That sort of stuff. The idea is they sit and investigate it all and you are just there in the background but don't intefere or get involved. It's all about them learning and concentrating. Galen finds all that stuff far more interesting then toys. He'll sit for an hour or more sometimes bashing away with it all.

 

[Manda&Thomas]

i just used to put thomas in his walker with some toys on the tray and put the tv on kept him quiet and still does, although now he played on the floor
xx

 

[happy-chick]

The jumperoo was my saviour at around 5 months, she loved it & it kept her quiet and entertained for a little while so I could grab some food and do any bits and bats i needed to do. Her walker was also a great one to keep her entertained as it gives them a bit of independance to move around x

 

[BabyMagic]

We got the goody box (a washing up bowl ) and filled it with household objects. Holds Galen's interest for ages and it's something he loves.

In box is (change different things from time to time so he does not get bored)

Metal serving spoons
Egg whisk
Silver scouring pad
Large sponge
3 funnels in different sizes
Woods spoons
Pastry brush
Small tubs and lids
Few bottles filled with beans etc
Spatula
Small card boxes
Duster
Choc box insert, plastic tray bit
Rustly wrapping paper
Loofa

That sort of stuff. The idea is they sit and investigate it all and you are just there in the background but don't intefere or get involved. It's all about them learning and concentrating. Galen finds all that stuff far more interesting then toys. He'll sit for an hour or more sometimes bashing away with it all.

SNAP! We've got a 'treasure basket' for DD too. We have the stuff in a wooden basket. It became more useful when LO learnt to sit up properly. In our basket we have

pastry brush
coaster
old remote control
little hair brush x 2 (different types)
comb
biscuit tin (likes banging things against it)
spatula
spoon
plastic bottle
plastic lid
little woolly hat
dummies (as she didn't like them for their proper use)
nut cracker
purse

Thanks Sherlock I am going to add some bits from your list

 

[flowerpot]

Fab idea about the boxes of "things" - have just run round the house filling a plastic box with plastic tubs, metal spoon, wooden implement etc... Can't wait to give Charlie it tomorrow!

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

I've been finding the same with Aimee now that she isn't sleeping as much during the day. Sometimes she'll happily sit in her bouncer and watch CBeebies while I attempt to get housework done but there are times when she just cries if I am not sitting right infront of her making stupid faces and talking in silly accents. Ewan's sister gave us a swing which works wonders. The movements sometimes sends her to sleep, many a times I've put it on, went into the kitchen, came back 5 minutes later to see her conked out.

I like the idea of the 'goody' boxes, I am going to try that with Aimee. The cats have a goody box with their toys so why not Aimee as well!

 

[beanie]

we had a goody box too, egg whisk a massive fave along with an old mobile phone. Bought me a good half hour

 

[abcd1234]

we had a goody box too, egg whisk a massive fave along with an old mobile phone. Bought me a good half hour

Tally loves my phone, it's like her favourite toy and she'll drop everything to try and eat it, obviously it's not convenient for her to do that but we have a huge box of old phones (thats what you get when OH works for a pnohe company) i'll start making her up a box and pop one in

 

[Jollypops]

Daytime Calum uses his playmat which i balance different small teddys on the arches for different things to look at, then put a music box on one side so he can press different things and he has a music cube on the other which if he rolls it plays different tunes. we also use a door bouncer and the one we use most at the moment is the leapfrog learn and groove which he likes and got him a jumperoo for xmas so hope he wants to bounce!