If you have ever been a parent to an infant, you know that sometimes it can be hard to entertain them. Little Miss Nora is no exception. I like to try and come up with fun new ideas to keep her entertained and guessing. Sometimes it just takes a little thinking out of the box! Here's a little list I've come up with and thought I would share for anyone who may be out of ideas! Most of them free! And feel free to share any of your own ideas!
Nora loves it when I dance with her. I pick her up, turn the music on real loud and show her my best Patrick Swayze moves ... "Nobody puts baby in the corner". (And P.S., it's easy for you because she is a lot lighter to lift than Jennifer Grey)
Daddy's are also good at this one. Kodak Moment
Performing for Nora. I just pretend like I am a member of Glee. She loves it, and I get some physical exercise while creating oral magic. It's a win-win. Plus, she is like the least judgmental critic. The kid will clap and smile for anything.
Glow stick bath. Just pick up some of those cheapy-cheap glow sticks the next time you are at the Dollar Store and turn the bathroom lights off and voila! It makes for an insta-happy baby!
Ice-Cube Bath. Fill that ice cube tray up with water and a few drops of food coloring (you can even mix colors if you're feeling extra crazy). Then dump them in the tub (once they are frozen of course) and watch your baby try to grab them before they're all melted!
Next time you're changing your naked baby - talk to her and tell her all her wonderful body parts. She is listening more than you know. And don't forget to tell her how wonderful and beautiful and precious she is everyday of her life!
Take her to meet some "aminals". I don't know about other kids, but Nora is obsessed with other forms of life. She thinks they are her siblings for beating up on too - so this activity should be highly supervised by an adult .. duh. Teach him/her all about the sounds the animals make. Kids eat that crap up! They'll get a good kick out of you making yourself look like a fool while you try to imitate a goat.
If your ears can tolerate it, let her take a turn "tickling the ivories". She'll think she's Mozart and won't stop ... even when the fat lady sings.
Here's a fun secret. If you add food coloring to the water when you are boiling noodles, they will come out that color! Seriously? It's magic. And your kids will think so too.
On warm days we like to take a big blanket outside with lots of toys, books, and snacks and have a little outside play date. I read my latest volume of trash magazines and get caught up on all the celebrity gossip and she reads about the gripping Goldilocks and the three bears. The mystery of which bears stuff was "just right" never ceases to interest her.
Give them a big fun bubble bath in the sink. And I'm talking LOTS of bubbles. Sometime a change of scenery is enough to make it more fun. And what kid doesn't like bath time, right? .. And be cautious of then trying to ingest the bubbles. Chances are they won't taste great.
Play in the hose outside if it's warm. It's like, a magical snake that spits water. And it's so fun to watch them try and grab the water! My kid is fascinated by water? ..
Let them experience life in the Driver's seat. Teach them how the horn honks. Turn the radio up and let them play with the steering wheel! I'm sure there's some parenting "No-No" on this one, but what can I say .. we live life on the edge.
Plop her on a blanket and drag her all through the house! Although this may be a little hard if you only have carpet ...
Go find one of those ghetto horsey rides outside of a grocery store or in the mall or at an arcade. It's well worth the money. Heck, I spent $3.75 on rides for this kid. She's pro now. She's the next [insert famous horse rider's name here].
Sometimes you just gotta let them be messy with their food. Am I right? You'll laugh. They'll laugh. And laughing gives you endorphines. Endorphines make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.
Strap that baby in her sling and carry her around as you do the chores. She feels close to you, and you get some extra exercise. Who doesn't love it? Sometimes she just needs an extra little pick-me-up ... literally.
Sometimes we like to hit up the grocery store and pick out a new "treat" for Nora. She loves trying new foods just as much as we do. I like to get myself a nice cold pepsi and she likes to enjoy a new flavor juice-box! And it doubles as a mommy-daughter date!
Nora loves it when I jump in the tub with her. That's like an extra special day! She loves to splash with Mommy and try to crawl all over me. I must say, I love it too. She loves me and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to take sweet baths with my baby.
[No picture on this one. I know you were hoping for one. Sicko]
Take a couple different colored bowls. Now have a small object like a bouncy ball to put under one of the bowls. Switch them all around and see if she can guess which one the ball is under. The cool thing here is she's learning too. "How neat is that? That's pretty neat".
Blow up a bunchy of dollar-store balloons in an assortment of colors. Let her play among them like she's in a sea of colorful balls. Keep a close eye on her so she doesn't try to bite any. If there are a lot, she's less likely to get her hands on just one - something inside her is telling her to try and get them all (Pokemon!) If she's old enough, show her the effects of the static electricity on your hair. That ought to make her laugh.
There's just a few ideas. I'd love to hear some of yours and try them out on my posterity. We like to party! The rest of the list is: To Be Continued.
