Activities

I wouldn't focus so much on keeping them entertained. The whole world is new to them, so try to just provide variety while interacting with them. You can go for nature walks (or just walks in general), check out local classes (like baby massage, yoga, or sensory), find local mums you could hang out with, and for indoors go for house tours and show them different things like colours inside the wardrobe. Fill a little basket or tub with a couple of items and let them explore - only put one or two toys in front of them at a time, too much choice is distracting so they get bored and overwhelmed. To be honest, I'd say do things that welcome them into the adult world. Do laundry with them, but make it fun by swooshing clothes or hiding under them. Do washing up and bop their nose with water. Have them in a carrier or safe place while you cook and show them things. Vacuum the house with them. Go round the shops and show them different things. See the possibly boring tasks through their eyes with fun and wonder. ☺️

Other ideas are... if they're not too mobile, put them in a laundry basket with some toys or have them in their high chair with some toys that stick to the table. Do some messy play together, have longer baths for fun, pick an item and then go find lots of types together (like shoes). Also taking them to the shops even if you don't buy anything, but show them different things. Local bounce and rhyme at libraries are free if yours do them. Reading books, sensory toys, blanket tents together, a little roll about rough and tumble on the bed... 🤣

I have a basket of toys & I put her down & she crawls to them, takes them out, plays and then I move some of them around the room and she crawls to them 😅

Long walks in the park, sensory class, swimming, lots and lots of tummy time / practicing sitting / crawling (currently trying to crawl), playing with toys on their play mat, taking them around the house with me whilst I do chores (dishes / laundry etc)

@Sophia thank you sooo much. These are really great suggestions especially the doing boring house tasks together. Do you put baby in a carrier while doing these or place them down? He does lie watching me hanging up laundry so I'll try and interact with him while I'm doing it. Great tip about one toy at a time. I do have a habit of giving him loads of toys at once for choice but I find he switches toys every second then gets bored altogether. I guess it's too overwhelming

@Star crawling stage seems more fun! Can't wait for little one to start crawling. It will be more fun for them to explore

@Sarah I've only just started sensory classes but will be looking for more baby classes to join. How many do you do a week?

It's fun & hard, it's a lot of moving her away from areas of danger & things you don't expect to be dangerous, turn out to be dangerous 😅 playpen is my saving grace

One toy at a time or a couple in a basket is ace honestly! Then you can also have a couple of things in different rooms too - even if just a tupperware tub with odd baby safe things in. Then you can rotate round as well and always something to hand for them to explore. Depending on what it is (or how much energy I have) I either use carrier, high chair, plonk on a blanket or in a laundry basket. 🤣 He's not mobile just yet so making the most of it, but 98th centile so ohhhh boy a workout to carry around.

I'm looking at ring slings as they might be a bit more helpful to have him with me and do things together while sparing my arms some. 🙈 With laundry if you're happy to sacrifice a cotton top you can hide things under and inside and let them play and dribble on it. 🤣