Entertaining an 18 Month Old

By 18 months all my kids were pretty much self-entertaining. They are BUSY at that age. Very active. First thing to do is kid-proof 1 or 2 rooms in your house and keep him in there. If you don't, you will probably find yourself saying "don't" - repeatedly - all afternoon. Not fun for you or him. If they hear it too much, they tune it out... so save the "no's" and "don'ts" to just a couple times - for the important stuff (like when they try to run into the road).

As for toys.... empty boxes, wooden spoons, mixing bowls, plastic measuring cups, and other misc stuff from your kitchen will probably keep him entertained for quite some time. No need to buy anything special for him if it's just a one-time thing. Simple open-ended toys are best for all ages, but especially toddlers: wooden blocks, small and large balls, play-doh, cars, trucks, Little People stuff, etc. In general it's best to avoid stuff that requires batteries as they are close-ended toys, meaning kids only learn "I press this button and that happens"... and they don't keep the kids' attention span very long. Another good idea is to set up an obstacle course of sorts... pile pillows on the floor and let him crawl/walk over them. Let him try to kick a ball... don't worry... an 18 month old can't kick hard enough to break anything (assuming you kid-proofed decently). Let him try to teach the baby to crawl... toddlers love being the 'big kid' and teaching babies things and the baby will probably be fascinated watching him run and be inspired to try to crawl/stand.

I would avoid DVDs and tv for this age if at all possible. But, as the mother of young children, I do understand how sometimes it's nice to put one in to keep the older one in place while attending to the baby. Imagination Movers, Word World, SuperWhy and Wonder Pets were the favorites of my kids at that age (and still are favorites at 2 and 4). Oh... my 7 year old loved Bob the Builder when he was that age, too.

Any new environment will entertain an 18 month old. My daughter barely plays with the million toys she has at our house. Yesturday we went to a friends house who had a million Different toys. I didnt see my child all day because all she did was play with our friends kids toy. Some kids like to do lots of imaginary things. If its nice outside, try getting some sidewalk chalk and have the 18 month old draw on the sidewalk. Going for a walk or to the park is nice too.. the kids LOVE the swings.
If inside, matchbox cars and barbies are my daughters favorite things. Also listening to kids music and dancing is fun. If I need to do something, I will put on Sesame street and my daughter (only 14 months) is entertained for a good 30 mins.
Good luck....

There are TONS of silly songs and silly song tapes, videos, etc. you could probably get one at your local library or talk to someone who's had kids. If you lived near me, I'd GIVE it to you. I've got BAGS of silly song tapes, interactive ones, etc.

The 7 month old probably won't be into the singing, but she WILL enjoy the entertainment. Head, shoulders, knees and toes; Itsy bitsy Spider, The Wheels on the Bus, The Mulberry Bush, Old MacDonald, etc.

Make a fun simple snack in some animal shape or make your own "trail mix" with cereals, etc that both can enjoy. I had my nephew "cooking" before he could walk....helping me dump things in, etc. HE LOVED IT and still loves to cook today and he's 26!

My son's 22 months old and still loves his Baby Einstein movies, the ones for 6 or 9 months.

Go to the pet store and look at the fish/cats/mice.

Go to the library, the park.

My 18 month old loved almost any books. Ask mom/dad what his/her fav tv show is. My son loves to see Bob the Builder or Cookie Monster in a book, as it's something different than seeing them on tv.

I have an 18 month old and am always looking for different things to keep her engaged. A few things that help get the wiggles out are: 1) put on some music and dance! That's something that all of you can do together. Be silly and have fun! 2) We play the "Can you show Mommy where __________ is?" I ask her to find me something and when she brings it back to me, I respond with great enthusiasm! 3) Coloring and drawing. At this age just grabbing the crayons/markers and scribbling away is always just a fun thing. 4) I love the Baby Einstein books and videos. When we read the books, I ask her to point things out to me, or find something of a certain color, etc. With the videos, you can use them as a way to also incorporate your house with them. For example, there is a "Baby Wordsworth" one and it details the parts of the home. Then afterwards you can go around your home and point out the things you just saw in the video. And last but not least...OUTDOOR FUN! Get some sidewalk chalk, a ball, and some toys and just play play play! And of course, all of these things are things that your 7 month old can take part in too!! I can go on, but I hope I've given you a few things that might help you out!!! Have fun!