Anyone have any fun activities to do with a 9 month old while sitting at home being hot? I have no pool, besides a hard plastic one. Just want some ideas to keep him and myself busy without going stir crazy inside.
sprinklers can be fun and leave you with no standing water! Pair that with bubbles or better yet a bubble machine so you don't have to be preoccupied with having to blow them... my kids also love play dough, music, books
Old Town Sacramento has a train museum which is fun. You can actually also get on Amtrak for a short ride just for fun. In Napa (where I am), there is an indoor bouncy house place called PB&J's; there might be something similar where you are. In Fairfield, there are Chuck E Cheese and Scandia.
At home, bubbles are always a big hit. If you have a high chair, you can set him up with shaving cream (you have to watch them putting it in their mouths, though) or cornstarch and water in the tray. There is also a recipe for edible playdough, but it has peanut butter and evaporated milk. For other ideas, one of my favorite sites is familyfun.com
The Jungle in Concord is awesome, young ones are cheap to get in and you can relax and get a drink :)
Although my son in older than yours, he still loves to play in the kitchen sink. We spent time in the sink today due to the bad air quality. Hope this helps.
G.
A bathtub can be a great place to play with toys, and it keeps baby safe from the sun's rays. One thing my parents did that made a huge difference was to make sure that we had oscillating fans in our room. We dressed very lightly, but the fans made such a big difference in our comfort level! It's also important to remember to stay hydrated when you're hot. When you're hydrated and have appropriate fans, you can do most of the same quiet activities that work any time. But, remember that your little one will still enjoy physical exercise, such as rolling, tumbling, pull-ups, crawling (playing catch-me), etc. Best wishes!
O wow at 9 months mine was not very active but we would play ball I taught her how to roll the ball and pushing a truck across the floor well we worked on it. Story time if you like to read to him you can have story time. O and we did movie time my daughter loved Baby Einstein and Backyardigans anything with bright color's basicly. You can start singing time with anytype of music and sing to him and dance with them and have tickel time. Hide n seek of corse if he only crawls so do you. Hope this helps gives you some ideas. A.
Dear K.,
My kids and I love the heat. It's usually on the cold side where we live, so we embrace any heat we can get.
There are so many fun things you can do inside. Play music. Sing. Dance around. (A workout for you AND the baby). Read. Or, try ABC flashcards. You're baby is 9 months old so the point is not to expect him to recite them or put them in order in a week. But it's something you can make a game of and your son will be learning at the same time.
Fill up your bathtub. If you can't play outside in the water, you can still play in. Put on your bathing suits and let him pretend he's swimming. Teaching water safety begins in the bathtub.
Just have fun!
finger painting might be fun. When my son was that age we finger painted in the bath tub. I taped the paper to the mat in the bottom of the tub. When he's done, take the paper out, start the water and wipe down the mess.
Hop over to DayOne (www.dayonecenter.com) find a group, class, or just hang out in the gliders with the other moms in the air conditioning. Make some new freinds and beat the heat. It's cooler in Laurel Village than most parts of the city, and there are places set up to breastfeed, change diapers, and play. There is also one in Palo Alto, and Walnut Creek if you are not in the city.
A. D
If you are able to get out and about, there's a lot of options for indoor play.
There's Funtastic Play Centers, The Bounce Spot in W. Sac, most libraries have infant storytime, Ikea has a fun play area for infants and toddlers, Gymboree classes. The city has a bunch of wading pools that are really nice and usually have shaded areas. Check out the city website for a list of pools. There's also Kindermusik classes (music class) and Pint sized Picasso, (art classes for infants and toddlers). That's all I think of right now, hope that helps.
I used to take my baby to the mall and we'd walk up and down for hours. It was air conditioned and there were interesting lights and sounds. You can just window shop and maybe treat yourself to a Jamba Juice. You can also take him to the Discovery museum or any museum, really. There are so many great museums in the Bay Area. You want to do something that is stimulating for the both of you.
You can also sign him up for a Mom & me swim class. Go to a park with sprinklers and play in the water. Go to the library and read books together.
It's awesome you get to be home with your baby. Have fun with him!
I am not actually in Sacramento, but I just thought I would throw this out there...
~Local public pools are great for cooling off with baby
~Try Mall walking with him in the stroller a change of scenery can be good.
~The park early in the morning is good while it is still cool. My kids really liked the baby swings when they were babies.
~Look for a Mommy & Me activities type of book at your local library. I bet there would be some good ideas in there.
~Water play is fun. Give him a few cups with water in them and let him play with them in the pool, while it is empty!
~Invite a friend over, who has a child!
Sorry if I am not a ton of help my babies are now 10 and 7, where does the time go...
T.
Founder
http://usa.theparentpack.org
My 3 year old likes to take all the cushions off the couches and both my boys ages 1 and 3 love to climb all over them.
We have a Laurie Berkner DVD with music and singing, both the kids love to wiggle around to that.
You can always enroll in a class with him. Music Together classes are great for babies that age and are fun for mom too. Shoot me an email if you'd like more info.
You should come and try a free Gymboree Play and Music class. Our sites are air-conditioned and in the Lafayette, Oakland and El Cerrito sites, we are offering Bubble Camp which means unlimited classes (in your child's class level) for the price of once a week. There are also PlayGyms which are 1 hour open play sessions that are not classes, but rather just a chance to come in and play. It is only open to members and there is no extra charge for PlayGym.
If you'd like more info, feel free to email me at ____@____.com.
My baby girl loves playing in the sink. I turn the water on and give her some interesting things to use like cups, sponge, etc. She can hang out for 30 or more minutes. The sink seems to have a different appeal than a pool or tub. Try it out.
You could also try some tactile art. My daughter loves playing with regular shaving cream (not the gel or scented ones.) I add some finger paint to it so there is some color. Usually we paint... get crazy messy and then end up in the sink. Enjoy!
My son is a little over 9 months and he loves cardboard. I recently converted a cardboard box into a little house with windows and a door (and trust me, I'm not an artist) and he has fun crawling in and out, looking through the windows. I talk to him and pass him things through the window, pretending that he might need them for his house. I plan to paint it next weekend, more for my own amusement but he does like anything red so I thought it would be fun. Out of the spare pieces of cardboard you can also cut out shapes and make blocks. It is cheap and entertaining.
You can try taking a walk at the mall. It is inside and airconditioned.
let the bath tub work double for you. climb in with your baby and some plastic bowls or toys to play with. If you have a floor fan or air conditioner blow up a ballon and let it float in the breeze, or a small bottle of bubbles and a fan are good to. spread a plastic mat on the kitchen floor and let them "paint" with edible foods like pudding ( involes all the senses to play). hope thease help. ;-)
