Play Time

I don't know about you but as much as I love love love my daughter and love spending time with her, sometimes there is nothing more banal than play time. I mean, I find stacking and knocking down blocks pretty fun for the first five minutes. But soon enough I'm yawning and looking around for my smart phone, or getting annoyed that my toddler keeps knocking down my awesome buildings!

Still, play is a pretty important part of a toddler's life - in fact, playing is pretty much all they do, on top of eating and sleeping. While experts recommend that you play with your child for at least an hour a day, I think its equally important that children learn to play by themselves in order to foster independence and imagination. Not to mention if I played with my child all day, my house would be even more of a disorganised mess than it is currently.

The difficulty I'm finding with a 13 month old is that it's a bit of an in between age - they're too old for lots of the shake/rattle/button toys but not old enough for the more interactive/imaginvative toys like kitchens, dolls, lego etc. Take a look around your local toy stores - there are huge amounts of 6-9mth+ and 18mth+, which are either too simple or too advanced for your average one year old.

That said, you don't have to have a house full of toys to keep your toddler entertained - here are my top ideas for play (both parent and child driven):

• Books - Books are just the best invention, for adults and kids alike. While reading is generally a parent driven activity, it can take up 30 minutes or more of your one on one time each day. Babies love books and reading aids their development and literacy skills. We read three books before each sleep and have "reading time" whenever a bit of quiet time is needed.
• Obstacle courses - One year olds are generally either just walking or just about to walk, and love to try out this skill by circling household furniture. Set up creatively, furniture can form an obstacle course for your child to explore. 
• Push along toys - As above, perfect for working out those newly upright legs. We got this great trike from Mothercare (for my fussy "wooden toys only" husband) and I got this cheap musical walker from Big W.
• Parks - I'm SO lucky to live in a suburb with a park around every corner. And not just a park, a busy park, full of other toddlers with whom my child can play. I go to the park every day without fail, usually before or after a brisk stroll. It's great for both of us to be out in the fresh air.
• Singing - For some reason Heike is always happy while I am singing, and will usually dance along to my out of tune nursery rhymes. The problem is remembering enough songs - this site can help you out with a few.
• Rough play - I have a pretty full on toddler who just LOVES to wrestle. I imagine quite a few of you would be in the same boat. My only warning with rough play is that it can result in a very energetic toddler becoming even more energised and, let's face it, a little crazy. Equally it can wear them out, so it can be worth the risk. 
• Turning household chores into a game - This has to be my top idea, because it results in me actually getting chores done. Hanging out the washing is far easier if you give your little one some pegs to play with. Unpacking the dishwasher can be helped along with a few kitchen utensils to bang together, as can cleaning out kitchen drawers. The pantry is a super fun place for a toddler to explore while you cook dinner. Sadly I still haven't worked out how to fold washing with a toddler in tow - it's usually pulled back out of the basket quicker than it's put in.

 It's taken me a long time (approximately 13 months) to realise that I don't need to be at my daughter's beck and call and she can, and should, entertain herself without my constant involvement. I've also realised that it's not a crime to check my emails or call a friend while my daughter is otherwise occupied, as long as she has adequate supervision and is getting plenty of attention at other times throughout the day. Like everything else in life, it's all about balance. Happy playing.

Z xx