Ideas how to entertain one year old only child on shabbos

amother

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 12:35 pm

We don't hold of the eruv where we live and I find shabbosim so challenging. My DS walks but goes wherever he wants- which is places he shouldn't. Therefore going out at this point is not worth it because I end up getting stuck when he runs off or tantrums because I'm not letting him run in the street.

I have toys for him but he doesn't seem interested in doing much. I sit with him and try to play but he might be too young for legos and magnatiles and I just don't know how to keep him engaged. I try reading books but he just throws them down or always wants the next book but the interest doesn't last more than a page.

Please give me ideas that a younger one year old would enjoy playing with or doing.

amother

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 12:43 pm

amother [ Emerald ] wrote:

Would you consider a backpack harness?

He'd just end up tantruming which would leave me stuck. I really just need ideas of things that kids this age enjoy. I'm clueless.

SingALong

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 1:49 pm

Things my baby loves to play with shabbos

Magnatiles
Highway with cars
Puppets
Board books

At that stage they don’t focus on the same activity for too long, maybe stick to the same task max 20 min. And they don’t always know how to play alone so he may only be happy if you play on the floor together with him.

Do you have any friends locally with a kid his age that does use the eruv and would come over for an hour so he can see other faces? And would maybe enjoy playing side by side with another child?

redheaded

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 1:59 pm

Invite guest. Friends and family with kids any age.

Take him on a walk, to the corner and back.

Get to know the neighbors.

Learn hilchos eiruvin and figure out —-why—- you don’t use the eiruv.

amother

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 2:03 pm

tichellady wrote:

That sounds really hard

Thanks for the validation, it really is.

I don't have friends or family nearby, no Jewish neighbors with kids that age, and I'm not going to fight my DH on the eruv issue when I know most people don't hold of it here.

mha3484

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 2:10 pm

We also dont use the eruv. My kids get used to walking at a pretty early age otherwise they go nutty. We spend tons of time in our backyard or at the park down the street.

Do you have any outdoor space? My kids can play in cozy coups for hours until they get bored.

amother

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 2:12 pm

mha3484 wrote:

No outdoor space. No porch, no backyard.

amother

Smokey

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 2:55 pm

What about household items? My 1 year old likes playing with boxes full of stuff (toys or other household objects--just packing and unpacking, "cleaning up," and dumping it all out again, sitting in the box, etc.). Or a laundry basket with scarves or towels or tee shirts. You could get fridge magnets and stick to the bottom of the fridge. We sing songs a lot on shabbat--shabbat songs and other simple ones that have hand gestures like the wheels on the bus. For books, an activity is getting a book from the shelf across the room. I

Ruchel

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 3:48 pm

shabbes is hard with kids. We moved into a eruv and we still can't be bothered going out... it's hard

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 4:06 pm

it is challenging
would he like pop up toys?
menchies?
tunnel?
cars? trucks
ride on toys (age appropriate)
magnatiles
balls/rolling
puzzle boxes -- age appropriate
peek a boo flip up picture books
I would google best toys for one year olds
a little tykes indoor slide?
I would see what he likes that is ok for shabbos and put those toys away and only take out special for shabbos

amother

cornflower

Thu, Oct 24 2019, 5:08 pm

can you make a small eiruv either in your building if you are in apartment or with one or two neighbors if you are in a house. they don't need to have kids your age, just be willing to make an eiruv with you. I grew up in an apartment building and we didn't hold by the eiruv so we made one for our building and that way we could at least walk in the hallway, when we got older visit people upstairs...