One dad talked about letting his son "clean" the glass sliding door for hours, which his son obviously enjoyed if he was willing to do it so long. Then our instructor talked about how when her own son was young, he used to love to wash the car. She was so relieved he found something to occupy himself with, and she got a car wash in the deal.
That gave me an idea. My car was badly in need of a washing following all the rain of last week, and since Monkey loves the hose and the nozzle so much (he could definitely spend multiple hours watering the plants if I'd let him waste that much water), I thought maybe he'd like to get in on some scrub-a-dubbin'.
Today's New Activity: Washing the Car with Monkey
Hmmm, this maybe wasn't the best idea. I was surprised that he wasn't as down to just play with water like he usually is. I gave him a brush (he loves brushes too) and told him it was his job to wash the tires. That was fun for about 4 seconds, after which he wanted to use the brush to wash the rest of the car. That wasn't the ideal tool and might have scratched the paint, but I let it go. Good for an additional 5 seconds of entertainment.
He did, of course, want to just spray the hose all day, but he kept aiming into the garage, and then wetting the other already clean cars around, so that was a no go. After a while I just ended up hauling his tricycle up front from the backyard and letting him hang out on that. At least we both got thoroughly soaked in the process, so it wasn't a total bust.
I have to say I was bummed that Monkey wasn't as into the car washing as I'd thought/hoped he'd be. He is so hungry for stimulation these days that I thought for sure the sheer newness of the activity would have him thrilled. I will revisit this possibility in another few months to see if he digs it more by then. But for now, I think I'll see how he likes the drive-thru carwash. That should be entertaining at the very least.
Here's a tune fit for whenever that happens.
Here's a trick from a granny, invented when Maya was over and MUCH in need of stimulation. The cost is fairly minimal: one can of shaving cream. I'd fill the tub to waist deep, pop her in, and spray a pile of foam on the tile. She'd take about thirty minutes to "paint the walls," while I relaxed with one eye on her and one on a magazine. Add a bunch of plastic animals to the mix (they can be hidden under the foam!) and this activity could stretch into an hour's worth of fun with textures and imagination. Whew!
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