Toys to Play with While in Bed

Hi MB,

I'm sorry that I do not have advice for you on this one, but I did just want to send you some mom strength to get through it!

My kids both preferred me to toys, so I'm guessing you might be spending a lot of time in bed with her. I sincerely hope she heals well and heals fast! You'll make it!

Lacing beads and lacing cards. A "busy" book w/ buttons zippers laces etc. Stuff that works on hand-eye coordination.

Melissa & Doug magnetic dress up doll (like a puzzle but they can change outfits).

I also like "groovy girls" for that age- plush soft dolls you can dress and play with.

You could also try a Leapster electronic handheld game.

Books, including sticker books.

Can she sit in front of computer? Lots of websites have learning games starting around that age including www.starfall.com and http://pbskids.org/

Good luck, I hope this helps.

My daughter has had a Leapster L max (by Leapfrog) since she was 3 and she loves it. We have just bought the older more difficult games and she plays it often. We bought the recharger so we can plug it in at night and recharge it. Color wonder, small dolls and a lap desk would be good. Good Luck to you and I hope the next 2 months fly by!

Get some flashlights, glow in the dark toys and mirrors, turn off the lights and you've got yourself some fun entertainment!

I have been there! My daughter has had 5 hip surgeries and was bedridden each time for atleast 6-8 weeks. Sounds like you are doing the right thing and trying to keep her busy. One thing that came to mind is an old purse or bag...little girls love old purses. Fill it with things that she likes...empty make-up containers, bracelets, etc. Choosing something interactive is also a good plan, such as one of the learning laptops they make for kids - I want to say the one we had was V-Tech? Maybe a Walmart brand..regardless my daughter loved it. Also, does she have one of those Barbie "heads" where she can style the hair? Thats pretty easy to handle while in bed. Regardless, good luck and best wishes to you and your daughter...I know how much work it is to keep them entertained at that age! :-)

A couple of ideas that keep my boys busy in cars. They have the vtech hand held game. It is easy and my three year old loves it. Also magnetic books. She can make different scenes with magnets. I think I got mine and Learning Express. They are great to talk with about different ideas. JoAnns also has books that you can take out and build characters out of. We have the pirate ones but I believe there are others.

You might just go through Michaels and see what there is that she might like. Girls tend to be a bit more craft than boys so I am not much help there. I give mine my scrapbook punches and paper and they have a blast with those.

Good LUCK!!!

-MagnaDoodle
-A small set of plastic tinker toys (since they stick together you don't need a stable surface to build things.)
-play dough (if you are willing to deal with the mess)
-silly putty (if you aren't)
-Activity books (Sam's club sometimes has good activity books for this age - books with puzzles or interactive things to touch, push and pull.)
-Small cars and people - she can turn her bed into a city/highway (I like the Little People brand)
-A doctor kit
-Games (candyland, chutes and ladders, cooties)
-Some old adult clothes to dress up with.
-bean bag toss
-things to decorate the cast
-electronic keyboard (you can get a cheap one - or other musical instruments.)

Oh man that's rough!! My daughter broke her leg when she was almost 2 but she was walking on it practically right away.
As for toys, how about a Lite Brite? Those can be really fun and time consuming.
Also, telling ghost stories under the covers w/ a flashlight is fun (not too scary!).
We also play "bears" under the covers and pretend like it's our den.
Books on tape are nice too. That way she can read along and look at the pics but give you a break.
Making things out of felt and a hot glue gun can be easy and fun. Google "felt projects" online and you'll see a ton of stuff. We made bean bag ladybugs where the kids cut out the shapes and i glued them and then they filled them up w/ beans I had in the kitchen. You could even cut some holes in cardboard and have a bean bag toss from the bed...I guess you'd be the one retrieving them.
Good luck and much patience to ya!

Magnets. They have special sets call Magnetx (or something like that) anywhere, Walmart, etc. My kids love them, especially my 3 year old. He'll play with them for hours if I let him. It's like working with legos and building all kinds of things, but with magnets. They would be near the legos section.

My daughter also has a magnet board, with little strips of colored magnets that she can "draw" with. We ordered them from a catalog in the mail. But, I'm sure they would something of the sort at Toys R Us or somewhere. They are really neat. It's like working with paper strips, but they are magnets that stick to the board.

They also have kits that come with a drawing easel/board. It comes with markers, crayons, paper, etc. All compact and fit inside the easel box. Like a briefcase.

Small electronic games for around $10. My kids like solitaire. But, they have others that a 3 year old could grasp the idea, I'm sure. My 3 year old has a little laptop computer with educational games on it. His is Thomas the train. But, I've seen Barbie ones. It would be educational and have tons of stuff for her to do.

Buy a stick(s) of glue. Give her construction paper. Have her rip it up into little pieces and glue different shapes and colors on a larger sheet making some type of picture that she has to cover most of the sheet with. That would be fun. My daughter would love that!

Also, Hobby Lobby has a toy/kid section with some really great stuff that you don't find anywhere in a toy store.

Hi,
This isn't a toy idea, but when my 20 month old broke his leg, I brought in one of our smaller strollers so I could push him around the house and he could have different views, or play on the ottoman for a while.
also, Playdough keeps my boys busy for LONG periods of time. Good luck!

I have no advice either except to knock on her cast in the spot it itches and it will itch. My heart goes out to you. A blanket in the yard under a tree on the weekend is a good way to pass time. Use a magnifying glass to check a "new" world living in the grass. CB

She might enjoy an etchasketch. I would also consider either temporarily putting at tv in her room if you don't have one, or moving her to the couch and letting her watch movies for a little while during the day.

NO great suggestions - just my deepest sympathies. My 10 year old was in a cast last summer for 6 weeks- and even tho she was on crutches she couldn't do much because of the heat. I was worn out by the time that cast came off.
Definitely worth buying a little portable DVD player to have in bed with her....she really can't leave the bed for two months? No crutches or walking cast?? EEK!! Have some little friends over to play- or hire a 10 or 12 year old to come play w/ her after school. Just make sure they are the "quieter" friends- not the ones that need to be outside running around.... GOOD LUCK to both of you!

Just about anything from LeapFrog will keep most kids occupied. You might want to look at Leapster. It's fun, and educational.
good luck.

A Tag Reader, by Leap Frog. My 3 year old LOVES hers!

Wow, that would be very hard. Do you have play dough? There are several interactive play things on the play dough website. There are also different preschool websites that can give craft ideas. If you bake something, you can let her help by stirring. My little girls still likes the little people toys. They have several centers that would fit on the bed. Does she have a doll house? My daughter also has a barn with horses that she loves to play with. Hope this helps. Good luck. I hope she feels better soon.

I just bought a really cute toy from Lakeshore Learning. It is a magnet board with pieces to make silly faces. My almost 3 year old son is crazy about it. It was a little pricey but holds his attention for an extended period of time and cracks him up because it is so silly. I would suggest getting a little container or even a ziploc bag for all the little pieces.

HI MB,
Sorry to hear about your little girls broken leg.
My son got a learning game called Leap Frog when he was about that age.Its has cartriges as they continue to grow you buy diffrent ones. Its really nice cause it catches their attention and their learning as they are playing.What could be better than that.I think its about $50 or less but well worth it.I think WalMart will have it at the best price.Also, it's small enough to carry from place to place.Check it out I think once you do you'll purchase it and in the long run it'll be a great investment for her.

Check with your doctor again. Are you sure she needs to be bedridden? Could you rent a wheelchair that has a leg rest? Just a thought.

I have a DVD/VHS player and TV in several bedrooms for when my grandkids come over. My TV has a VHS player and cable so they get on my bed can watch Noggin, which is GREAT! Their bedroom is only for movies, but they watch their favorite ones in there. This way they do not monopolize the big TV in the den. Can you do this for her? Do you have a small portable DVD player she can use? Or do you have any small handheld video games she can play? I know she will get tired of coloring books.. Just adding some more suggestions. Good luck!

MagnaDoodle and other magnetic or travel games

Walkie talkies could be fun. Magna Doodle. Puppets. Small doll house that can sit on the bed next to her. Remember those "sewing cards"? I have seen those at craft stores. They use yarn to connect the dots..... Stickers, paint with water books.

Also consider borrowing or purchasing a lounge chair so she can go outside. Place a fan next to her to keep her cool.

Did the doctor tell you she needed to be bedridden?? I ask because my son just had a broken leg (he's a little under 2) & he crawled everywhere. After a little while, he learned to walk on it. It was a funny, "I'm a pirate with a peg-leg" sort of walk, but a walk nonetheless. :)

How about craft time? You can go to Michaels and buy all the craft kits for decorating hats or shirt or making foam castles. They are pretty minimal on the mess factor, but in case you are worried, I always lay down a clean trash bag and then just roll it up and throw it away after.

One more thing: a felt board that comes with different pieces i.e. princess, prince, castle, bridge so she can make up her own stories. One of ours is a zoo and the other is a jungle. When she gets a story ready, ask her to tell it to you. You could write the story on paper, have her draw a picture, then put it together for her "My First Book".
Or, a tape or CD recorder. She could sing and tell stories into it, and it would be a keepsake for you.
hang in there !
blessings to you all.

There are books out there that are for early childhood, reading, color, numbers etc. along with cd's and dvd's. Hope that you are able to do some of these will be hard to keep a little on in the bed.

My daughter just got a tag reader and it is really cool. She also loves her leapster. Where do you live, we have more than one leapster thanks to a friend and could let you borrow one if you're close..I am in New Braunfels.

My son loves his Leapster by Leapfrog. I try to limit his video game time, but the games are teaching him math, letter sounds, etc.