1 year twin activies. staring to feel like there left out.

Laura - posted on 08/21/2011

My twin boys are now 5. We have arrived and start kinder on Monday. I was completely overwhelmed by outside activities with the two. Sometimes I still am. :) I suffer with migraines sometimes as many as 27 a month. Tracy has great ideas. Have you thought of joining a multiples group? (twins club) This saved my sanity. not only did I meet and have support of like this but they were able to connect with moms with same aged children for playgroups. Albeit in the beginning going out for coffee in the mall while the boys slept in their strollers while I had conversation with other moms going through the same things as I was awesome. Later as the kids grew we all could keep watch on the playgrounds, children's museums, petting zoo, fairs etc. I found safety in numbers.
Good luck!

Sara - posted on 08/16/2011

I know what you mean, it's just so hard at this age. My boys are 17 months, and I tried taking them to story time at the library but they just run around like crazy and pull all the books off the shelves! I found a toddler play group where they can run around and not do any damage, and I also managed to find a little playground that is mostly fenced in, so I only have to worry about them getting through one gap in the fence. They like to play with mega legos and they LOVE to play outside with water. I have a little pool and a large ceramic flowerpot, and I fill them both with water and they play with that for ages. They also like it when I build them a little fort out of blankets and chairs. I take them for walks in the stroller, they like to go to the grocery store etc mostly because people talk to them nonstop and they are social little guys. I haven't had much luck with crayons or play dough (they try to eat everything still) but am thinking of bringing large sheets of paper outside and letting them 'colour' with mud (sounds gross but anything to keep them occupied! Thanks for posting this thread, I'm looking forward to reading about other activities

Nicole - posted on 08/12/2011

thank u so much for your idea Tracy :) We have been doing some coloring, i have not tried play dough may yet. When my husband is home at night and on the weekends we may try the please touch museum. i know what u mean about scheduling though, although they will sleep in the stroller if they get too tired. we read a book every night before bed time, and if i forget they remind me :)

Tracy - posted on 08/11/2011

I felt exactly the same way when my girls where that age. Trust me it does get better. Our girls are only 7 months apart and 16 m seems so long ago now. And you definitely should NOT feel guilty. You take them to the pool and for walks solo. That is a lot more than a lot of other twin moms I know!!! Plus even with help it is hard to get out and schedule things around naps.

Trust me, all you need to do is be there for your girls and talk, talk, talk to them and they will pick up a lot more than you think. Explain everything, especially the simple daily things you do together. And remember our "children will survive and thrive despite us". Just do the best you can with what you have. They are truly amazing creatures and are hard wired to learn and take everything in!

Anyway here are some things we used to do (and still do).
- colour with crayons
- play with a water table in the back yard (summer time)
- introduced play dough around 18 months (I had to make all the objects i.e. I made a basket and a million tiny balls to put into it, snakes are easy to) but they liked it
- find indoor playgrounds made for toddlers, they are more safe and you might feel ok taking them there
- outdoors explore leaves, trees, flowers (and weeds), bugs, etc.
- at 17 months I took them to "story and sing time" at the library. Only one would sit (part of the time) but it was a safe room to let the other walk around in and the door was shut.
- I took them to the zoo by myself around that age. They stayed in the stroller though. I brought lots of snacks and a few toys (the one daughter loves hotwheels cars). We still go to the zoo regularly as there are classes there for toddlers. I go alone most of the time and now let them out the stroller sometimes if we go in the morning. It depends how busy it is.
- I brought them to the museum with a friend at 18 or 19 months. Kept them in the stroller for the exhibits then ate in the cafeteria. Saw the bug, rock, dinosaur, and mammals and birds of Alberta exhibits. Only spent 2 hours there total but it was a good rainy day activity. Didn't need the help of the friend after all.

Kim - posted on 08/11/2011

I totally feel the same! I'm a single mom too, 20 month old boys. I've found myself sitting them in front of the tv because I don't know what else to do. But like you, I take them to a park and they go in opposite directions. I don't feel safe taking them to too many places. There is one park I take them too that's just open grassy areas and we just walk around. I tell them we are going on an adventure. I work 3rd shift so i'm home all day with them and have all day to do stuff. You're not alone. I have been trying to get them into coloring but they still are obsessed with putting stuff in their mouths so it doesn't go well. I have two areas in my house to play. Toys in the livingroom and toys in an extra bedroom I have set up as a play room. So during the day we move from upstairs to downstairs to keep things interesting. Would love to get them into day care but can't afford it at the moment. Tried to find playgroups and I haven't been lucky with that either. Hoping I can find a way to meet other single moms who can go out with me just to be an extra set of eyes for me. Sometimes I wonder how much easier it would have been to just have one! lol But we were blessed with two and just have to do the best we can.