NWR: Entertaining a 3 Y/O Boy

BmoreBride311

My FI"s cousin is coming to the city tomorrow with her 3 year old son, and FI volunteered us to babysit him for a few hours so his cousin and her husband can have a nice meal out w/o the boy.

I need some ideas on what do do with him during this time. We're planning to make lunch but then what? We don't have a TV or any toys at our place and I'm blanking on other ways to entertain him.

We have met him before and he's great, but a little on the hyper side. Any advice or ideas?

Madisonpenny

you could go out and buuy a board game (we just bought our 4 yr. old cars 2 Monopoly and he loves it)
Are you able to bring him to a movie? I hear The Lorax is supposed to be really cute.
Take him to the park or even a musuem if you have any

penny12986

Is there a park or playground nearby? Maybe a Gymboree type place, arcade?  I would pick up some coloring books, play-doh or lego type stuff.

bridetobe71412

How's the weather there right now? Are there any playgrounds nearby? Rambunctious kids + playground = tired kids and happy parents. That's really my only idea as I never have to entertain children

Elinetrouwt

I agree that taking him out sounds good. My colleagues are raving about indoor playing gardens, are there any near your house?

k8888

My 3 yr old nephew is currently obsessed with army men... we just went to the dollar store and picked up a bunch of different types of plastic guys for like $5.  My nephew can't sit through an entire movie at a theater, so I wouldn't do the movies.

Playgrounds are always a good option, weather permitting.

Also, bubbles, coloring, I-spy games, reading him a story, making up your own stories, go on a photography scavenger hunt, are all inexpensive things to do with that age.  Play-doh can get really messy IMO.

ETA: Jungle gyms can be kind of difficult for that age to maneuver... I've been known to take the kids to the park and play fetch with them... seriously.... dogs and little boys are almost one in the same hahaha.

BmoreBride311

Thanks! I think the park / playground idea is great. I think we'll do that, or if it rains, maybe a museum. There are tons of museums around me.

I wish there was a dollar store or something similar here, but there really isn't anything like that where I live.

Nancy00714

How about the London zoo?

bells24412

museum, playground, and coloring all sound fun.....

my niece who is 5, usually wants to watch Scooby Doo or Dora the Explorer and color.

Sometimes I take her and her sister to Toys R Us it all depends...

ajmom2two

The park or zoo sounds perfect! Playing "fetch" would work nicely as well. I'm sure your FI can get into little boy mode himself & be rowdy & entertaining I think a movie is probably not the way to go. They are too long with a young child most of the time. Grab some matchbox cars from your local toy store. That will occupy little boys for hours!