1 yo niece broke her leg!

[KarlaB]

I need ideas again! My 1 yo niece broke her leg last night. We will most likely be seeing her later today and I want to buy her some little things to help keep her busy. Only think my mind is completely blanking out and I even have young kids! Aargh! She has a lot of toys, but I would still buy her another if I could think of something for her age that could potentially hold her attention for a while. She has been walking for a month, so I am sure she will be frustrated to be so limited again! :( Thanks for any ideas you can give me.

How about play dough (if she doesn't taste everything), stacking or nesting things, a fun music tape?????

[Diane]

An Etch A Sketch... kids that age love anything with a lot of buttons and knobs to turn and twist. Target has a lot of neat children's toys that have lots of little buttons to push, lights up and makes noise when the buttons are pushed. All I know is that they like to keep their little hands/minds busy at this age and it's usually pretty had to keep them sitting still. LOL Good luck and I hope she's doing okay!

[darlene]

Hi Karla. I hope it heals fast.
What about a peek-a-boo book (you know ones with flaps to lift to see what it underneath) or a video....there are lots out there geared to 1 yr olds.
:)

[Leigh]

I think the nesting toys are a good idea. Also what about coloring books. I know that she probably won't be able to color in the lines, but my friend has a one year old and he loves to color.

[KarlaB]

My sister and I put together a little package with lift the flap books, a coloring book, sticker book, paint with water book, crayons, treats, etc. My brother said she would chew the crayons and eventually they did go in her mouth, but she did have fun with them. We were all at a hotel together for the wknd, so I also brought a lot of our fun musical light up toys for her to play with. She seems to be doing pretty well considering, but I think she will be pretty frustrated because she can't even crawl with the cast on. :( She goes to a specialist Monday morning. Thanks again!!

[MaryL]

How about a simple set of Colorforms??? Or a cute movie with matching stuffed animal??? (Maybe 101 Dalmations, and a dalmation dog). A new doll with a cast on her leg??? My nephew broke his leg when he was about the same age, and enjoyed having helium balloons tied to his cast!

[KarlaB]

I am going to pass the balloon idea onto my brother. They have some long weeks ahead of them. They got the permanent cast on today after seeing a specialist. She broke her femur and they put her in a cast up to her chest! :( She can't even sit up and she has to have this on until April 2. I feel so bad for her. It's just so sad because it was a freak accident. My sil's sister who is 14 was carrying her and slipped on an icy sidewalk at the hotel where we all met for the weekend. When she fell she landed on my niece. :( Thanks again for the ideas. I want to send another care package to her this week.

[AnnW]

Bless her little heart!!

[MK]

You can make this, and it will serve as a nice distraction for her, something she can enjoy while she's lying down. Get an empty plastic water or soda bottle (the 20 oz size is sufficient), fill it with part water and part veg. oil, add food coloring (blue and green combined is lovely). Put hot glue on the rim and inside the cap, then quickly screw the cap on so it seals and she can't open it. These bottles are very soothing for all ages to look at, like watching the ocean.

You can make one with rice and various objects such as buttons, pennies, miniature action figures, etc., using the same method. It's kind of like a "hide and seek" puzzle bottle.

[KarlaB]

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to see her this weekend, so I will do a few of those bottles. My brother said she can/will lay on her tummy, but doesn't like to be on her back. I think they have a LONG month ahead of them. :( Thanks again! Everyone has had some really great ideas and I appreciate it! :)