My girls have cabin fever because we've been cooped up in this house for the past 4+ months since the weather started getting extra hot. I can tell they are tired of their toys, tired of the same activities, tired of it all. So, I'm looking for inspiration. You might think your activities or your ideas are boring, but that's because you've been doing them day in and day out. But they'd be new to us!
Here are some of our ideas that we've used:
*Dyed pasta/rice for necklaces and artwork
*Paints, markers, crayons, colored pencils and paper
*Playdough and tools
*Boxes (from diapers/wipes) to draw on, make into robots, etc.
But that only lasts so long. So, we're looking for new and improved ideas, as well as how to organize it all so we have easy access and easy clean up.
Here's what I'm looking for:
*What activities do you have available to your kids that they can do at any time?
*When your kids are bored, what activities do you arrange for them?
*How do you keep toys, books, etc. interesting to your kids without getting new ones?
*Do you have a great organization method for your activities?
*Do you have any fun last-minute/no-prep activities that your kids have loved?
14 comments:
I don't have any ideas, but I hope you get lots of comments from people who do because I'm sure I'll come back to refer to this post sometime in the next couple years!
We decorated a treasure box out of a shoe box. We put a few things in it to begin with (shells, buttons, a mini tea set, beads on a string, etc.) and now Victoria is always putting stuff in it. We keep it up high so the novelty doesn't wear off.
We love boxes too. I made a kitchen (stove and cupboard) out of boxes. Victoria loves making stuff out of boxes. In the past we've made and decorated a car and Santa's sleigh. She and her cousin were elves and delivered presents to her animals. We have also made a zoo with her stuffed animals on flat cardboard. She placed her animals down and then traced around them to make their cages. Then she buys tickets to go to the zoo and feed the animals. She also gets to buy a snack for herself.
We love to travel. We have a big map on the wall and an atlas or two. One day we got out the kid atlas and would look at the different countries. Then she dressed up to go on a trip to the country of her choice. She rode the 'airplane' (our couch) to get there and she had a 'camera' to take pictures of all the things we learned about while looking at the countries.
We will sometimes do a drive-in with cars made out of boxes. She gets to make movie tickets and snack/drink tickets. I make up a list of things she can choose from and then she gets to order.
Victoria loves tea parties. We have a cheap plastic set from Walmart (it was $5). Sometimes she'll do parties for her animals or sometimes we'll use it during snack time.
Something I do on days I'm not feeling very creative is take videos of her doing whatever she wants to have a video of. She will do countless videos and then she loves watching herself.
To keep books exciting we put on puppet shows following the story line. Or, she acts it out with her stuffed animals. Or, I read them wrong and for some reason she gets a big kick out of telling me how it's supposed to really go.
There's probably other things, but these are the ones that came to mind first.
I have found the greatest way to keep their toys exciting is to not let them have everything out at once. I keep some toys in my room then when they are really bored we can go 'shopping' and swap out an old toy for some new ones. Same with the books.
I also thought about throwing out the stuffed animals, instead they are stored under the bed and come out to make zoos, puppet shows, etc.
As for no prep stuff: fill the sink with bubbles and hand them a measuring cup or a spoon, but keep the 'toys' for this to a minimum.
you can also google Montessori ideas...most of theirs is low prep high learning activities. Good luck! (if all this fails, go out for ice cream! it's the best advice I've been given!)
maybe you could get some ideas from this blog: http://heapsoflaundry.blogspot.com
I especially like the "self portrait" post idea. and the one about Lucky Charms.
Claire is of course a different age than Keara but things we have available to her to play with "at anytime" (not really but kind of just because I like to keep a little order. She has some shelves on the patio with fun things in transparent bins. She cant open them herself so she has to come get me and show me what she wants to play with) anyway--we have a rice box with shovels, trucks, etc; all sorts of art supplies from markers (her favorite) to chalk plus some cool things from Crayola Washables to mix it up a bit. Her crayons and colored pencils are always within her reach and her huge pad of paper is always hanging up on the patio. Water bin and water toys (akin to your backyard pool I'm sure).
As far as keeping books fresh. I could relate. I felt like I was sick of always reading the same stories, until recently. Somehow we've ended up with tons of books and now when Claire picks a book it seems like we haven't read it in ages. So for me I think it's a matter of pure volume--it keeps things fresh.
I'm pretty sure you already do all that stuff. Check out the blog. Maybe that will help.
We love dance parties here. Just turn on the music and get jiggy wid it!
Wow, you are all so creative! I love all of these ideas, I guess the only thing I can add is about the books. We love the library, while your Mom is here you should just take Kierra alone and let her pick out books to bring home. You can keep them for 3 weeks and then do it all over again! LOVE IT!
Wow what fun ideas! Andelyn really likes glue and little scissors lately. She cuts one colorful piece of construction paper and glues to to another with a glue stick. White Elmer's glue is good too since it's fun to squeeze. Make a design and then put paper on top of. Kinda messy but fun.
Water colors keep attention and if there is news paper on the table clean up is easy. Also home made playdough with cookie cutters is fun.
Exercise videos are fun.
Here is an awesome preschool site with fun things to color and stories to tell...http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/letter-a.html
I rotate the kids toys around. I have a box that I put the toys that never get played with and I store it. When Michael and Mattie get bored I switch them around and it is new toys for them. The same thing for books. Also we make up diffrent character names and read the story so it could be cletus went into the store and..... We also make up our own stories.
I also do Play-doh, paint or crayons and I do it on a big roll of paper. We will also make signs for Dan or do scavenger hunts for him when he gets home.
What about trading toys with a friend. When David and Mattie are sleeping Michael and I play with legos or his train set. I have a friend who's little girl loves trains and that is what she wants to play with when she comes here.
I'm not super organized but I have these plastic bins for Ikea and that is where the toys go. So if Michael wants this then he gets this bin. I do have a lights out box and that was because when we first moved out here the power was always going out and I hated getting stuck with out candles and flashlights. Know it does not happen but I keep the same concept with rainy days and I have deck of cards (card houses) and even Uno which is great for matching colors and numbers. Also I have not tried it but I want to buy the Phase 10 game for kids.
Since it is hot outside I will get big bowls out, fill it with water and put it on the patio and Michael and Mattie will play in the water. This helps me when David was smaller and even know when I'm cooking dinner or just need a few minutes for something.
I wanted to add that with Legos and since David and Mattie like to eat them. We put a table in the front room and that is where Michaels plays. He knows legos stay here and the babies can't get to them. He also uses it for his other toys and it allows him to play with out Mattie and David grabbing everything.
Warning: super long.
These are ideas of things you can put in bags for activities.
Pattern Beads –
a. Materials needed: pipe cleaners, pony beads in assorted colors, hot glue gun
b. Put together the bag: Put beads on a pipe cleaner, following a specific pattern (ex: red, blue, green, red, blue green) and glue the beads on each end to keep them in place. Provide the child with another pipe cleaner and enough beads to complete the same pattern. Have several different patterns for them to recreate.
c. Objective: Show the child how to follow a pattern.
d. Another option: Don’t glue on the beads or expect them to follow a pattern, just let the child string the beads as he wants.
2. Yarn art –
a. Materials needed: different lengths of yarn in assorted colors, a large piece of sandpaper (attached to a piece of cardboard for more stability)
b. Put together the bag: Put all the supplies in a bag.
c. Objective: Show the child how to make pictures and patterns on the sandpaper with the yarn.
3. Silly faces or make an animal –
a. Materials needed: assorted colors of felt, yarn, googly eyes, Velcro dots
b. Put together the bag: Make a few head shapes from felt. From the other colors make eyes, ears, noses, mouths, hair, moustaches, etc. Use the yarn to make more hair. Attach Velcro dots to the backs of the googly eyes.
c. Objective: Let the child make silly faces or animals from the materials provided.
4. Counting cups –
a. Materials needed: small objects to count (pennies, beans, pom poms), permanent marker, small clear plastic cups
b. Put together the bag: On each plastic cup make a series of dots (on one cup put one dot, on another put two, on another put three, etc.). Provide as many objects to count as necessary to fill all the cups.
c. Objective: Show the child how to put the objects in the cups according to how many dots are on the cup.
5. Pasta sort –
a. Materials needed: small pasta (elbows or bow ties), food coloring, rubbing alcohol, small clear plastic cups
b. Put together the bag: For each color of pasta – put ½ cup rubbing alcohol in a small container. Add food coloring and stir. Put in some pasta and mix. When the pasta has absorbed as much color as you want it to, pull it out with a slotted spoon and let it dry.
c. Objective: Have the child separate the pasta by color.
d. Another option: Buy colored paper clips, pom poms or buttons and have your child sort those. Use a clear cup with a shape or colored item glued to them so your child knows where to put them as they sort
6. Sewing –
a. Materials needed: small squares or rectangles of plastic canvas,or laminated cardstock or sturdy foam shapes and shoe laces
b. Put together the bag: Put the items in a bag for storage.
c. Objective: Show child how to thread the lace through the holes in the plastic canvas.
7. Shape matching –
a. Materials needed: small shapes cut from sheets of foam, index cards, marker
b. Put together the bag: Trace each shape onto an index card and put the shapes and cards in a bag.
c. Obj: Show the child how to match the shape to its outline.
d. Another option: If you find foam letters or numbers, this works with them as well.
Continued- and good luck!
9. Coloring –
a. Materials needed: coloring book and crayons
b. Put together the bag: Put all supplies in a bag.
10. Play-dough letters and numbers –
a. Materials needed: index cards, clear contact paper, marker, container of play dough
b. Put together the bag: Write a letter of the alphabet or a number on each index card. Cover each index card with clear contact paper. Put these cards, along with the play dough in a bag.
c. Objective: Show the child how to roll out “snakes” with the play dough. Use these to make the letter or number shapes on the cards.
11. Magnet letters
a. Materials needed: small cookie sheet (the kind that goes in a toaster oven), magnet letters and numbers
b. Put together the bag: Put the letters on the cookie sheet and then in a bag.
c. Objective: Let the child make words, practice his letter sounds, etc.
15. Rice bowl
a. Materials needed: measuring cups or spoons, rice, small bowls
b. Put together the bag: put the rice in a small Ziploc bag put all the materials in one bag.
c. Objective: Show the child how to pour and measure.
16. Number match
a. Materials needed: small stickers, index cards, pen
b. Put together the bag: on one set of index cards write the numbers 1 through 10 on individual cards. On the other set put stickers to correspond with each numbered card.
c. Objective: Have the child match the number card to the with the appropriate sticker card.
17. Tick Tock Clock
a. Materials needed: paper plate, paper fastener, construction paper, index cards, marker, scissors
b. Put together the bag: Make a clock – write the numbers on the paper plate for the clock face. Make a minute hand and an hour hand from construction paper and fasten to the paper plate with the paper fastener. On the index cards draw clocks with different times and write the time underneath each clock.
c. Objective: Show the child how to match the paper plate clock to the times on the index cards.
What wonderful ideas you are gathering! I agree with Kami about the library. Of course it is my duty to promote the library as a librarian. :) You may find that your library offers weekly storytime for babies on up as well as free programs for kids and families. Your library may also have agreements with other local libraries so you can checkout books and go to there programs as well.
Also, I don't know about Arizona but in Utah there was a wonderful book called something like "Utah Mommy's Guide." It had great ideas for things to do in Utah that were free and inexpensive. I know in Illinois they have a newsletter that fills this same need. Your library should know if something like that is offered in your area - they might even be the ones providing it. There are always books with ideas for activities with kids from cookbooks to science projects at the library. And you could checkout Arizona guide books that would have more ideas about things to do in your area that are free or low cost in addition to the more expensive ones. The internet is a wonderful resource too of course.
Oh! And you may want to see if your library has games, puppets, and toys to checkout too. Some do and some don't, but the trend is rising.
My advice: Go to MN or surround yourself with other/new Moms that rejuvenate you and help you aspire to mother/parent in a new and exciting way...Often it's a temporary paradigm shift we need more than just another new activity. Then doing the "same old things" are all of a sudden fun again because they have a re-energized, re-focused Mom.
Here is a blog you can check out. She updates it daily...
http://toddlerboredombusters.blogspot.com/
Also here is a recipe for Goo. Try it -you'll love it!!
GOO
2 cups white glue (I buy it by the gallon at Staples or Teaching Tools)
food coloring
4 cups water
1/2 cup Borax (in the laundry aisle. It comes in a greenish box with red letters that say "20 Mule Team Borax)
Combine glue, food coloring, and 2 cups of the water in a bowl.
Make sure your borax isn't clumpy. If it is, you can put it in the blender to break up the clumps. Pour the whole measurement of borax into another 2 cups of water while stirring. Don't stop stirring or the borax will settle to the bottom and make more clumps. Pour quickly and all at once into the glue mixture and stir that quickly. Then get your hands in and start kneading it around and feeling for clumps of borax and popping the bubbles. In about 30 seconds you will have a big slimy blob that you can lift out of the bowl. Keep kneading and working it until it is smooth. Some of the water will stay in the bowl.
This is the best stuff EVER!! My kids of every age will play with this stuff for hours. It doesn't hold it's shape like Play-do, but it is much cleaner. It is kind of sticky at first, but gets better. It will keep for months in an air-tight container. My kids love to put their action figures, Polly Pockets, cookie cutters, cars, dishes etc. in it.
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