Crafts: I am not the most crafty person in the world, but there is still a lot that us crafty inept can do.
- Coloring or drawing (a great calming activity for everyone!)
- Collage of all the things that make you happy, or of things that start with a certain letter of the alphabet or any topic you want to cover. I keep a stack of magazines in the house for this purpose.
- Make a story out of pictures you cut out that are seemingly random and see what crazy thing you come up with.
- Create and illustrate a story in a book form. You can either do the writing or the child can if they are old enough.
- Make cards for loved ones and friends.
- Painting on an easel or table. Finger painting outside too.
- Clay work and let it dry and paint it.
- Popsicle stick works of art. So many possibilities!
- Create a shirt with fabric markers. You can go to Goodwill and get cheap shirts and just let them go for it.
- Play dough or moon dough. Side note.. I would ONLY do moon dough outside because it is a HUGE mess.
- Stamp works with washable ink.
- Sidewalk chalk
- Noodle or bead necklaces and bracelets
- Making pot holders
- Paper mache- there are some great home recipes you can use
- Paint by numbers are fun.
- Sewing projects for the older ones and lacing projects for the younger. Melissa and Doug have great products for this.
- Make funny hats
- Memory books from pictures. Can use any theme you want (eg. grandma and grandpa, we as a baby, my brothers and sisters etc.)
- Make cardboard people out of shoe boxes, toilet paper and paper towl rolls and decorate them.
Imagination: the ability to use an imagination is profound and has life long possibilities.
- Go on a train ride, or whatever transportation you like, around the country or world and visit different places. Get out and explore and “see” things. The kids get a kick out of it and learn things too.
- Swim in the sea, pretend you are on a boat spotting animals.
- Go for a senses walk and see what all of you senses are telling you. What do you hear, see, feel, smell and taste.
- Put on a play or a show of some kind
- Playing doctor or veterinarian
- Invent something and try to create it
- Playing Restaurant
- Listen to music and close your eyes. Have the kids tell you what they think is going on in the music.
- Set up a store
- Beauty Parlor for the girly girls out there
- Wrap up in streamers and go around like mummies. That was a fun day.
- Take a silly photo shoot of everyone.
Physical Play: the more you get those little bodies going, the more they will sleep for you!!! J Oh, and the stronger and more confident you make them too.
- Anything with a ball outside.
- Riding bikes
- Bubble chasing
- Dance in the rain or just dance period!
- Twirl
- Hoola Hoop contest
- Sprinkler/swimming
- Limbo
- Tag
- Hide and Seek
- Simon Says
- Family Exercise time. There are some awesome Yoga and Fit Kids DVD’s out there.
- Set up an obstacle course
- Trampoline or bouncy balls
Quiet Time: these are great ideas on rainy days or just at the end of the day. It gets their brains figuring things out while they have fun.
- Card games like Old Maid, Go Fish, War, Uno, Crazy Eights
- Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
- Racko is great for numbers
- Puzzles are a great pass time and if you get a big one the whole family can work on it together.
- Reading
- Building with blocks
- Look at the stars
- Fun flash cards with images you can explain and talk about. Baby Einstein has some great ones.
- Look through some great big coffee table books like those about the ocean or the universe with the awesome pictures.
- Watch a sunrise or sunset as a family
- Investigate the globe you have in the corner of the room.
- Do some computer time with them. There are many kid friendly sites out there. Starfall is a great site I used a lot for my kids letter recognition early on.
- Find a workbook that suites them and go for it. Do a few pages from there.
Miscellaneous: these things do not fit nicely into a category, but are fun!
- Marching Band with real or made instruments
- Twister and Jenga are great games, but can get loud
- Go through toys with the kids to donate to local shelter
- Plant a small garden
- Fly kites
- Cook something together
- Sleepover with friends or just with the family or siblings
- Watch a show together- I know I said it… TV, but sometimes it is nice to sit on the couch, cuddle up and watch something with you little one, even if it is your least favorite show. A rainy day movie day is always fun too.
1 comment:
My dad used to play Bed Monster with me and my sister. He would be under all the covers and would try to pull us under the covers with him! And we used to play Ridley Ridley Rhyme or Ree, I see something you don't see and it is ________( usually you choose a color) I am not sure if I spelled all the words correctly but that's how I remember mom singing it. And I loved making my own hideout with lawn chairs and sheets!
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