I have a huge list of ideas. I'll post it, and come back later to expound on what else we do do keep her busy
Plastic (or cardboard) coins and a piggy bank- bought or
home-made.(Pringles can, slit cut in top)
Playdoh with a plastic knife, rolling pin, cookie cutters, small plastic
toys, etc.
Painting; watercolors, paint books, or food coloring in water with a
Q-tip.
Chalk or light color crayons on dark construction paper.
Scissors and paper (no other objective in mind!)
Easy-to-use paper punch and strips of paper.
Stencils, paper, colored pencils.
Lacing cards; Cardboard shape with holes punched around it. Attach yarn,
wrap masking tape around the end.
Plastic canvas with yarn attached, wrap end in masking tape.
Poke holes in thick cardboard with a tack.(Just be sure you know where the
tack ends up!)
Shallow bucket on a towel on the floor. Add water, boats. Plastic fish,
measuring cups, etc.
Writing tray; Put a layer of rice or cornmeal in a cookie sheet. Good for
spelling practice or picture-drawing or practicing A B C?s.
Mini-sandbox; Put a layer of sand in a box the size of a banana box. Add
trucks, cars, popsicle sticks.
Make a tunnel of kitchen chairs.
Give them a crochet hook and a length of yarn. Demonstrate chain stitch a
few times. This is not for everyone, but if you refuse to do it for them,
you?ll be surprised at what they figure out.
Stack cups or containers of different sizes.
Nuts and bolts, same or different sizes.
Scrap wood, hammer, nails.
Bucket of water and a paintbrush-for outside painting. Works best on wood
or concrete.
Chalk on sidewalk or steps.
Let them "wash" a few plastic dishes. Put an egg beater, measuring cup and
baster in the water.
A cup with non-toxic soapy water and a straw to blow bubbles. You may put
it on a sheet of paper and add food coloring to the water.
A retractable measuring tape to measure with.
Arrange blocks by size, color, or shape.
Make a necklace or snack chain with yarn (masking tape on end) and any
cereal with holes; Fruitloops, Cheerios, etc.
Dip string pieces in thinned poster paint. Fold a paper in half. Lay
string on one side and fold over to create designs.
Flash cards; ABC?s or what ever you may have.
Pictures with colored glue. If you put these on a smooth plastic sheet, it
can be peeled off when dry.
Super ball (see REMINDER: below!) or small car and a paper towel or
Christmas paper tube.
Draw roads, houses, etc. on large paper or cardboard. Use cars and trucks
on it.
REMEMBER: Use caution when allowing small children to play with small
objects. If you cannot be sure
they will not put them in their mouths, find another activity. Your
attention will be elsewhere, and you must be careful!
Tops- bought or made with ½ toothpick and cardboard disk.
Look through the button box.
Watch a bug ! At the table, at an anthill, wherever.
Water colored with food coloring, eye dropper or paint brush, coffee
filter. Once this is dry, you can iron it. Then cut the center out of a
paper plate. Glue filter to it for a sun catcher.
Beanbags and a bucket.
Magnet and paperclips, washers, a nail, etc.
A large box. (yep, that's all!)
Throw a blanket over a card table or a couple of chairs. Offer clothes
pins. They?ll know what to do next!
Glue and glitter pictures...get them into old clothes and onto a plastic
drop cloth or old sheet first though.
A variety of magnets and the refrigerator door.
Stickie notes and a pencil.
Refrigerated cookie dough and a cookie sheet...they can play-dough the
stuff into balls and you can all eat the results.
Tatooing...give them watercolor markers, get them into an old pair of
shorts and let them do the body-paint
thing...bubblebath follow-up required! (No lip or eye decorating!)
A stack of puzzles.
Ice trays and buttons, beads or marbles for sorting.
A marble maze - set it in a large cookie sheet or a shallow box to cut
down on the lost marbles.
A plastic bottle (clean milk jug, well rinsed detergent bottle, etc.)and
items such as clothes pin, straw, penny, etc., to drop in and then shake
out again.
Ice cube on a sidewalk. Works like sidewalk chalk, but requires no
cleaning. (Also useful for cooling down.)
Damp washrag and a dirty wall or a window, paper towels and a spray bottle
with a little water in it.
Colored rice to pour through a collander or funnels.
Colored rice or colorful cerals to glue on paper - write the child's name
in big block letters and let them glue stuff inside the letters.
Tape a sheet of freezer paper or newsprint to the floor and trace around
the child (have them lie still on it with their arms and legs a little
outstretched) and then let them color their self portrait.
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