Let’s face it, some days can be reallllly long. My child will only play with toys for so long before he starts searching for his next target of destruction. Several times a day I find myself needing to keep him occupied so I can get something done (dishes, getting dressed, finish cooking). When toys have lost his interest, and I need him focused and on his own for a little while, I have several go-to activities that I can easily throw together and get him engaged without me having to hover. These are just a few of the things that get all of us through the day:
“Buttons” is like the magic word in our house. Playing with buttons can keep him busy for a decent amount of time. Muffin tins and ice trays are his favorite tools for sorting and distributing the buttons.
Coloring with markers at this age can be tricky. I have found using a big cardboard box (this came from a cradle box) to let him sit in and color in, will contain the markers and allow him to draw freely. We all know the drawing is not just going to stay on a piece of paper, so this gives him the freedom to draw all over while also containing rogue, cap-less markers.
Playing with stickers is another quick remedy for busy-time. This will actually occupy him for up to an hour, not to mention it is great for fine-motor skill development. I think he just loves the challenge of trying to get the sticker off the sheet. It’s really fascinating to watch him be so focused on something so simple for so long.
Kyler loves to “cook” with me in the kitchen, and although making “soup” can require a good amount of clean up, it is well worth it for the fun that he has. A pot, some spoons, measuring cups, and any ingredients (a favorite is beads) will make for some fun and busy play time so mama can actually make some real soup.
So what are you go-to activities to keep your kids busy during the day? If you have a blog, feel free to link to it below (please be sure to link to the specific post). If you don’t have a blog, share your ideas in the comments. We can all get some new ideas for those long days, and we can “meet” some other bloggers while we’re at it!
It sounds odd, but one of the favorite activities my girls (ages 6 and 3) like to do is play in the backyard with a glass of water and paintbrush! They will spend a full hour just pretending like they’re painting everything…the house, the deck furniture, etc.
Thanks for this blog! Stickers are now added to my shopping list!