Kids find joy in the simplest things in life.
I can plan an elaborate day out for my son, filled with many activities, but the highlight of his day would be poking a big stick into a muddy puddle. We often forget that everything is brand new to children, and it doesn't take much to catch their attention. With this in mind, I’ve put together a list of activities and objects that either I, or my talented friends, have employed to entertain our brood. These tried and tested methods have one thing in common…SIMPLICITY!
A bed sheet
My all time favorite! Just a simple bed sheet.
Throw it over some furniture to make a fort, a den, or a tent. Lay it on the floor and it’s a magic flying carpet! If it’s an old sheet that you don’t mind destroying, hang it up like a canvas and the kids can paint on it. Or, cut a square hole in it and hang it over a chair to make a puppet show theater. If you're feeling energetic, and there are two adults available, a sheet makes a great floor slide, or swing (for the swing the adults hold the corners and swing low and slowly, keeping the child in the center of the sheet. For the slide, the adults hold the corners and just pull along the floor gently while the child lays on top). The possibilities are endless.
My all time favorite! Just a simple bed sheet.
Throw it over some furniture to make a fort, a den, or a tent. Lay it on the floor and it’s a magic flying carpet! If it’s an old sheet that you don’t mind destroying, hang it up like a canvas and the kids can paint on it. Or, cut a square hole in it and hang it over a chair to make a puppet show theater. If you're feeling energetic, and there are two adults available, a sheet makes a great floor slide, or swing (for the swing the adults hold the corners and swing low and slowly, keeping the child in the center of the sheet. For the slide, the adults hold the corners and just pull along the floor gently while the child lays on top). The possibilities are endless.
A large cardboard box
Ah, a timeless classic. Hours of fun! If you’re arty, turn it into something (e.g. a house, a train, a car or a rocket) but why not let them do the work? Markers, crayons, or even just their imagination, a large cardboard box will go a long way.
Chair bus
Place three chairs, one in front of the other, and you have yourself a bus! You could even make a couple of tickets to ride. Take turns being the driver, or a passenger. Pump up the tyres. Fill her up with gas. Pretend to take her on a ride.
A bunch of clothes and hats
Kid’s love to dress up! Find all your hats, caps, shirts, shoes and whatever else you garner to be “kid friendly” and throw them into a big box. Let the children fish out what they want to wear. Have a long mirror handy for them to see themselves in.
Stickers and card
Every birthday party we go to, we get a sheet of stickers. If we go to the pediatrician, or the dentist, we get stickers. In fact, we even buy books which end up coming with pages full of stickers! Good job my son loves them. When we are stuck at home on a rainy day, I just bring them out and give them to him with some card. The key here is to let HIM take his own stickers off and stick them down. It really works his fine motor skills. Add some markers and crayons and he gets to enhance his masterpiece. Later you can use the cards as homemade gift tags, or birthday cards for someone else. If your kids are younger they may need help taking the stickers off and be sure to keep an eye that none of them end up in the mouth.
Ice in a bowl
I'm not kidding. It sounds so insanely simple that you'll probably laugh it off but you won’t believe how entertaining kids find this! They can touch it, slide it off things, push it around in a tray, use it on the cement, use it with their toys. Remember, things that are everyday and ordinary to us are positively intriguing to them. Note - You have to be careful they don’t go near any electrical equipment if you're doing this indoors. Also be sure that they don't put the ice blocks in their mouths - ice cubes could potentially be a choking hazard but also, if my son is dragging it all over the house, or kicking it around the floor, I’d rather he didn’t eat it!
A bucket of water and brushes on a hot day
The kids can do water paintings on the dry sidewalk, or help wash things around the yard. When brushes lose their interest they can use their hands and feet to make prints on the cement. Or how about giving them different things to dip?… sponges, brooms, whatever you can think of. Throw some chalk in the mix and you have a messy colorful puddle of fun! The kids can draw on the wet ground, or wet the chalks before they sketch on the dry ground. Note – this is obviously an outdoor activity and kids should wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet, or mucky.
Bug hunts
A bug can be a fascinating thing to a young child. Take them out in the yard, or go to the park, on a mission to find bugs! Be watchful and sure to tell them never to touch bugs (some bugs can bite!). Encourage them to look and ask questions though. They’ll enjoy searching for these little winged, or multi-legged critters. You can also arrange other kinds of outdoor hunts. How about a Treasure hunt? Check out this wonderful idea and other "fun things you can do at home with your kids" on one of my favorite blogs "The Twin Coach". Great advice and suggestions even for people with one child.
Now, maybe you're thinking some of these suggestions sound far too simple to be truly entertaining? Well, give them a go and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Happy Ventures
MSTTF
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