Many times throughout the day tasks need to be completed that are little or no interest to young children. Such times as homeschooling a sibling, making lunch, or completing chores are made so much easier if you are prepared with simple, fun, and educational activities a young child can do on her own. Bonus if the activities include simple items you already have around the house or dollar store items to store away in a box.
Silly Putty. Children love squeezing, squishing, and stretching silly putty. You can find silly putty at your local dollar store. It is just a fun and easy way to occupy idle hands.
Play Dough. Provide a few cans of play dough and allow your child’s imagination to soar. If you want to reinforce lessons, simply assign your child to create numbers or letters out of the play dough. A child can create a zoo, her own name, make pretend cookies, or whatever you or your child can come up with! It is a lovely thing when a young mind and hands are fully engaged.
Measuring Cups. Provide a few bowls, different sized measuring cups, and beads, rice or oatmeal. Pro tip, cover your table with a plastic table cover for a quick and easy clean up. Many children just enjoy scooping, however, you can add challenges to keep your child from becoming bored. For example, ask your child how many scoops of the 1/8 cup will fill up the 1 cup measuring cup.
Building Toys. Any type of blocks or building toy will work. Challenge your child to create a house, a car, or even a city.
Drawing a Story Game. Children love to hear and tell stories. Provide your child the story cubes in the activity pack. The child will roll the cube and the story begins! Have your child draw scenes from her story to “read” to you later.
Water Coloring. Kids love to paint! One drawback is the mess associated with painting. To minimize this, provide watercolor pencils or watercolor books that only require plain water and a paint brush.
Magnets. Magnets are not only fun but easy to clean up. However, this activity is NOT for children under the age of three or too young to understand that these items do not belong in her mouth. You can uses science magnet kits that you purchase or provide letter and number magnets.
Tangrams. Tangrams are expand a child’s creative instincts while teaching math concepts. They can also be used to create images such as houses, cats, and people. Provide paper or plastic tangrams and allow your child to simply create. However, you can find templates to keep your child busy as well.
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