| With the holidays quickly approaching, it's likely that | | | | 6. Outside Drawing: Give the kids a bucket of sidewalk |
| you'll have some unscheduled 'down-time' with your | | | | chalk, turn them loose outside, and they'll play for hours |
| child where you don't have anything actually planned. | | | | drawing on the sidewalks, driveway, and just about |
| Just because you don't have any planned activities | | | | anything else. |
| with your child doesn't mean that they have to languish | | | | 7. Make Contraptions: Older children will really love the |
| on the couch in boredom. Take a look at these quick | | | | idea of making inventions out of recyclable materials. |
| and easy anytime activities. | | | | You'll need recycled toilet paper tubes, paper towel |
| 1. Make Paper Stuff: It doesn't take a lot of work or | | | | tubes, wrapping paper tubes, plastic bottles, and other |
| planning for children to create great paper crafts. You | | | | appropriate recyclables along with some tape, scissors, |
| can simply make a lot of paper supplies available and | | | | and marbles. Tape the tubes together to make a long |
| let them go to town. Provide paper plates, construction | | | | runway that starts at some high point (like a chair) and |
| paper, scissors, markers, crayons, glue, stamps, or | | | | eventually ends at the floor. When complete, roll the |
| stickers and let them make their own creations. | | | | marbles through the tubes to test your contraption. |
| 2. Paint Something: Kids generally love anything that | | | | You child may even think of other types of |
| has to do with painting. You could give them some | | | | contraptions based on this idea. |
| finger paints and paper, provide water colors, or even | | | | 8. Nature Walks: This may seem silly, but your kids will |
| let them paint up some scraps of wood or rocks. | | | | love spending time with you doing this... all you have to |
| When given a choice between painting or carving their | | | | do is take your child for a stroll in your neighborhood or |
| pumpkins each year, my kids always choose painting... | | | | at a park. Spend time talking about things you observe |
| kids LOVE to paint! | | | | as you walk and take your time. When you're done |
| 3. Pound Some Clay: There's just something about | | | | you could write about what you saw, draw pictures, |
| manipulating modeling clay that kids find appealing | | | | collect found objects and make an art piece. Don't |
| (grownups too!). Give you child a couple of cans of | | | | forget to bundle up in inclement weather. |
| playdough or make up a batch of salt dough and they'll | | | | 9. Paper Airplanes: Gather up a pile of paper and |
| have a ball. Here's an idea... make some salt dough, | | | | make paper airplanes with your child. Take turns flying |
| create the figures, dry them out in the oven, and then | | | | them and test out which techniques work the best. |
| paint them to combine painting and modeling! | | | | You could even take turns flying them off a balcony or |
| 4. Have A Puppet Show: You can make puppets out | | | | deck to really add to the experience. Better yet, |
| of just about anything you have lying around the | | | | pre-purchase a book of directions for making paper |
| house... recycled bottles, wooden or plastic spoons, | | | | airplanes and work your way through the book |
| paper bags, craft sticks, etc. all work as a good base, | | | | together. |
| then add paper, felt, yarn, wiggle eyes, or other objects | | | | 10. Create An Obstacle Course: This idea may be a |
| to make the puppet. Once the puppets are done, the | | | | little messy, but your kids will love it. Create an obstacle |
| back of the couch, a table, or even an old box | | | | course, inside or outside, using objects around the |
| provides a great puppet theater. | | | | house, then take turns navigating the course for time. |
| 5. Play Dress-Up: Children love nothing better than | | | | You could crawl under tables, over chairs, around |
| dressing up and pretending to be someone else. We | | | | objects, etc. all the way to the finishing line. |
| keep all our old Halloween costumes in our dress-up | | | | There are probably a lot of other great ideas that |
| box, but you could also let the kids dress up in old | | | | aren't listed here, but this should get you thinking. The |
| clothes that you're going to throw out anyway. An | | | | REAL idea here is to spend some time with your child |
| impromptu game of dress-up is always a fun activity. | | | | and let them be creative while you're doing it. |