ways to entertain children

    Back on Oct. 5th, 2009, my 'Mexico friend Jen' did a posting about entertaining young children for a long period of time. I had left her a bunch of additional ideas, as well as saying that I would be adding my post later ... to which she had replied, "Cheryl, these tips are awesome! You should just link this as your homemaker monday post! Thank you and I will be using these ideas!"
     While I didn't do so that day (link to my comments), I did store the idea away to do 'sometime' as one of my 'Hopefully Useful Tips' on Monday's (again, not an actual linkable to "Theme Day", just a thing I do). This then is the designated Monday for that particular stored away idea.

"Ideas I have used for similar situations in the past:

~ Make your own 'rope necklaces' - which they then turn around and eat ;-} Use THIN rope licorace, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, dried fruit with a hole punched in the middle, etc..

~ Portable tape players with head sets, a variety of kids cassete tapes. Some kids want to make sure they've tried every single one. By variety I mean - a couple of different ones were church type sing-a-longs, a couple from Disney which contained Disney Movies theme songs, a couple of ones which have stories read on them, etc.

~ Duplo's and Lego's - such wonderful inventions!!!!

~ Homemade (edible) Playdough, accompanied with child size rolling pins, cookie cutters, etc.. Parchment paper taped to a coffee table via the blue tape they use when painting cars, works wonderfully!! {if you need the recipe - just ask ;-})

~ "Break time" every half hour. Serve small portioned nurshing snacks - cheese and crackers, fruit, breakfast cookies, etc.. This breaks up the time and they look forward to it. Once they finish one snack, you then start the half hour count down to the next one. It helps to have a timer they can see but not touch, so they can check how much time is left for them selves. Yes, even the 19 months old - show them they have to wait till the arrow points 'there'.

~ Have the Lego's and Duplo's in one back pack, the Playdough in another, the makings for necklaces in another .... then after snack time, they have to put away everything from the previous bag in order to discover the treasure awaiting them in the next backpack ;-} "

That was the end of the ideas I had offered her that day. Here are a couple of additional ones:

~ Kids LOVE making bubbles, whether it be via blowing them through little wands, or making them in a sink. Save and wash out the pumps that come in things such as shampoos, or hand soaps, etc.. Tuck them away to use for 'special' fun times. Make your own bubble solution via: 1 cup water, 1/3 cup DAWN liquid detergent, and 1 Tablespoon sugar. Put a double layer of oversized bath or beach towels on the floor next to the kitchen sink. Place sturdy, easy to get on and off of chairs next to the sinks. Fill the sink with about three cups of the above mixture and let them use your saved hand pumps to start creating all kinds of bubbles!!! Make sure you tell them that if they turn the water on in the sink, the bubbles will NOT work right!!! Hey, it is true :-}

~ Colored Macaroni. The kids ages determine what they can do with the colored macaroni. Older ones can make necklaces using yarn. Or glue them into picture patterns. Younger ones can use a muffin pan to sort them into color piles. {if you need the recipe - just ask ;-)}

I 'plan' on linking this particular posting to:
~ "Make-Do Mondays", hosted by Shari, at 'My Practically Perfect Life' (www.practically-perfect-life.blogspot.com).
~ "Making Your Home Sing Monday('s)", hosted by Nan, at 'Mom's the Word (I love to hear)' (http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/).
~ "Happy Homemaker Monday('s)", are hosted by Sandra, at 'Diary of a SAHM' {SAHM = Stay At Home Mom} (http://familycorner.blogspot.com),
~ "Homemaker Mondays ... Yours, Mine & Ours", are hosted by Mom2my9, at '11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven' (http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com/).


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