“There’s nothing to do.”
“I’m bored.”
“Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom….”
Bump your legs repeatedly, poke your side, tell their sibling “no, you’re annoying.”, bounce up & down with a pouty face, make whining noises while rolling their head back….you know the drill.
The fact is that sometimes we REALLY DO have to get things done: pay the bills, wash the clothes, call the health insurance company to tell them they suck, empty the diaper pail that’s been stinking up the nursery for days…whoa, this is getting really personal. Anyway, sometimes the kids just need to keep themselves busy. Doesn’t make you a bad mom.
So, I put together 10 ideas for you (and your kids) that can keep them entertained while you’re getting caught up with the daily grind (grime?).
1. Give the kids flashlights. There are lots of things you can do with flashlights. Play tag in a dark room, shine it on the wall and make finger shapes/animals, shine it on the floor while moving it and the other person has to try to stomp on it before it gets away. They could also draw letters or shapes on the wall and the other person has to guess what it is.
2. Give the kids a sleeping bag. Call me crazy if you want…but let them slide down the stairs in the sleeping bag! It’s so hilarious to watch and they have a blast. I did it plenty when I was young and I’m still alive…but, I take no responsibility if they get hurt.
My two boys in action
3. Let them make a house out of a cardboard box. I have great memories of this when I was little. I would draw pictures (in frames) on the wall, a vase of flowers, cut out some windows, etc. I even slept in my boxes.
4. Give them some blankets and chairs/stools and let them make a huge tent/fort.
5. Pour some Fruit Loops (oh, I mean Cheerios) in a bowl and let them string a necklace with them.
6. Set them up a wishlist on Amazon. Let them scroll through the toy and game section and create a wish list. My kids love to print off theirs and stare at it while in bed. Hey, they can dream!
7. Give them some old magazines and a huge piece of paper and have them make a collage by cutting out pictures and gluing them down. It could be a theme of things they like or items that describe them. Frame it.
8. Give them free reign of the fridge and pantry. Let them blindfold each other (siblings) and give tastes of things or smells to each other. See if they can guess what the food is.
9. Have the kids go outside and collect leaves. When they bring them in give them crayons and paper and do a crayon rub to see all the veins and shape of the leaves. It’s really cool. Just lay the leaf flat, put the blank paper on top, then turn a crayon sideways and gently rub the paper over the leaf.
10. Fill up the sink with water and let them play “Will It Sink Or Float?”. Let them drop random objects in the water but beforehand they have to guess whether or not it will sink or float.
I would love to hear some of your ideas for small pleasures, cheap thrills when it comes to keeping kids entertained at home!
Mariel
Owner & Author at Or so she says...
Mariel (mahr-eeee-elle) is a mother to six, wife to one. Loves homeschooling, golfing, cupcakes, traveling, cuddling, non-fiction books, gardening, James Taylor, family time, and a sexy wedge. This is her blog. Enjoy!
@orsoshesays
Blogger, Promoting Motherhood, Creativity, Great Ideas, Good Food, and Family Values. http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
Do your little kids ever get down on themselves?? Veronica shares her idea for the Humble Chair on the blog... http://t.co/SeMHe8yf7d - 16 hours ago
Latest posts by Mariel (see all)
- Educational BINGO ~ The Kids BEG to Play! - May 21, 2013
- Hello, Weekend: Past Posts & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #34 - May 18, 2013
- 100 Great Books for Older Kids, ages 6 to 14 - May 14, 2013
Sweet ideas! Making tents bring back memories! Nice post!
great ideas – thanks!
oh – I forgot to add my idea – let the kids take a bath in the middle of the day – but put some drops of food coloring in. My girls love to take pink or purple baths – especially if I let them wear their swim suits! A few drops go a long way and it doesn’t stain!
Thanks for all the fun ideas. My favorite summer thing is to put them in their swimsuits and hand them each a water gun. Who doesn’t like to get wet in the heat? Sometimes I even join in.
Great ideas! Today was the last day of school for our kids, so we’ll definitely have to give them a try!
LOVE those idea’s. Thanks!! My problem is still though, only one child and nothing is much fun by yourself. It stinks, my poor boy!! But I DO LOVE those new idea’s. I also like getting the big bins full of rice or beans (inexpensive) and they can bury things in there, sift through with coke bottle tops…have all sorts of fun with it. 3D chalk is new and sounds cool. Or homemade playdough is always easy and use your cookie cutouts for them to make shapes.
Thanks for all the ideas! Water guns, food coloring in the tub, digging through rice and beans….good, good, and good. I’m going to have to look up the 3-D chalk! That sounds awesome….