I have three kiddos. M is almost 6 and in full-day kindergarten, G is newly 2, and baby G is almost 4 months old. It's a lot. Many days I feel like I'm working to just keep everyone alive. Ha! Lately, the biggest challenge has been keep G happy while I'm nursing a baby going through a major growth spurt. I thought it'd be fun to share some of my ideas. Maybe you have some you could share with me, too?
The boy LOVES to draw and write, so a pad of paper from the dollar spot and a handful of crayons is awesome, quiet, busy work.
I grab one of my plastic trays and scatter a ton of tiny, random objects (dice, shells, coins, pompoms, erasers). We play I-Spy with it. I'll say, "I spy a BLUE pompom," and he will search and search for it. It's such a language-rich learning opportunity!
Duplos, Duplos, Duplos. All. Day. Long. I searched Craigslist for weeks and then finally found a mama selling a giant TUB of her son's. I picked them up that day, bleached them in the bathtub, and haven't looked back. They are GREAT for honing fine motor skills.
Board books have always been a hit but ones with flaps? Perfection. I've found that Costco has amazing deals on these so when we go, I usually let him pick out a new one.
Okay, I can't really nurse AND bake, but working in the kitchen with your tot is so valuable. It's great one-on-one time, plus he learns new vocabulary words (teaspoon, oven, spatula, ect). G requests to bake together at least once a week.
Magna Doodle! He loves it and apparently had so much fun that he fell asleep while drawing. Ha! I like these travel sized ones because they're easy to manipulate and can easily be tossed in my diaper bag for trips.
Painting is SO much fun. I squirt some fingerpaints in a paint tray and he's set. Whenever we go to a craft store, I always let him choose a wooden object to buy (cars, trucks, frames, birdhouses). For about a dollar a piece, it provides him with a TON of fun!
Written by Jill
These all look like so much fun. I especially love that I spy game you do on a plastic tray. That is perfect for my 2 year old. I'll have to try it soon.
ReplyDeleteWe love that it is such a quick game to try. Let us know how it goes!
DeleteLove all the ideas. I have a 21 month old, and stickers will keep him busy. I stop by the paint section at Wal-mart and pick up some of the paint color cards, then get some stickers this keeps him busy for awhile.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun to be had with stickers! Paint chips are also great for matching.
DeleteThese are great ideas - especially the I-Spy game. So fun! I second Monica's idea about stickers. We get several sheets at the dollar store and let her put them all over herself and stick them to paper. She loves it. (A friend suggested this was a great airplane or travel activity too!)
ReplyDeleteThe Dollar store is our favorite place to stock up on stickers too. We've made sticker books on the airplane and another great idea is sticky notes. Draw and post all over your seating area. Easy to clean up.
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