Preschool activities - a list by you

Last week we talked about ways to keep your little one(s) busy at home and I was thrilled with the comments on that post! So I thought I'd compile a list here and share it with you guys.

Plus, just as an added idea-starter, here are a few things Truett has been up to...

Last week he and his babysitter tried making playdoh. It was sort of a bust - ended up looking like a sticky gel - but I think mess ups can be half the fun :)

This week we made an obstacle course in the backyard (thank you, Madie!) which was so much fun. We made a long piece of wood a balance beam, jumped over bricks, and threw a football into a bucket, among other things.  After a while Truett turned the game into a brick factory (Bud just brought home 1,000 bricks for a new patio!) and loaded bricks into his dump truck. 

Yesterday we attempted hopscotch which...didn't really work. I hopped around the front walk and then Truett just started lobbing the little rock and running toward the street. Perfect. Ha.

Today we attempt a themed walk, theme: bird feathers!

The big thing I'm learning is that it's not always the activity itself. In fact I think Truett prefers my interaction, and then tends to deconstruct whatever we're doing & change it into a game where he calls the shot (bossy. Hm, where'd he get that?). The perfectionist in me wants to yell, NO, HOP down the sidewalk! But then I remember it's all honestly just for fun and who cares?

Now for all of the ideas (& I'd love to hear more suggestions if you've got them - so much fun!)

-A themed nature walk: look for footprints (in mud or snow), heart shapes, things that come in certain numbers, a collection of something, materials for a later craft. (thank you Hannah!)

-Make tub crayons (gather old bits of crayon and melt in a muffin tin for big, easy-to-handle new crayons).

-Make leaf tracings or leaf rubbings. 

-Make photo books.

-Make homemade playdoh, then make figurines or beads.

(thank you Cari, for those!)

-Make a backyard obstacle course: long piece of wood for balance beam, hop from rock to rock (or use bricks), crawl under chairs, throw things in buckets (we also traced a chalk hand on our wooden fence & we'd slap it to finish our turn). (thanks again, Madie!)

Also, one of my favorite things to do with the kids is cook, although it's not always that simple. Here's our making gingerbread video that should make you feel better (or at least laugh) if you've ever tried, and failed, to do a structured activity with a little one. 

(In an effort to keep this all real, Truett is watching Chuggington while I type this up :)

Comments

[ga]

a thing i used to do with the kids i babysat was go outside and collect items to make a 'world' for ants/other bugs. we'd collect moss, small rocks, bits of dirt and twigs, and then put it all together in a baking pan with tall sides - adding a small bowl of water to be the 'pond' - and then of course collect bugs to put in it to live. it was hours of entertainment and even i enjoyed the activity.

[Marlee]

What great ideas!!

[Granny/MIL]

Make a dirt/sand jar. Pack layers of different soils in a jar very full and tight or it will mix when shaken. Layer sand, red dirt, black dirt, brown dirt, small pebbles... the fun is finding them and showing it to, the soil boss, Dad.

[Hope]

Ahh LOVE! Writing down...