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