Oh No! Another Snow day!

A better description is ice day!

I’m sitting here bored (my teenagers are locked in their room) so I thought I’d post some things I used to do with my kids when they were kindergarteners.  I miss the happy noise and chaos.  The grass is always greener on the other side right? 

Go Away...I'm sleeping...even though it is 2 pm.

Go Away...I have important things to do...i.e. NetFlix and Pinterest.

  

I was “pinspired” by Jamie at Hands On: As We Grow

(see link here).

She lists activities such as playing with masking tape, couch cushions and boxes.  These were always favorites.

How about just drawing on paper?  The trick is to find a different way to present it.  Tape paper under the table and let them color above them.  Tape wrapping paper blank side out on the wall and give them washable markers to create a mural.

Bonus:  You get a great cardboard tube to play with when the wrapping paper is all gone.

My floor is now clean under my table and my sweater is dirty :-) / :-(

and my ab workout is done for the day. 

We sometimes feel limited because we aren’t “crafty or artsy.”  Believe me, you don’t have to be.  Kids are best served when you provide them with an “invitation” to create, then you just step back.  You’d be surprised how they (and you) can think outside the box. 

This type of invitation tends to lead to 3D art.

Make home-made finger paint with them.

I made bathtub finger paint.

It cleaned right off after drying for an hour.  

The recipe that I used...

6-7 teaspoons baby shampoo (probably any liquid soap)

3-4 T corn starch

a few drops of food coloring

I made my colors really bright so the paint stained my fingers a bit (came off after 2-3 washes) so I suggest going light on the 

food coloring.  I was so excited that I called my daughter in to see my picture...she just said "really mom?"

Give them props to play...

Post office...mail box out of an old shoe box; envelopes, paper, markers, etc. to write letters; old junk mail

Animal hospital…play doctor kit, stuffed animals, band-aides, ace bandages or ripped pieces of cloth, clip board and

 pencils to write down vitals

Grocery store…empty recycle bin for “groceries”, play money (or real change), play cash register (make one out of a shoe box or use a calculator), apron, grocery bags

Shoe store…shoes and shoe boxes…need I say more

Office/Teacher…paper, folders, clip boards, paper clips, rubber bands, envelopes…any office supplies that you don’t need back

The list goes on

Cook or bake…let them measure, mix and most importantly clean!  My kids always liked to play in water, most kids do.  However, that changes! 

Almost everything in the pictures today came from the dollar store.  I tried to brainstorm ideas that you can do with them and some that you can set up and let them play on their own.  When I was a stay at home mom, I would much rather spend 10 minutes cleaning up after they played (pretty much on their own) for 30.  That’s me though.  Just set limits so you aren’t cleaning up pudding off the ceiling (happened to me once).