(by 2 people)
Help! My preschooler's bored!
All parents of young children have days when the hours seem to drag by and they find themselves asking, "So what do we do now?" Here are some useful tips, links to sites and books that will help you find new ways to answer that question. Hopefully, they will give you some ideas for how to spend many happy hours playing, exploring and learning with your preschooler. ENJOY!
Seasonal Ideas
Check back frequently because these ideas and links change every month.
Summer is Here!"
A Very Special Tie- Buy a plain white or light colored tie and let your preschooler decorate it with fabric paint. Dad will be proud to wear this unique creation.
Painted Umbrella- Using Fabric Paint, let your child paint on a dollar-store umbrella. This works well even if they just drizzle the paint in colorful raindrops all over the umbrella. Allow an extra day to dry with the umbrella fully open if you can.
I Love You - This project is great for Dad (or Mom). Ask your child "Why do you love Dad," or "Why do you love Mom." Write their answers down and let them decorate the paper with crayons, markers, or paint. You can use this idea to create a bookmark, a place mat, a card, or just a special note to leave as a surprise for Dad on his special day.
Painted Flower Pots- Flowers don't have to be just for Mom!. Let your child finger-paint a plain flower pot and seal it with clear acrylic finish spray. Then help your child plant Dad's favorite flowers in it.
A Very Special Tie- Buy a plain white or light colored tie and let your preschooler decorate it with fabric paint. Dad will be proud to wear this unique creation.
Painted Umbrella- Using Fabric Paint, let your child paint on a dollar-store umbrella. This works well even if they just drizzle the paint in colorful raindrops all over the umbrella. Allow an extra day to dry with the umbrella fully open if you can.
I Love You - This project is great for Dad (or Mom). Ask your child "Why do you love Dad," or "Why do you love Mom." Write their answers down and let them decorate the paper with crayons, markers, or paint. You can use this idea to create a bookmark, a place mat, a card, or just a special note to leave as a surprise for Dad on his special day.
Painted Flower Pots- Flowers don't have to be just for Mom!. Let your child finger-paint a plain flower pot and seal it with clear acrylic finish spray. Then help your child plant Dad's favorite flowers in it.
More Great Gift ideas.
These sites list some great ideas for creative, homemade gifts.
- PreschoolRock
- This site includes some project ideas for Father's Day.
- Craft Library: Father's Day
- This link has a lot of great craft ideas that can be used for Father's Day gifts.
- Father's Day Crafts and Activities - EnchantedLearning.com
- Father's Day Crafts and Activities for kids. Kindergarten, preschool, and elementary school crafts. Make wonderful, simple crafts with things found around the house.
Arts and Crafts ideas
Get out some paint, glue, scissors, and anything else you can find. The messier the better...cut...
Modern Art - Find a stiff piece of cardboard (or you can use a paper plate) and collect some small objects from around the house. Some suggestions include milk jug lids, juice lids, paper-clips, cut up straws and bits of foil. Let your child arrange them and glue them on.
Mural Painting - Tape a very large sheet of paper to the wall. Get out crayons, markers, and paint. Cover the whole sheet and use it to decorate a wall in your child's room or somewhere else in the house.
Shape Pictures - This is an easy craft your child can do entirely on his or her own. Cut out a variety of shapes ahead of time (circles, squares, triangles, stars, ovals, rectangles, etc.) Give them a sheet of paper and some glue. They can arrange them in any number of different ways to create pictures and designs.
Finger Puppets - Make fun puppets out the socks your child has out-grown. Decorate them with markers, yarn, foam sheets, and scraps of fabric.
Make your own Puzzle - Have your child make a collage on cardboard using magazine pictures or printed pictures of your family. Cover the collage with clear contact paper and cut into puzzle piece shapes. Your child will have a blast assembling the puzzle over and over again.
Mural Painting - Tape a very large sheet of paper to the wall. Get out crayons, markers, and paint. Cover the whole sheet and use it to decorate a wall in your child's room or somewhere else in the house.
Shape Pictures - This is an easy craft your child can do entirely on his or her own. Cut out a variety of shapes ahead of time (circles, squares, triangles, stars, ovals, rectangles, etc.) Give them a sheet of paper and some glue. They can arrange them in any number of different ways to create pictures and designs.
Finger Puppets - Make fun puppets out the socks your child has out-grown. Decorate them with markers, yarn, foam sheets, and scraps of fabric.
Make your own Puzzle - Have your child make a collage on cardboard using magazine pictures or printed pictures of your family. Cover the collage with clear contact paper and cut into puzzle piece shapes. Your child will have a blast assembling the puzzle over and over again.
Fun outdoor activites
Scavenger Hunt - Go for a walk around the neighborhood, in a park, or just in you own back yard. Take along a list of things you might find (a rock, a leaf, three sticks, an acorn, etc) and a paper bag. See if you can collect them all.
Photo Scavenger Hunt - This is a variation of the activity above. If your child has their own camera or you have one you don't mind them using take it along instead of the paper bag. Make a list of things to find and snap pictures of what you see.
Cloud watching - On a nice day have a snack outside and lie down in the grass to watch some clouds. You may be surprised at the things your child will see in them.
Tickle Tag - This is just like regular tag except whoever gets tagged gets tickled.
Kickball - Collect as many balls as you can find. Use balls of all sizes and types. Line them up in the yard and let your child go from ball to ball seeing how far they can kick them.
Obstacle Course - Arrange lawn chairs, balls, cardboard boxes, and patio furniture around the yard. Have a starting point and a finish. Then let your child crawl under, climb over, and run around the objects.
Photo Scavenger Hunt - This is a variation of the activity above. If your child has their own camera or you have one you don't mind them using take it along instead of the paper bag. Make a list of things to find and snap pictures of what you see.
Cloud watching - On a nice day have a snack outside and lie down in the grass to watch some clouds. You may be surprised at the things your child will see in them.
Tickle Tag - This is just like regular tag except whoever gets tagged gets tickled.
Kickball - Collect as many balls as you can find. Use balls of all sizes and types. Line them up in the yard and let your child go from ball to ball seeing how far they can kick them.
Obstacle Course - Arrange lawn chairs, balls, cardboard boxes, and patio furniture around the yard. Have a starting point and a finish. Then let your child crawl under, climb over, and run around the objects.
Great Activities for Indoors
Fishing - Cut a lot of pieces of paper into fish shapes. Write some quick activities on the back (such as "touch something blue", "sing your ABCs", "jump up and down", "run around the room" or "clap your hands"). Put a paper-clip on each fish. Then tie a strong magnet onto a piece of string and let your preschooler "go fishing" over the back of the couch or chair.
Counting - Go through the whole house and count things. Count your windows, your doorknobs, your cups, your canned goods, your bookshelves or anything else you can think of.
Sandbox - This activity can be done with a lot of different things or all of them combined. Fill a large bowl or box with flour, puffed rice or wheat cereal, uncooked rice, or oatmeal. Play in the bowl or box with shovels, toy cars, cups, and other sand toys.
Hide the toy - Pick a favorite toy, have your child leave the room and hide it. when they find it have them hide it from you. To make the game more interesting you can play it at night and find the toy with flashlights.
Treasure Hunt -Hide a special surprise somewhere in the house. Then write out a series of clues (one clue points you to the next)to lead your child to it. Hide the clues around the house as well. Then run around to find the surprise.
Counting - Go through the whole house and count things. Count your windows, your doorknobs, your cups, your canned goods, your bookshelves or anything else you can think of.
Sandbox - This activity can be done with a lot of different things or all of them combined. Fill a large bowl or box with flour, puffed rice or wheat cereal, uncooked rice, or oatmeal. Play in the bowl or box with shovels, toy cars, cups, and other sand toys.
Hide the toy - Pick a favorite toy, have your child leave the room and hide it. when they find it have them hide it from you. To make the game more interesting you can play it at night and find the toy with flashlights.
Treasure Hunt -Hide a special surprise somewhere in the house. Then write out a series of clues (one clue points you to the next)to lead your child to it. Hide the clues around the house as well. Then run around to find the surprise.
Ways for Preschoolers to Help Out.
Start out by making a chore chart for your child. Write the things the kids do to help out a have a spot next to each one for stickers. Each time they help they get stickers.
Some things you can put on the chart are:
Feed pets. (with help)
Pick up toys. This can be more enjoyable if you make it into a game. Race to who can pick up the most toys or set a timer and have your child try to beat their own time.
Sort the clothes. They can sort them by color before they are washed and by who they belong to when they are done.
Wash Bath Toys. Fill a bowl or the sink with water and dish soap, give your child a washcloth and let them scrub their toys. This will keep them busy while you tackle other chores.
Help with Dinner. Young children can wash vegetables, set the table, put salads together, and open boxes.
Some things you can put on the chart are:
Feed pets. (with help)
Pick up toys. This can be more enjoyable if you make it into a game. Race to who can pick up the most toys or set a timer and have your child try to beat their own time.
Sort the clothes. They can sort them by color before they are washed and by who they belong to when they are done.
Wash Bath Toys. Fill a bowl or the sink with water and dish soap, give your child a washcloth and let them scrub their toys. This will keep them busy while you tackle other chores.
Help with Dinner. Young children can wash vegetables, set the table, put salads together, and open boxes.
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Links to activity pages for young children
These sites have a lot of ideas for what to do when boredom strikes. You can get some great ideas here that will help you plan your days with your preschooler. There are many fun and creative ways to spend time learning, growing, and having fun together.
- Wondertime Magazine
- This site is full of activities, games, and crafts for young children as well as many family stories and articles on parenting.
- AmazingMoms.com
- This site has a lot of great arts and crafts activities for preschoolers and also some for older children as well.
- FamilyEducation Article
- This is link to article about three-year olds' imaginative play. It also includes a few tips.
- Family Education Activities
- This is another great site to go to for new and creative games to play. The age range is 4-6 but a lot of the ideas work just as well with kids a little younger.
- Kids Fun
- This page has quick ideas to keep preschoolers busy while you are doing something else.
- Science for Prschoolers
- These are projects you can do with even the very young.
- FamilyFun
- This site has tons of kid-friendly recipes.
Fun Books on Amazon
These books have been a great help to me in coming up with fun and games to keep my son busy on those days when I just can't think of anything new. They are a lifesaver, and even if you have a great imagination, I recommend having at least one of these around for emergencies!
Preschool Play and Learn : 150 Fun Games and Learning Activities for Preschoolers from Three to Six Years
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $10.00
365 Activities You and Your Child Will Love: Fun Ideas for Your Preschooler's Growing Mind!
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $16.95
Quick & Fun Games for Preschoolers
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $9.99
Picture Book Activities : Fun and Games for Preschoolers Based on 50 Favorite Children's Books
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $12.00
Children's Music on Amazon
The Wiggles - Yummy Yummy
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $13.98
Alvin & The Chipmunks - Greatest Hits-Still Squeaky Af
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $11.98
Walt Disney Records : Children's Favorite Songs, Vol. 1 : 25 Classic Tunes
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $6.98
Sesame Street - Kids' Favorite Songs
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $12.95
Toddler Favorites
Amazon Price: $6.98 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $6.98
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