How to Keep Kids Busy

When you're home with the kids a lot, it can be hard to keep them occupied and entertained. Sure, they'd happily watch TV or play on the computer all day, but that's not what you want for your children.

I find it very helpful to keep a variety of ideas in mind to keep my children busy. So much depends on their age and interests, but there are some things that can be adapted easily to the various ages.

Sone of my favorite ideas is finding friends for your children to play with. It sounds obvious, but it seems to be so easily missed. And if you have to get things done, you can talk to your fellow parents about trading times so that you have some peace and quiet some times, and a house full of kids entertaining each other at other times.

Age appropriate crafts are also a great resource. Some will require assistance while other crafts can be done with no help. My daughter loves that I let her get into her craft supplies with minimal supervision. She comes up with some great ideas that are completely unexpected.

I don't approve of overscheduling a child, but the occasional class is a great way to entertain a child.

Not every activity idea I give will give you more time to get things done directly, but indirectly they can help. The busier you help your children stay (without hovering and telling them exactly how to do it), the more they learn to entertain themselves.

I've been asked how to choose craft supplies that don't require a lot of parental supervision. Obviously, this is a very age dependent thing to consider. Younger children will need more supervision than older ones, and won't be able to use as wide a range of supplies.

Consider washable crayons for toddlers. Washable markers are a possibility too, but I've always preferred the crayons. The beauty of washables is that even a toddler can help wash up the mess if he or she uses them in the wrong area. That said, washable marker may or may not come out of carpet - that's why I like the crayons. It's harder to get crayon into carpet. Be aware that if you have a chewer, washable crayons dissolve relatively quickly in the mouth and it's not a pretty mess.

Play dough is also good for little kids. Pick a place where you won't mind bits and pieces falling down. Play dough in carpet is not pretty, and it's really tedious to clean up, so a tiled area or an area with a floor mat is the best idea.

Toddlers can also enjoy painting, but this doesn't have to be a messy project. Newspaper, water and a paint brush can be enough for a toddler. Water goes on the paper, it changes color that little bit, and the toddler is happy.

As children get to preschool age, start adding glue sticks and stuff to glue to paper. You'll have to decide just when to trust your child to do this relatively unsupervised, a judgement that only you can make as your child's caregiver. Beads and string are also good as kids get older, just decide when they're appropriate. Fortunately, beads come in a wide range of sizes, so you can give larger beads to younger kids to make this simpler for little hands that may not be all that coordinated yet.

Just about no matter where you live, there are things you can do that will be fun for your children. Playgrounds, museums, amusement parks... you're limited only by what's in the area and your budget.

Budget doesn't necessarily play a role when it comes to visiting museums, however. Check your local museums' websites to see if they offer any free admission days.

I live in the San Diego area, for example, and many of the museums in Balboa Park have one free Tuesday each month.

Memberships to local attractions can also help. My inlaws get us a zoo pass every year. That makes for a great free activity that can tired younger kids out well enough for an extra long nap or even an early bedtime.

Your typical local playground is free, of course, and wonderful if you don't want to commit a significant part of the day to the activity. Even 20 minutes can be a big treat to kids.

Having friends over for the kids can be a great way to keep them busy. Yes, it will sometimes make you even busier, but if they play well together the need to referee can be pretty minimal.

Plus there's the chance to get the other parents to reciprocate and have your child over. It can really benefit both families.

Just set up some solid rules for the kids. If you have a back yard and the weather is good, send them outside to play! If it's not so good, consider what activities can be done indoors.

Playing without a grownup's input is a very important skill for children to develop. Sure, they may not play just the way you did as a kid, follow the exact rules of the game or use the toys in exactly the way you'd expect, but so what? So long as they aren't hurting anything or anyone, there's probably no harm to it.

Active play and creative play are vital to your child's development, both physically and mentally. Turn off the TV, keep them away from the computer, and young children are particularly likely to head off into their own imaginary worlds.

It's really fun to watch.

Let them pick what they're going to play with from their toys. The idea is to let them really follow their own ideas.

Yes, you can make suggestions if nothing's happening or they make declarations of boredom, but don't assume they will go along with or stick to any suggestions you make.

And of course praise them if they want to show you what they've come up with. You really want to encourage this behavior. Besides, it's often pretty amazing what they think up.