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