1) Cornstarch Goop - I can't get enough of this stuff. It's possible that I think it's cooler than the boy does. Click on the title for directions.
2) Have a car wash! (Or doll wash, or animal wash...)
Break out the baby bathtub, a large bowl,thekitchen sink, whatever you have and get washing! We throw in washcloths, cups for pouring, ladles, measuring cups, funnels, whatever we can find!
3) Salt play
Fill a high-sided baking pan or cookie sheet with a layer of salt and let them have at it! We use little spoons as shovels (the salt reminds the boy of snow),cars for making tracks, chopsticks for writing letters etc... Side note: Keep a broom handy!
4) Crafts
Lately our crafts have been very fall/Halloween themed, check out my board on Pinterest for lots of ideas. I get very excited when I find crafts that use up random things cluttering my house - like these toilet paper roll lanterns!
5) Bake!
We're big on muffins in our house, but any kind of cooking or baking is a great way to spend time with your child, teach them about measurements, pouring, sifting etc... and help to foster their love of food. I always find the boy eats best when it's something that he has "cooked" himself.
6) Science experiments
Anything that bubbles over and makes a mess is a seller in our house. Try these discovery bottles!
7) Colouring
Sometimes I just need to empty the dishwasher - that's when the colouring ridiculousness occurs. Paper of all colours, colouring books, printed colouring pages, markers, crayons, even the odd glue and pompom get strewn across the dining room table and the boy goes to town.
8) Masking Tape Magic
It's a wonder what a roll of masking tape (or painter's tape) can do! We use masking tape on the carpet to make different games and patterns. The boy is a little spider obsessed (eek) so today we made a huge spider web with masking tape on the carpet, got out all of the spiders we could find (the fake kind, don't worry) and went to it. We've also made indoor hopscotch, obstacle courses of sorts, and practiced our letters. Endless fun!
9) Playdough
Classic. Here is a good recipe for a no-cook playdough that your kids can help make. Use playdough the traditional way, get out cookie cutters, or celebrate the season by using playdough to make removable faces on pumpkins.
10) Activity Tables
Pick a table in your house (we use the dining table), choose a theme (alphabet, animals, puzzles etc...) and set up an activity along that theme at each chair at the table. Let your child make their way around the table at their own pace. Our favourite is the alphabet table: Scrabble at one station (the boy likes to put letters on the squares on the board); letter writing worksheets at another station; alphabet toys; a letter craft (glue pompoms on a giant letter B etc...); letter magnet board; chalkboard and chalk for letter writing etc...
