As a stay-at-home mom of two young boys, I can honestly say I’m busier now than ever.
I’m not complaining, though, because I am absolutely grateful for the things I’ve taken on, but occasionally I just need 5 minutes to myself to get something done. I’ve learned that my kids are the absolute craziest when I need to make a phone call, take a shower, or complete something for “work.” This is also when they are least likely to play with their millions of toys. Therefore, I’ve compiled a list of activities that encourage independent play, help to develop fine and gross motor skills, and foster creativity; that has helped me “buy some time” over the past four years.
1. Matching Containers with Lids – Do your kids love to empty your Tupperware cabinet every time you attempt to prepare dinner? If so, let them try this fun alternative instead. I simply collected containers I normally would have recycled for a week or two and now store them in a large plastic bin that’s tucked away in a closet. I pull it out only when I need it. They can take all the lids off, then try to match them up. My boys like to divide them up and make it into a game or race to see who can match theirs up the fastest. It’s excellent for developing fine motor skills.
2. Frozen Treasures – This is a genius idea from Jennifer Perkins. It requires some pre-planning, but I’ve learned always to keep at least one container in my freezer ready to go at all times. We use various sizes of food storage containers, place a few items in each one, then fill with water and food coloring for added fun. My boys love choosing which treasures will go in. We let ours sit overnight in the freezer, and by the next morning, the ice is ready to be broken. They love trying to break their treasures free from the block of ice. This activity will keep my 4-year-old busy for an hour, and my 2-year-old occupied for around 30 minutes–which translates to days! Their favorite thing to freeze is toy dinosaurs, but anything would work. They use their hammers and other tools to chip away at the ice. This is a perfect activity during summer when busy moms need to work on things outside.
3. Cutting, Sticking, Coloring – Both of my kids are obsessed with scissors. They’ve also proven that they aren’t going to cut each other or their hair, but I would still save cutting for when I could have a direct eye on them like when making a phone call, folding laundry, or cooking. A simple exercise is to pick up a handful of paint swatches the next time you’re at a home improvement store and have them practice cutting a straight line. It sounds simple, but it’s super engaging for a preschooler. They’re also fascinated with stickers and tape. This is a good activity when you need them to be relatively quiet. Have them put stickers onto a blank sheet of paper, or let them go crazy with a roll of scotch tape. Coloring is also popular, but chances are they’re not going to be interested in a coloring book when you need them to sit and color. As an alternative, give them a box of crayons and a large empty cardboard box.
4. Building Towers – Despite having multiple sets of blocks, Liam & Declan sometimes find it more exciting to build towers out of non-conventional things. Popular choices include cups, rolls of paper towels, rolls of toilet paper, and k-cups for the Keurig. Once they make a large tower, they enjoy knocking it over with their cars and trucks.
5. Kiddie Car Wash – This is another great idea for buying time outdoors. My kids have routinely enjoyed this idea from We Have Aars for the past couple of years. We have clean toys to show for it.
I hope one of these ideas has created a new way to buy yourself some time. I used several of these in an attempt to write this blog post!
These are amazing! Thanks Nicole!
Thanks Jena! I hope this gave you some new ideas.
LOVE LOVE LOVE it Nicole! thanks for sharing!
Of course! I hope you can use some of the ideas Liz.
These are awesome ideas! On another note…..Nicole, I want you to post a picture of your plate wall – I have been trying to work on mine and have been scouring all pics on the internet and pinterest I can find!
Thanks so much, Emily! Here’s the link to my post with the Pinterest projects in it…the find the picture of the plate wall there. Good luck with yours!