Works for Me Wednesday . . . Keeping Boys Busy – Help!

Perhaps you read my post concerning boys. Well, I have one and he is three. I am searching for ways to keep him busy and creative without turning on the TV. I had read this on Capturing Today a while back and thought I would try it. I googled Preschool Activity Bags and there was a good list.

One activity that works well and keeps him busy for a while in the kitchen while I am in the kitchen is dried beans. I know, but I take a baking pan that is about 2 inches deep and pour the beans in there and give him a few spoons and measuring cups and he loves this. I do make him help me sweep the floor when he is done because I don’t want my one year old to swallow any beans.

I just made 4 “activity bags” this week only I used clear plastic boxes. One of them was made of a rolling pin and things like that to play with play dough. This works well too.

I also got beads and pipe cleaners to do, but we haven’t done that yet.

I do let him put water in the sink and “wash” dishes, but I usually have to stop that because he likes to use A LOT of water.

So, my question is do you have some ideas for me? What has worked with your little guys?

For more Works for Me Wednesdays, please visit Rocks in My Dryer.

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October 15, 2008 at 9:11 am

Kim

I have a 3 year old as well. It’s hard keeping him “busy”.
We make our own playdough and he seems to like that better than the regular stuff. I give him cookie cutters and things to use with it.
He also likes to color, so a nice assortment of coloring books is always good and inexpensive at the dollar store.
I tried painting with water colors on a coffee filter the other day and he LOVED doing this. Being that it’s water colors it cleans up pretty easily.
He likes to play with the wooden blocks too.
We are coming into the being able to go outside stage in Florida and I am looking forward to that because that allows the kids to burn off some energy and they will usually sit and do things better.
I hope this helps. They are probably the same ideas you already have lol.
Blessings to you.
Kim

October 15, 2008 at 3:05 pm

Heidi

Keaton loves to help me sweep the floor, vacuum the couches with the vacuum hose, “wash” things in the sink (although he usually makes quite a mess), and unload the dishwasher.

We also did the beans thing but we added rice, so there is a mixture of textures (as if the kids care). They have fun with that. We use two large bowls and they take turns putting the contents on one bowl into the other using spoons, spatulas, etc.

Mostly though, Keaton and Sienna just play together and that is a true blessing!

October 15, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Emily

Take them outside!!! My boys (4 & 6) have always loved to be outdoors–soaking up the wonder of it all. Sticks are a boy’s best friend!

October 15, 2008 at 5:38 pm

Wani

I have a 3yr old too. I do some of the same things – though I do struggle with finding things for him to do. I also get dollar store finds and create activities around them. We have foam shapes that he sorts by shape and color. And our variation of the bean thing is birdseed in a rubbermaid tote with cups, spoons, funnels, etc. He’s often wanting me to play with him and I can only play 3yr old games so long before losing my mind, you know!?!

October 16, 2008 at 12:43 am

overactiveovaries

How about fillling a two liter with rice and beans and lots of small toys. Screw the lid on super tight and then have him find the stuff inside. My kids also really love painting with shaving cream. If you add food coloring or jello you can have llosts of colors. . This can be messy but at least it smells nice

October 17, 2008 at 2:47 am

Donna

One thing I did with both ages was get a little cup of water, a paint brush, and construction paper. I would put the little one in the high chair so I didn’t have to worry about them with the paint brush then–let them ‘paint’! The water looks like they are painting (to them) but no mess 4 Mommie!

I had a shoe box with enough sand to cover the bottom and would have them ‘draw’ or ‘write’ in the sand.

I put pinto beans in a flour so they could dig them out.
I also had an old sifter that my 6 and 7yr old still love to play with on the porch. They take it and a big plastic bowl, along with the flour with a few pinto beans, and sift away over the bowl to find the beans!

Shoot water guns or blow bubbles in to the bathtub.

A bucket with water and a washcloth and they washed the floor or the table and chairs.

A dry erase board mounted to the wall makes for some great stuff for busy hands.

I kept a good sized card board box in my kitchen for a while that had empty containers in that they could play with. (empty yogurt containers, pie pans, small boxes. restaurant cups with lids, etc.) They would stack and put lids on and off for hours.

Another GREAT investment I made many years ago was Brighter Vision books and toys. Every 6 to 8 weeks they would mail a book and another educational toy, like a puzzle, tangrams, modeling clay, toy money with plastic toys and price tags to play store, etc. They were not real cheap but perhaps it could be something on a ‘wish list’ for relatives at B-day or Christmas.

October 18, 2008 at 12:37 am

Rebeckah