How to Keep a Preschooler Happily Occupied

A preschooler is a joyful person to have around. But because of their energy and sheer busy-ness, they can be a handful if you are having a busy day yourself. Keeping a preschooler happily and gainfully occupied is always a challenge, but not too difficult if you keep a few little items handy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Look around the house and see what you have at hand. There's no sense stocking up a whole cupboard with supplies unneccessarily. Still, you should at least have some paints (watercolor and fingerpaint
• Look for the unusual items that are close at hand: small rocks, pinecones and twigs, containers . . . keep thinking . . .

1. The key to keeping preschoolers busy in a gainful way, is to always have something fun for them to do that is quick and easy to produce at any given moment. You should be able to switch gears as spontaneously as they tend to do. Keep ideas in your hat, because a small child may no sooner finish looking at picture books than he wants to paint a picture of his own.

2. As a mother of five, (three of which I homeschool), and a grandmother to two, I have often found myself in the situation of needing to keep a little one busy while I worked one on one with the older ones. I always tried to make those tots feel included, like they were "doing school", too. Since TV can't be a steady (or even healthy) option, I much preferred keeping them busy with projects and activities which they could handle mostly on their own.

3. I usually start with the basics. I offer them the opportunity to color a picture, read a book, or play with a favorite toy or game. When that option is exhausted, I ask them if they'd like to paint.
   
   Painting has proven to be one of the all time, best tools for keeping tots employed and to give them opportunities to develop their fine motor skills. You can do a lot worse than to spend a few minutes teaching a three year old how to rinse his paintbrush off between colors, and how to not mix them with too much water. The results are long-lasting, and the time spent will be well worth it over the months to come.

4. You can add to this adventure of painting by introducing them to painting bug faces on rocks. Later, when you have more time, you can even help them add legs of pipe cleaners, or wings of feathers or something.
   
   Let them paint pictures in coloring books. Let them paint on paper. Let them paint over newspaper and use it to wrap a present for grandma.
   
   Teach them how to finger paint. A ten minute start from you will have them swirling their hands in the luxury of gooey paint for another thirty minutes or so while you get the dishes washed or the bills filed.

5. When they finish painting, they might like to try their hand at play dough. Here's a product that's been around for eons, and no wonder why! Kids with rolling pin, cookie cutter, and a can of play dough will be self-entertained for an hour!

6. Look around for things that small children would like to collect. Or, scatter some m&m's or other small candy that is safe for them about, and send them off with a container. Why have a candy hunt only at Easter time? If you're working in the yard, challenge them to see how many pine cones or acorns they can find.
   
   While you're out there, pick up a few twigs and show them how to make a "pine cone man" by sticking them into a pine cone as arms and legs.
   
   I had a friend whose children always collected a basket of beautiful colored maple leaves in the fall. They would bring them inside and, using markers, would put a smiling face on each one which they would give to guests who dropped by.
   
   What a sweet way to teach hospitality while keeping children happily busy and crafty!

7. If a child is old enough to use a safety scissors, then offer her old catalogues from which to cut pictures. This, again, offers motor skill development and gives them the chance to cut things! What greater joy could a preschooler find!

8. Sorting is another thing that small children enjoy. Like collecting things, they love to sort, especially if it's sorting something that's new to them.
   
   My mother use to occasionally pull out her jewelry box and let my five year old "sort" it. Of course, children that are likely to put small things in their mouths shouldn't do something like this, but perhaps they can sort your mixing bowls or pancake turners or pot holders! Be creative and look beyond the toy box!

9. Hopefully, if you're a harried mom whose been stuck in a groove, maybe these ideas will give you some refreshing ideas of your own. Start tomorrow excited about what new things you'll find for your preschooler to do while you do those things that have to be done.

[acea]

on 12/15/2009 Good tips for keeping a preschooler occupied, but I agree with MrsRiordan - painting can be such a mess! Keeping your younger one(s) occupied and safe while the older one is painting could be a recipe for disaster. Additionally, you don't want paint on the floors, walls, etc. - painting is an activity that is best for a preschooler who is highly supervised!

[MrsRiordan]

on 12/13/2009 This is a fantastic post! I love the idea about the magazines and safety scissors. I love it. I am definitely going to try that tomorrow! I did the painting activity, but found that it is easier when I watch because messy hands and such get everywhere. lol
Fantastic post! Bravo.