How to keep your child busy and HAPPY with indoor activities (Part I)

Busy children are happy children. Happy children have happy parents, but what do you do when you are stuck inside all day? Here are some fun and easy indoor activities that your child is sure to love.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Random items from your home

1. 
    
   Under the table and dreaming

   Throw a blanket or sheet over the kitchen table and you have an instant clubhouse. Add a flashlight and stuffed animals and you have yourself a party. Kids LOVE this!

2. 
    
   Super Brother and Super Sister

   Play superheroes. All you need is a blanket and a clothespin. Voila!

3. 
    

   Break out the Play dough. Sure, it can be messy, but messy is fun and fun is good! Give your child cookie cutters, rolling pins, plastic knives, and toy trucks to play with.

4. 
    

   Fill a large bowl or pan with water. Place it on a towel in the floor. Add boats, bath toys, and measuring cups. There is no limit to what you can do with water. If this sounds too messy for you, just move it to the bathtub and clean the bathroom while they play with the bowl of water.

5. 
    

   Designate a cabinet for safe pots and pans. Let your child have free reign of that cabinet. Add wooden spoons for music play. This is also a good place to keep your Tupperware.

6. 
    

   Fill a cardboard box with sand, dry beans (only if your child is old enough), rice, or anything else that he can push around with his toy trucks. This is what we call the "dump box".

7. 
    

   Let your child color with chalk on dark construction paper. You can also let them color on the garage floor and then just hose it off.

8. 
    

   Paint. Experiment with different types of paint and different types of brushes. Use Q-tip, straws (to blow the paint), fingers, yarn, and brushes.

9. 
    

   Tape paper to the floor and trace your child's body. Have them decorate it. We use rolls of white paper or the back of gift wrap.

10. 
     

    Make a pretend box. Fill a large cardboard box with old clothes, safe accessories, costumes, and other pretend play items.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid of a mess. The messy house will always be there. Your child will only be small for a short while.
• Be very careful with small parts.

[yourmamasaidwha]

on 3/10/2009 fantastic ideas! what a great way to beat some of the weather problems during cold and wet seasons! thanks for the great share!

[surly-mac]

on 2/22/2009 Terrific ideas and pictures - forwarded this to my daughters.

[tachic]

on 2/18/2009 Wow, I love all of these ideas. Thanks.

[kskaggs]

on 2/18/2009 You sound like a wonderful mom. thanks for the ideas. I have done a lot of them, but you gave me a couple of new ones. 5*

[joni04]

on 2/17/2009 Thanks for the ideas! Can't wait to see part 2! *****