what are some good keep busy activities for a 4 and 5 yr old?

Question

my son and daughter are all over the place, what can they do quietly?

Answer 1

This is a great question! I too have lil ones, 3 year old boy and 4 year old girl...so I too can use some thoughful answers.

In terms of what my husband and I do:

1) Water color paints on plain white paper or their coloring books...sitting at the kitchen table, and no where else.

2) Crayons on lots of their favorite coloring books... cept, they are getting kinda tired of coloring. So lately, I've been drawing my own shapes on plain white paper and using dots and numbers for them to connect the dots/numbers with their crayons to draw the different shapes and pictures I create for them. You can prepare these ahead of time, and then give it to them when you want them to settle down.

3) Teach them simple mathematics... they can be taught to first add, then later to subtract simple numbers together. Usually up to 12. Let them start off slow by counting with their fingers.

4) Practice their ABC's. Both upper and lower case. Try to teach them how to write out their full names.

4) Read to them... preferably with books that have lots of pictures. Or, get them audio books suitable for their ages, and have them turn their own pages when the tape "pings" for page turning time. You can check out these types of books for free from any local library. Visit a library!

5) Watch favoritie Videos (VHS or DVD)... once again, you can also check these out at most local libraries for free, or get them real cheap at local video stores. We got the TIVO digital video recorder last year, greatest thing in the TV World!!! We have programmed it to automatically record all our kids' favorite shows, so they can watch them at any time--when they want to!

6) Play Dough... most of the retail chain stores have various play dough sets that have all the knick-knack accessories to keep the lil ones busy for ohhh... say 30 minutes... but make sure they are doing it on the Kitchen table!!!

7) Lately my lil ones are into the safety SCISSORS, you know the ones with the rounded ends and aren't so very sharp... I let them cut their crayon book pictures out, once they are done coloring the pages. Also, I let them have all my junk mail to cut up as they wish! Keep a good eye on them, one time I turned my head from them for two minutes and the next thing I know, they are cutting their own pants apart!

8) My lil ones really enjoy playing the Ms. Pac Man and the Disney Princesses PLUG & PLAY Video Games Joystick, both comprise of a number of simple games and are very easy to set up and play... they are very kid friendly and do keep them busy for a lot longer than other things... especially if they are playing on separate tv's and on their own.

9) Sometimes I let my little ones go out in the backyard and play out in the dirt with their toy shovels, various molds, and a lil bucket of water to make mud pies! They luv it! As soon as they come back into the house, I lay a towel for them to step on, I get them undressed and off to the bathtub they go for their bath!

10) Bubble BATHs are fun for them... especially if you give them various toys to take into the tub to play with the bubbles. I usually take a book or my walkman/mp3 player and sit on the toilet seat or in the doorway, to keep watch.

11) Take them to a park... where they can swing on the swings, slide down the slides, and meet new pals.

12) Take them swimming... with either floatie swimsuits (preferred, can be found at Wal-Mart or Target for about $10.00) or the inflatable arm floaties...and get them swim Noodles (really cheap at most places... like $1.99) If you don't have a pool, local community centers, as well as YMCAs in your areas have free to low fee pool access.

13) Take them bowling... most bowling places have light weight balls specially made for the lil ones. Then they'll put up the "bumpers" on the gutter if you ask them to. Lots of fun!

14) Let them ride their bikes, scooters, tricycles, rollerblades or skates (on one foot only, until they learn how)... even in the house. I usually let them ride their scooters or skates indoors because I live in Las Vegas where during the summers when the heat gets 110+ I've got no choice but to keep them indoors.

15) Let them be mommy or daddy's HELPER... and help you CLEAN your house, their rooms, etc.; or help you COOK by mixing basics things for you like cookie dough or cakes, or cutting yummy fruits and vegetables with a butter knife for them to eat as snacks.

Answer 2

Get a subscription to Family Fun magazine or check them out on line. Another good site us preschool teachers use is Perpetual Preschooler. They have theme based activities for every subject. I find science activities keep attention and are usually hands on.

Answer 3

This is always fun, shave crayons and catch the shavings, spread the shavings between two sheets of wax paper and then using a towel on top of the wax paper, melt the shavings with an iron. Once you have done this you can cut the wax paper into different shapes and then hang them in the window. Kids love it.

Answer 4

Coloring book and crayons. NO paint. Trust me, this young they will have that paint everywhere.
TV maybe, maybe video games but I strongly recommend limiting both of these. ESPECIALLY the video games.
Hope that helps, just make sure you don't get them anything that they can put all over the house walls or pour on the carpet :P

Answer 5

My 4 yr. old loves building (Lincoln Logs, Legos, Magnetix) and playing with those cheap plastic cowboys and indians.They are at the age they like to pretend; masks, aprons, any kind of play clothes.

Answer 6

build them a fort or let them paint. A good hour killer? Take freezer paper, roll it out, have them lie on it and trace their outline. Then let them draw, color, paint, even glue stuff on to make their hair, face, clothes, etc. It's alot of fun.

Answer 7

I used to make home made play dough...my kids played with it for hours. Give them a rolling pin and cookie cutters.

Answer 8

There are plenty of things you can do with your child but I think the key is to do it with them and the results will be well worth it.

Answer 9

try arts and crafts.... it will keep them busy for hours an it will develop them..... it can be messy depending on what materials you give them put put them on a table covered with newspaper and it will be fine... it more educational than t.v and they will enjoy it....

Answer 10

play dough, painting,

anything that will get their hands working while sitting.

Answer 11

the above and try this site its free