2007-02-26 07:06:16 · 10 answers · asked by evrclearnkoolaid 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Take them to the park.
Take them on a picnic.
Take them to the library for storytime. (You can check out books, videos/dvds, toddler music, etc.)
Read to them...have story time at home.
Take them for a walk at the mall before the mall opens (There will be lots of "older" people there walking around and kids seem to make them smile.)
Take them to the supermarket, walk around with them (in the cart), and teach them about different kinds of foods. (This increases their vocabulary, you can practice counting, colors, alphabet, and spelling.)
Go for a walk in the neighborhood and see how many ______ (fill-in-the blank) you can find.
Playing games together on http://www.noggin.com. There are also some neat kids music videos on here too!
Have a "dance party".
Watch a movie in your home "movie theater".
Go on-line (to places like http://www.first-school.ws/theme/crafts.htm ) and get ideas of crafts to do with them.
Bake with your kids. Give them easy tasks like pouring already filled teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups of ingredients. Let them help stir. They will be so proud of what they have "made".
Home Depot and Lowes have certain Saturdays that they have kid projects. This is free and fun. Kids love to use glue and hammers!
2007-02-26 07:32:57 · answer #1 · answered by Mum to 3 cute kids 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I grew up, my folks had very little money. They gave me something much better, their time. My parents would take me and my brothers and sister to the local schoolyard to play. It might be tossing a ball, or the swing, slide or seesaw. We would have races, to see who was the fastest. Since the older ones were more developed, they would handicap us.
A walk in the woods and showing us different plants and animals was always interesting and educational. In winter it was sleds, tobbagons, snowmen, snow balls, forts, and snow angels. In rainy weather, they taught us card games or we'd listen to music, or do arts and crafts. Paper, macaroni and glue or were really cheap, but we had fun.
I didn't know it at the time, but these things taught us to compete in a healthy way, that family is important. They allowed us to be creative, taught us about nature, exercise, and even how to take criticism. We could be critical of each other at times, sometimes fight a bit (verbally, no hitting allowed), but our folks would never let it go too far.
Some games were cheap (Candyland, Uncle Wiggly, Chutes and Ladders, Barrell of Monkeys, Pickup Stix)
Little kids are happiest to spend time with you, and the money doesn't mean anything to them.
What a great time in their lives, have fun!
2007-02-26 15:36:06 · answer #2 · answered by Partisanshipsux 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out www.gocitykids.com if your city is on that site, you will find lots of greats ideas!
We go to the mall a lot. Bookstores like Barnes and Noble have good kids areas and pet stores are great and my kid loves the fountains and just running around. I take snacks with me, but we also splurge and split a small popcorn or something small.
Do you playonline with them? There are fun websites for kids, especially noggin.com
You should let your kids help you as much as possible. When they are small, they still think it is fun to help out and be "big" My daughter loves to sweep and clean and she really loves to cook! You're going to eat anyway, so let them help as much as possible.
Also, we do a lot of art, but we recycle everything. So we put out lots of old newspapers and paint on that. She loves to paint with her feet! I shop for art supplies at Michaels when they are on sale and cut out the 40% coupon in the sunday paper to buy things that dont go on sale.
2007-02-27 01:25:14 · answer #3 · answered by Katherine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
take them to the park. go to your local library, they usually have activities for preschoolers and under during school hours, such as story time, special visitors etc. Take them to a creek or lake where they can watch animals and birds.. they love that! take them to the fire department for a "field trip." if you call in advance they'd probably let the kids sit in the cab.
2007-02-26 15:10:03 · answer #4 · answered by britt g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I take my daughter to Barnes and Knobles, Borders and the local libary for story time. They usually have a craft for the kids to do afterwards also. I heard that the big craft stores like Michaels have a craft time for the kids and I believe it is free.
2007-02-26 15:51:10 · answer #5 · answered by snugglesrn 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Local libraries usually have story time and other kids activities once a week.
Most zoos and children's museums have free evenings once a week.
You can join a playgroup to have them play with other kids
2007-02-26 15:28:03 · answer #6 · answered by growing inside 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can:
Take them to the park.
Play hide in seek in the house.
Play with their toys w/ you.
If you have any crafts around the house do those!
Good Luck!
2007-02-26 15:15:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is always coloring, playing outdoors, play pretend, sing songs theres lots of things to do that don't cost money!
2007-02-26 15:11:38 · answer #8 · answered by stephslittlewomen 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you can take them to the park. you can read to them. you can show them pics in books and have them tell you what they are. you can sit and play counting games and start teaching them their ABC's make a game out of it. you can take four and water some newspaper and a ballon and make paper mac he
2007-02-26 15:13:01 · answer #9 · answered by Debora S 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
mud pies or castles, balloons are cheap,
2007-02-26 15:15:29 · answer #10 · answered by placidfury 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋