Things to do with a 5 yr old?

Question

Hey all!
I am looking for ideas on daily activities to do with my 5 yr old son. We go for walks, play outdoors with the dog, he helps me cook... but I am fast running out of other ideas on things to do to keep him occupied. He goes to kindergarden every other day, so we have the in between days to do things together. The catch is, I am 32 weeks pregnant, so I can't be doing anything TOO strenuous. We live in a small small town, with no extracirricular activites for kids under the age of 7. There is also only one small park, and it's across town, too far of a walk for me right now. I don't drive.
So, looking for home based activites that are FREE or REEEEALLY cheap to do with my son- things like crafts, cooking, etc... thanks!

Answer 1

How about starting a scrapbook and he can make a page to welcome the new baby. You could cut out paper hearts and different shapes, glue, crayons, buttons, baby cutouts you can buy at a craft store, any child loves a chance to make things and be creative.

Good luck to you and your family! :)

Answer 2

Try doing simple arts and crafts at home. Practice the things he learns at school on those days. Some ideas I've done with my 4 year old:

- Take shaving cream and put a small amount on a plate. Use food coloring to dye it if your son wants. Let him spread it out with his fingers and practice his writing.
- Make instruments with everyday items (A guitar out of a kleenex box, rubber band and paper towel tube. Use beans or rice for a shaker in a container. Tin plates make great cymbals.)
- If you know the sex of your unborn baby, play a game of picking out names. If you don't, have fun coming up with names of both genders.
- Let your son help prepare the room for the new baby and pick out the outfit for the baby's first picture or coming home outfit.
- Dig a small hole in the backyard, melt crayons and pour wax into hole. Place string in the wax for a wick and in a few days pop out the hardened wax for a unique candle.
- The internet is an excellent source for finding fun activities that are inexpensive and easy to do. Just search!

Good luck and congrats on the baby!

Answer 3

I have a book that was a lifesaver for me its call The Preschooler's BUSY BOOK by Trish Kuffner. This book has 365 different ideas that are very cheap recipes for kids fun stuff to do indoors and outside. It has everything a mom could want in it even a modeling clay recipe so you can make a cast of your belly if you wanted then you could let your son paint it with the baby's name and he could have tons of fun. The book cost $9.95 when I bought it along time ago you could probably get it on a discount by now.

Answer 4

since your pregnant, have him help with making home made pictures for the babys room. finger painting, make a kite from things around the house, making jello with fruit or popsicles are always fun. Have him help with cleaning too.. get a small hand broom thats just his or a dust buster or feather duster. He will feel proud helping mommy. Start a small garden either in flower pots or a small part of the yard with flowers or veggies. Each day he can weed, water or pick a boutique.

Answer 5

Congrats on your upcoming arrival.

Try a camp out with your son. Make a tent (can use chairs and a bed sheet); collect bugs; roast hot dogs; make smores; read a book; lay under the clouds and see if you can see an animal in the clouds (i did it as a kid and i do it with my kids-they get creative).

Play catch/frisbee outside.

Buy a kiddie pool for about $10. you'll have to supervise, but he'll love playing in the swimmimg pool. Good summer investment.

blow bubbles; use sidewalk chalk; catch butterflies and bugs and look em up on the internet and read about them; play dough; building blocks; read books; fingerpaint.

make cookies and let him decorate them. plan a theme meal (use blue jello for the sea and strategically place gummy worms in or around); make worms for lunch (slice hotdogs length wise into thin strips and put them in boiling water and they'll curl up like worms); make your own pizza for lunch; let him help you fold laundry; my son likes, yes likes, to dust.

take a nap together. snuggle up and take a nap--you probably can use one.

Answer 6

Is there a library nearby? Books are always a good thing for kindergarteners. My daughter is 5, and loves to read and be read to. There is computer games on playhousedisney.com that are age appropriate. Try an indoor scavenger hunt. Let him help you do household chores. My daughter loves to help me do anything--even clean toilets. Be creative!

Answer 7

play board games, PC games, color, watch a movie, read books, there are many things the both of you could do together just be creative. If you haven't already get your son prepared for the new baby. If you have dolls teach him how to hold, feed, etc.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

board games, hide & seek, hide & sing [one of you hides an object, and as the other person gets closer to it, the person who hid it sings more and more loudly], color, make pictures by tearing paper into basic shapes then gluing it to paper, make paper chains to countdown to ANYTHING, make cards for relatives, check out books from the library, glue beans to paper to make your names, play catch and bat with a whiffle ball and bat, use sidewalk chalk, hang a rope or chain from a tree for him to swing on, trace leaves, blow bubbles, play frisbee, shoot each other with nerf toys, play dress-up, teach the dog tricks, have your son ALWAYS with you when you are working around the house because there will be so many little things he can do, plus he will learn to do skills well much earlier thanother kids

Answer 9

Kids love baking cookies! they like the taste of cookie dough and brownie batter! as for a snack for both you and him maybe you make little insects and animals out of vegetables or find some kids in the neighborhood to have a play date with.

Answer 10

An indoor activity my kids love that's pretty cheap are board games. They love them. Or you could teach him some easy card games that are suitable for kids.