2. To the Caregiver
As a caregiver, you have ing, reading and singing. and doing things. These
a very important job. For They became small-sized children were growing
many hours each day couch potatoes. and developing to the
you take the place of the fullest.
- Another caregiver, just
ence the child in many down the street, planned 101+ Ways to Keep Kids
ways. every day and had her Busy can help you help
two children active and the children you care for
The early years of the to grow and develop. It’s
child’s life are extremely and doing many fun ac- full of wonderful ideas of
important. The child is tivities. These children things you can plan and do
growing and developing. were alive. They smiled with your children.
You can help the child and laughed and cried and
grow and develop to the giggled! Young children are
fullest. supposed to be active,
Which of these two family curious, questioning,
Not long ago, a caregiver child care homes do you busy, and a host of other
was discovered who al- think was the happiest? things.
lowed the two children Which one had the most
she cared for to watch We hope you’ll use 101+
TV for hours and hours. children’s growth and Ways to Keep Kids Busy
These two children soon development? Of course and we hope you’ll make
became dull children. the answer is the family every effort to help your
They weren’t interested child care home where children grow and de-
in running and jump- the children were active velop to the fullest.
He or she? Him or her?
Please note: In this and all Better Kid Care publications we take turns referring
to children as “he” or “she.” When we use he or she, we include all children.
2 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
3. 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
Have a Telephone show the children the pat- Make a Musical
Conversation tern of the course so that Instrument
A homemade telephone can they know what they have A musical instrument can
help younger children build to crawl over, under, or easily be made with two
their vocabulary skills and through. small paper plates and
also be a lot of fun. The beans. Place the beans on
phone can be made from Make a Necklace one plate. Cover with the
paper or plastic cups. Empty thread spools that other plate. Tape, glue, or
are painted different colors staple the plates together.
The phone line should have can make a safe necklace Encourage the child to play
two “receivers.” Punch a for younger children. They the instrument to music.
small hole in the bottom can even help you make (Due to choking hazards,
of each cup, and push the the necklace. this activity is not intended
ends of a 15 to 20 foot for children under three
string through the holes. Take the spools and string years of age.)
Tie a large knot at each end them together with a soft
of the string. The children string or shoe lace. The
can stretch out the string younger children will enjoy
and begin their conversa- helping you do this.
tion. (Due to strangulation
hazards, this activity is not Colored Sand Art
intended for children under Take dry sand from the
three years of age.) sand box and put a handful Learning Important
into several small contain- Information
Let’s Jump ers. Add some food color- Help a child learn his
Have the children stand ing into each container and telephone number and ad-
with their toes at a starting mix together until the sand dress while playing. Tape
line, which can be made is colored. the house number on a play
using a strip of masking house or the bedroom door.
Give the children some The telephone number
you give a signal, have the paper and glue. Have them can be taped to a play
make patterns with the glue telephone. Ask the child
forward. The distance each to make a design. When his telephone number and
child jumped can be mea- address frequently.
sured with chalk or string. sprinkle the glue with the
Let the children jump again colored sand. Household
to see if they can improve Items
their distance. Counting the Can Be Fun
Dishes Egg cartons, milk
Obstacle Course Have the chil- cartons, empty
An obstacle course can be dren help set the thread spools,
set up either in or out of table for meals or snack
doors. Chairs, old tires, and ask them to count coloring can be used to
stools, and cardboard how many napkins, forks, make fun, safe educational
boxes are just a few things dishes, and spoons will be toys and materials for the
that can be used. Make and needed. children.
3 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
4. Paste Jewelry
What you need:
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup salt warm water
Egg and Milk Ideas with Paper
What you do: Cartons as Toys Children can make a
Mix the ingredients in a collage or book by cutting
Cut egg cartons into
bowl. Add warm water pictures out of old maga-
individual cups and make
gradually until the mixture zines and gluing them on
forms a dough. Before a piece of paper. Make a
a pipe cleaner as a stem.
working with the dough, necklace by cutting out
The children can also make
puppets out of egg cartons colorful magazine strips
the stickiness. The children and wrapping them around
and pipe cleaners.
can shape the dough into a tooth pick. Pull the tooth-
different shaped beads. A Milk cartons can be trans- pick out, glue strip, let dry,
hole can be pierced in each formed into great building and thread between beads.
bead with a toothpick. Dry blocks or a train. To make
the beads on a screen. the blocks, simply cut the Feel Box
top off two cartons and Find an old shoe box. Cut a
Go Bird Watching push them together. The hole in the lid. You can ask
Make a bird feeder out of a blocks can be covered with the children to decorate the
paper milk or juice carton. contact paper. box. Put some things in the
Cut out two opposite side box. Let each child put one
panels and fold down to To make a train, cut the hand in the hole and try to
make a ledge for the birds top off of the carton and guess what is in the box by
to rest on. Let the children cover with contact paper. feeling the objects.
decorate the carton. Put For wheels, glue four egg
a string through the top carton cups on the bottom Experiment with
to hang. The bird feeder of each “car” of the train. Water
can be hung from a tree or The cars can be connected Fill three jars with water
clothesline near a window. with string or yarn. and mark the level on each
Let the children add the jar. Place one jar in the
seed when necessary. Homemade freezer and one in a win-
Puppets dow. Put a
Fun Play Dough Old socks, mit- lid on the
What you need: tens, and lunch third jar
bags make and put it be-
1 part salt interesting side the jar in the
1 part water hand puppets. window. Have
food color Children love to talk the children
through puppets. This check the
What you do: gives them the chance to jars frequently.
Mix and knead until it is create their own charac- Talk about expan-
doughy and the color is sion of water, evapo-
mixed in well. Store in a eyes and noses and yarn for ration, and air.
covered container. hair. The children can even
add clothes, a hat, teeth, or
ears.
4 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
5. Make a Newspaper Make a Megaphone Make Bean Bags
What you need: A clean, empty bleach Help your child sew some
several sheets of paper container with the bottom scrap material together and
safety scissors cut off looks exactly like a
crayons megaphone. The children beans. (Due to choking
construction paper can practice singing or hazards, this activity is not
glue talking to the “crowd.” intended for children under
three years of age.)
What you do: A Theme Collage
A child can make her own What you need: Make a Book
newspaper by drawing old magazines Have the children cut pic-
or dutting out pictures of safety scissors tures from an old maga-
events or writing a simple glue zine. Each child can paste
story. paper the pictures into a book
made of paper and bound
The child can mail the What you do: with yarn. Each child can
newspaper to relatives or Have the children decide write or dictate a short
friends. the theme of the collage. story about each picture.
Write the theme at the
A Noodle top of the paper. They Rough and Smooth
Necklace can look through Young children enjoy
Big uncooked magazines and seeing things change. Let
macaroni, painted cut out pictures children see the difference
or plain, can make that follow the between rough and smooth
a great necklace. theme. Some by using a piece of wood.
Younger children ideas for themes Let them feel the rough
will enjoy thread- are dogs, cats, or wood, and then, with sand-
ing a string or plants. paper, smooth the wood
shoelace through the down.
macaroni. Press Some Flowers
(Due to choking hazards, On a nice day, ask the chil- Flavored Milk
this activity is not intended - Ingredients:
for children under three ers and place them inside a 1 cup milk
years of age.) big heavy book or a stack 1/2 banana, mashed, or
of books. (To protect the 1/2 cup orange juice, or
Start a Collection pages of the book, place a 1/4 cup crushed
Young children like to napkin or paper towel in strawberries
collect things like rocks,
shells, or coins. You can Help the child mix the milk
help children organize the dry. The children can make with one of the ingredi-
collection by labeling the ents, and then shake until
objects as to where they blended. This is a tasty,
were found or who gave piece of paper. nutritious drink.
them to the child.
(Due to choking hazards, Dress-up Follow the Dots
this activity is not intended Old hats, shirts, shoes, You can make a dot-to-dot
for children under three ribbons, junk jewelry, and picture for a child to follow
years of age.) other old clothing will oc- and color. For an older
cupy a child for hours. Let child, make the dots farther
each child pick out his own apart and number them.
costume.
5 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
6. Sounds in the Home excellent. These can be little more than one cup of
Go on a tour of your home used as blocks to build.
with the children and look They could be glued to- pie crust, biscuits or bread.
at everything that makes a gether to make them stable It works best if you com-
sound. Children can make or used as props in acting bine with “store-bought”
a book of the sounds by out a story. The children (For safety reasons,
drawing the object and learn to “read” the picture an adult should operate the
writing the sound. labels and recognize that blender.)
foods come in many forms.
Stick Puppets They may recognize food Cut and Paste
Help the children cut out boxes used at home. Magazine Pictures
several pictures of animals
or people from a magazine. Use Posters to of fruits and vegetables.
The pictures can be glued Decorate The children may tear or
to cardboard and then to Visit your grocery store cut the pictures and glue,
popsicle sticks to make and ask the produce man- paste, or tape the pictures
puppets. ager to give you some pro- to paper. Label the collage
motional materials, such as “My Favorite Vegetables,”
Creating a Peanut large posters or pictures of “The Fruits We Put in Our
Butter Sandwich fruits and vegetables. You Salad,” “Fruits and Veg-
When lunch time arrives, can use these to decorate etables I Want to Taste,” or
the children can create rooms by hanging them on whatever children suggest.
their own sandwiches. Put the wall or making mo-
out some bread, peanut biles. Children may like Classify Fruits and
butter, sliced banana, to paint or make a collage Vegetables
crushed pineapple, dried over large posters.
fruit, relish, raisins, grated pictures, or real fruits and
carrots, or cheese. Let vegetables, encourage
each child decide what she children to group them by
wants in her sandwich. categories, such as: shape,
color, “those I like least,”
Let’s Clean House “those I have tasted,”
Young children enjoy help- “those I have never eaten,”
ing you clean around the or any other categories
house. Cleaning windows their imaginations provide.
is a favorite. Give each As they sort fruits and veg-
child his own cloth. Let Make Your Own etables, they develop basic
Flour
Don’t expect a young child This is a good activity
to last too long. Discuss to do after reading “The
safety rules with the chil- Little Red Hen.” If you
dren and let them help put want to make your own
the cleaning supplies away.
in a blender. Blend on
Build with Boxes
Ask parents to help you produced. One cup of
save empty, clean food grain will make a
boxes with pictures of
fruits and vegetables.
Frozen food packages are
6 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
7. Fruit salad
Ingredients: suggestions:
4 cups water apple
3 large carrots banana
3 potatoes oranges
2 onions melons
2 stalks celery
1 can tomatoes Vegetable
1 can corn salad
suggestions: Act Out a Story
1 can peas
4 teaspoons beef bouillon lettuce Read or tell the children
salt to taste spinach the story of “The Little
tomatoes Red Hen.” Then with your
Heat 4 cups of water and celery help let them tell the story
bouillon in a large pot. Peel
and cut carrots, celery, po- Learn about Grains you leave out. Eventually,
tatoes, and onions. Simmer Visit a farmer, health food they should be able to act
all these ingredients until store, or feed mill to get out the story.
soft. Add tomatoes, corn, some different grains—
and peas. Salt to taste. wheat, barley, alfalfa, oats. Let’s Make...
Cook 10 minutes longer. Let the children look at Make something to wear
them and touch them. How or look at. String cereal
Cooperation Soup are they the same or and/ or macaroni to make
Cooperation Salad different? a necklace, bracelet, or
• Everybody helps decide belt. Wrap tape around one
which vegetables or fruits “Do You Know the end of the yarn or string to
to use. Muffin Man?” make it stiff. (Due to chok-
• Everybody helps wash Have the children help you ing hazards, this activity is
fruits and vegetables. not intended for children
• Everybody helps peel song. The children will en- under three years of age.)
and slice the fruits and joy pretending to sell muf-
vegetables. Children can Make a collage of cereal or
peel things like bananas dry pasta. To help children
and use a dull plastic learn the names of shapes,
knife to slice soft fruits. - use square-shaped “Chex
They can also tear lettuce cereals” and round “Cheer-
and spinach. To be safe, of varieties! ios” for circles. As the chil-
an adult needs to peel dren glue the shapes, talk
and slice other fruits and Song: about their differences and
vegetables. names, such as, “A square
• Everybody gets a chance has four sides.”
to eat.
Let’s All Sew
Soup suggestions: What you need:
carrots man who bakes a lot of cardboard of various sizes,
tomatoes shapes, and colors
potatoes long and short shoelaces
peas yarn or heavy string
paper punch
7 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
8. What you do: Have children collect
Outline a shape on a piece objects that can be used
creatively, such as leaves,
punch to make a series of nuts, seed pods, sticks,
holes around the shape. For etc. In the fall children can
younger children, make the make collages from dif-
shapes simple—a square ferent sizes and shades of
for example—and limit the the shapes and colors on leaves.
number of holes. For older the other. They can lace
children the shape can be on the top of the card to Leaf Figures
an animal or person and match and then return to What you need:
have more holes. Young the bottom of the card to leaves
children can use a shoe- match the next shape. twigs/pipe cleaners
lace, while older children grass
can use a blunt needle From Seed To crayon/construction paper
and string or yarn. Large Flower glue
needles used for needle- What you need: package newsprint/cardboard
point are good for this
activity. They are available of cardboard glue or tape
in plastic and metal. You small container and dirt
may also want to make
the holes larger for young What you do:
children. The cards can be This activity will help chil-
used over and over. (This dren understand how plants
activity is not intended for grow. You can use any type
children under three years of container to plant the
old.) seeds or plant them out-
doors in the garden. Let the
Variations: children look at the seeds.
• Paper plates can be used Plant some and glue or tape What you do:
instead of pieces of card- some on the cardboard and During a nature walk have
label them with the name children collect leaves of
lacing as a picture for the different colors, sizes, and
children to take home. plants have grown, glue or
• Each hole can be given a tape some of the leaves and newsprint or cardboard,
number and the children have the child glue a leaf
can then lace in nu- with the seeds to show how or leaves to form people,
merical order until they a plant grows from a seed. animals, and plants. Other
complete the card. This body parts may be made
activity teaches number You can make different by attaching pipe cleaners,
awareness and sequenc- displays using different drawing with crayons, or
ing. kinds of seeds. Why not from scraps of construc-
• Divide a large piece of make another display using tion paper. Leave it to the
cardboard in half and list vegetable seeds and plants? child’s imagination and
colors and/or shapes on you’ll get a variety of
one side. On the other Let’s Find...
side list the same colors What you need
and/or shapes but in a a paper bag or container to
different order. Have the collect things
children match the shapes
and colors on one side to pictures for nonreaders
8 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
9. outside play area, Don’t expect a three- or
the neighborhood, four-year-old to understand
all these concepts, but it’s
“play dough” to let an introduction to their
the children make learning about how to get
buildings. After the around the neighborhood
How Do I Get buildings have dried, and community. Older chil-
There? they can be painted or food dren may be familiar with
When children go to coloring can be added to the concept of a map. They
school or child care it is the “play dough” before may want you to explain
not unusual for them to ask making the models. Card- more and explore more
an adult, “How do I get board boxes, milk cartons, themselves. They may
there?” or, “How does this paper models, wood, and want to go to the library to
bus driver know where to other creative materials can get a book, like a children’s
go?” Draw a map to show be used and painted instead atlas, and begin activities
where the child lives and of play dough. using it.
how the roads lead to child
Treasure Hunt Giant Paint Pen
care. Point out places the
child knows like a gas sta- A treasure hunt can help Roll-on deodorant contain-
tion, a store, a church, or a children follow directions ers can be used as giant
park. on a map. This is a game paint pens. If possible, pry
that can be played indoors off the top of an empty
Ask the child to draw a or outside. An adult or roll-on deodorant con-
map of how they would go child hides a treasure and tainer. Wash the container
from the kitchen in their draws a map for the chil- thoroughly, dry it, and
home to their bedroom. dren to follow to get to the
Have them show where treasure. Have them make paint. Push the top back
their home is and other various stops along the on and you have a “non-
homes in their neighbor- way to collect extra items. messy” paint pen. The
hood, like friends’ houses. tempera paint cannot be
Scraps of paper can be Let’s Play thick or lumpy. Remember,
glued to add color to this Preschool children like to not all roll-on containers
activity and allow a child play with blocks, trucks, will work.
to use his/her creativity. and cars. Often they will
make roads for their trucks Plastic Eggs
My Room and cars. Sometimes 1. Glue the egg closed.
Children can construct a schools, homes, zoos, and Some children may want to
paper map or model of parks appear along the put sand in the egg before
their child care classroom, road. Although children gluing. This will help it to
school, school building, or may not understand the stand up.
outside play area. Small concept of a map, this is 2. Children can paint on a
pieces of wood and other a good time to begin to face or cut out eyes, nose,
creative materials can be explain that a map helps and mouth and paste on the
used in this project. people get from one place face.
to another. 3. Hair can be anything
A Model that is available: paper, cot-
Older children can discuss Maps are all sizes and ton, yarn, etc.
with the younger children shapes. They explain a 4. Clothes can be colored
the model of the child small community, a nation, tape, paper, paint, or what-
care, school building, or the world. ever is at hand.
9 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
10. Finger Puppets nose, mouth, and hair can What you do:
What you need: be colored with crayon or Have the children paint or
paper and material paints or other items that cover the boxes or tubes
tape or glue children may want to use with paper. They can cut
creative materials to help the puppet “come out and paste on the facial
to life.” You may want to features or use anything
What you do: help children decide on the they want to make their
Children can draw differ- size of the pattern before puppets special. Pipe
ent characters on paper or cutting it out. Remember cleaners, yarn, rope, and
fabric and cut them out. By buttons can all be used to
taping or gluing a ring on head and arms so that chil- create a box or tube
the back of each character dren can make the puppets puppet.
the children can slip the move. Yarn or string makes
great hair, mustaches, and Matching Numbers
and use them to tell a story. beards.
How about using this idea
Valentine
2
Another way to make a
simple pattern that can be
What you need:
paste or glue
safety scissors
crayons or markers
2
glued or sewed together. assorted construction paper
The face can be drawn or
colored. Children can use What you do: or carpet to make a match-
yarn, string, or other Children can make a valen- ing game. Squares can
creative materials for the also be used as “stepping
face, hair, clothes, and their favorite colors. They stones” by writing numbers
other features. can glue or paste decora- on them.
tions on them or draw
Hand Puppets pictures. 2. An old shower curtain or
What you need: plastic tablecloth becomes
fabric or heavy paper Box and Tube an indoor hopscotch game
needle and thread or glue Puppets when permanent-ink mark-
crayons, markers, paints, What you need: ers are used to make lines
and other materials old boxes (cereal, crackers, and numbers. Be sure to
safety scissors
old tubes (paper towels, to prevent accidents.
What you do: toilet paper, wax paper,
The basic pattern of the
hand puppet lets the child creative materials catalog. Cut out a pair of
control the head and arms everything. Paste one to
of the puppet by using
puppet’s head and arms.
If children can sew, they
can use any kind of fabric
for the pattern. Younger
children can use fabric or
heavy paper (glue the sides
paper lunch bags. Eyes,
10 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
11. a small cardboard. Have Paste pictures on pieces Show the children how to
children match up the other of heavy paper or card- clip the item on the cor-
one. board. Punch two holes in responding set of objects.
the edge of each paper or For school-age children,
Number Hopscotch cardboard. Tie the “pages” you may want to use this
What you need: together with string or activity for simple math
masking tape yarn. problems in addition, sub-
dice traction, multiplication, or
Counting division.
What you do: What you need:
This helps children form cardboard circles Paper Plate
a better understanding of clip items—clothespins or Menagerie
numbers and sequencing large paper clips What you need:
and combines matching markers paper plates
concepts with large muscle crayons
- What you do: popsicle sticks
ing tape to form a pattern This is a good way to help staples
children match objects with safety scissors
children you may want to the corresponding numer- yarn
begin by using one die. als or number words. Draw tissue
For older children you can circles on heavy cardboard. other assorted items (paper
increase to a pair of dice or Divide circles into sec- and fabric scraps, but-
make your own dice, using tions, depending on ability
larger numbers. Remem- of the children who will be
ber that children playing working with the circles. In What you do:
hopscotch go from one each section draw a set of
number to another number objects, for instance: base. Young children can
in sequence. Don’t let them create numerous projects
touch the lines or put both 2 birds
feet down. Encourage chil- 3 birds activity, gifts, or seasonal
dren who cannot hop on 4 birds characters, and reinforce
one foot to jump on both concepts and skills.
feet. Make the hopscotch
pattern the right size for the With the stretch of
children playing the game. children’s imagination,
Make a Book become a:
Cut brightly colored
pictures out of magazines. • Hand puppet
You will need at least four • Face made with yarn,
pictures to make a book. scraps of fabric, buttons
You may use more. You • Face with glasses, tissue
can make a book about for nose, comb, etc.
babies, food, dogs, cars, On the clip-on item, print • Turkey
farms, or any other subject, the number of the word. • Tambourine to sew or
or make a book about big For instance: lace
things and little things or • Pumpkin person
tall and short things. 4/Four • Mask
5/Five • Matching activity (good
11 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
12. square, triangle, and Children may use any
• Easter bonnet number of hearts to form
• Clock face them back in where they shapes of their favorite
• Rhythm instrument belong—a great activity for animals. Some animals
• Christmas mail box eye-hand coordination as may be placed in cages to
• Turtle well as identifying shapes. provide a zoo-like back-
• Banjo ground. Scrap materials
may be used to add fea-
• Teddy bear tures to each animal.
• Match and tell (object
Fun With Plants
• Man What to use for planters:
• Elephant • milk cartons—they can
• ABC clock be cut to various sizes
• Sad-glad Raggedy Ann • juice or other cans—
• Rabbit make sure there are no
• Owl sharp edges
• Clown • pie or cake pans
• Angel contact paper shapes, and • plastic containers
• Read-a-book caterpillar letters are other materials • paper or styrofoam cups
used for teaching through • cottage cheese or yogurt
What Shape Is It? the sense of touch and containers
1. Glue various colored
paper shapes (circles,
triangles, squares, and rect-
large plastic container. See a pencil, string, and paper
how many shapes a child clips. Children can prac-
can identify. tice shapes, colors, let-
ters, numbers, and words
2. Cut shapes out of the through this game.
sides of a plastic bottle or
shoe box. Cut the same Valentine Animals What kind of soil:
shapes from paper. Have What you need: You can buy potting soil in
the children sort paper construction paper a store or you can use top
shapes by putting them paste or glue soil and peat moss mixed
through the correct open- scrap materials in equal amounts. Regular
ing in the bottle or box. safety scissors outdoor garden soil may
not be able to hold mois-
3. For a matching game, What you do: ture, so be careful that
use egg cartons. Cut shapes This is a good activity after you use soil that will help
out of stiff paper or felt. a trip to the zoo, reading plants grow.
Glue one of each shape in animal stories, or taking
a section of the egg carton. care of favorite pets. What you need:
The children can match the cotton, yarn, sand
paper or felt shapes with Get children to discuss newspaper or paper towel
the ones in the egg carton. their favorite animals water
or something they have containers
4. Make puzzles from learned about animals. seeds
cereal boxes or old greet-
ing cards. Cut out a circle,
12 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
13. What and how to plant: paper or plastic straws
For rapid growth try grass in various lengths. Have
seeds. Lettuce grows the children cut various
quickly, but does not do sizes of triangles from the
well in hot sun. Bean colored paper or cut and
seeds grow fast and tall. Broiler Sandwiches color white paper. Glue the
They can be grown in For something different, triangles to the straws and
moist cotton, yarn, a paper broil or bake open-faced the straws to the bottom
towel, or a piece of news- sandwiches. The children of the boats. The children
paper. Once the plants have can help put them together. may want to paint or color
sprouted, they will need the cardboard tube before
to be replanted in soil in a Some ideas: the sails are glued to the
container. Water when dry, • Peanut butter and honey boat. You may also want
but not too much. • Cold cuts, cheese, and to glue a half circle to each
tomato end of the tube.
Carrot, beet, and pineapple • Cheese, olive, and crisp
tops can be placed in a bacon Busy Boxes and
shallow container of water • Cheese in cookie cutter Busy Bags (helping
to grow. Let them stand a shapes children be creative)
few days after cutting be- “What can I do?” is a
fore placing in water. It is The children can arrange question every caregiver
the ingredients on the and parent has often heard.
to grow in dirt. bread. Actually, children can do
lots of things at little cost if
Shake a Pudding You do the next part. Bake simple, everyday items—
1. Pour 1 cup milk and a or broil the sandwiches even pieces of junk that
3-ounce package of instant in the oven. Cool before usually get tossed away—
pudding mix into a jar. serving. are available to them.
2. Put jar top on very tight.
3. Hold with two hands and Encourage children to A great idea is to divide
shake. clean up work area and collections of such odds
4. Pour into bowls. table after eating. They and ends into “busy boxes”
learn important self-help or “busy bags.” For exam-
Tasting Party skills and cooperation from ple, children of all ages are
Taste different cheeses these kinds of activities. delighted with a container
by having a tasting party. of:
Include two or three differ- Cardboard Boats
ent kinds of cheese such as What you need: • odds and ends of colored
Mozzarella, Brick, Swiss, cardboard tubes from paper paper
or Edam. towels, wax paper, toilet • old greeting cards
paper, etc. • pipe cleaners
Let the children taste each glue • cotton
one, comparing color, taste, straws • string
and appearance. “Swiss scraps of colored paper • cardboard rolls from
cheese has holes.” “Moz- paints, crayons kitchen or bathroom
zarella is white.” “Cheddar safety scissors • tissue paper
is yellow.” • wrapping paper leftovers
What you do: • used ribbons and bows
Cut the cardboard tubes in • cotton
half lengthwise to make • paper doilies
two separate boats. Cut • egg cartons
13 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
14. • clean plastic meat trays bottles
• several magazines pie pans
• paste and glue other aluminum items
• nontoxic paints
• a “clean-up” cloth or Groups of caregivers and/
paper toweling -
• safety scissors ful to spend some time
• crayons, pencils, markers sharing ideas on:
small empty bottles and
Every box, regardless of its • what kinds of boxes to boxes
purpose, should contain the provide rick-rack, ribbon, scraps of
• what to put into each box fabric
• how children can use sandpaper
Neighbors and grandpar- each box plastic spoons
ents are usually happy to old greeting cards
give caregivers and parents A good idea is to prepare oatmeal boxes
their “junk,” making it one box in advance and, as old socks
possible for caregivers to children start using it, start nails, screws, bolts
provide busy boxes for any making another box. This brown paper bags
season or special event: way there will always be corks, sponges, magnets
one busy box or bag avail- empty shoe polish bottles
Halloween able at all times. popsicle sticks
sick day cardboard tubing
snow time Remember, too, that chil- straws
birthday dren will need a place to old pots and pans
May Day work. measuring cups
rainy day rolling pin
Thanksgiving Some items everyone
potato masher, egg beater
Easter might begin saving are:
clothespins
Valentine’s Day cookie cutters
playmate day milk cartons
aluminum foil pans shells
magazines with color vegetable and juice cans
Even a box for:
pictures
pizza cardboards dress-up clothes
cooking
yarn old clock that ticks
painting
buttons wallpaper scraps
dress-up
string
clay
sewing
coffee cans and lids
cardboard sculpturing
baby food jars and lids
tracing and coloring
(Due to choking hazards,
assorted blocks
the busy box activity is not
intended for children under
three years of age.)
Bead Strings
What you need:
safety scissors
paints
string or yarn
cardboard tubes (from
14 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
15. paper towel or toilet paper cut a “face” from a
slice of bread (save
large macaroni the cut-away bread to
What to do: can be cut into shapes
Cut cardboard tubes into with cookie cutters or
various lengths. Have the into triangles, squares
children paint the tubes and or rectangles. Then
macaroni. When dry, they spread on peanut but-
can string their cardboard ter or cheese spread
tube and macaroni “beads” and decorate. Older chil- Filling:
on the string or yarn. (Due dren can squirt designs
to choking hazards, this with softened cheese tuna OR 3 hard-cooked
activity is not intended for spread from a pastry tube eggs
children under three years onto the bread. 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
of age.) chopped olives, celery, or
Decorations:
Bead String Games Carrot curls, apple slices, salt and pepper
Sequencing and color raisins, banana slices,
matching games can be cheese squares and tri- Children can peel eggs,
played using the strings of angles, pickle and olive chop ingredients with a
beads. slices, slices of cucumber, blunt knife, mix them
or radishes. together, and spread on
bread to make a sandwich.
those on the home-made What’s for Snack? Encourage them to clean
beads, draw color patterns Let the children plan up when done.
on pieces of cardboard, snack. Make a chart of the
for instance, red, red-blue, days of the week. Write in Story Time
blue, etc. Have the children the name of the snack and Children love to listen to
make the same pattern with add a picture of the snack. stories and talk about them.
their beads on their string. You might want to give the It is important to read to
Some children may want to children a few approved children every day.
draw their own patterns on choices or you make the
the cardboard to make their choices and the children Your local library is a good
own games. select the days. Then refer source for books. If pos-
to your week’s calendar/ sible, take the children to
The children can also chart to help the children visit the library. They can
make necklaces, bracelets develop time concepts and choose books to read. The
and other jewelry. Keep reading skills. children’s librarian can
the beads and strings in
boxes or storage cans. (Due Make a Sandwich right for their age. Some
to choking hazards, this Filling children will be able to
activity is not intended for When a young child pre- choose their own books.
children under three years pares a simple sandwich
of age.) Give the children a chance
to look at books, turn pag-
Design a Sandwich Plan ahead and organize es, and look at the pictures.
Instead of plain old peanut Measure ingredients Older children can read
butter and jelly, let children See different forms of food to younger children. After
decorate their sandwiches. Make something good you read a story, talk about
Clean up after himself it with the children.
15 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
16. End the Story talk about their drawings Encourage Good
Read part of a story and with the other children. Snack Habits
ask the children to make Children need regular
up their own ending. They Let’s Pretend snacks and meals each day.
may want to develop new Have some of the children Serve nutritious snacks
characters and places and act out a familiar story with the same routines as
even combine another story that you have read. If they mealtimes. Have the chil-
they know. You may want really like the story, they dren sit down to eat, not eat
to make up a story and let may want to make masks, on the run. (Eating on the
the children give it a new or if a dress-up corner is run is not healthy or safe
ending. available, dress up like
some of the characters. meal and snack times to in-
After Reading a troduce new foods. Never
Story, Ask Questions Pack a Snack make a snack a reward for
Have the children talk good behavior.
about the sequence of the along a simple snack, such
- as orange juice and celery Pretend You Are
duce new words, ideas, or sticks. Take along an old Popcorn
an activity. Some children sheet or light blanket for a Children like creative
might like to bring a book place to sit while they are movements. First pretend
from home and share it eating their snacks. they are little kernels of
with the other children. corn. Then they begin to
Television Can Be sizzle, sizzle, and then
Add a Story More Fun POP! They jump up as
Begin a story and let each larger pieces of popcorn.
child add to the story. activities for television The next step is to be a salt
Watch how ideas, charac- programs that the children shaker or melted butter.
ters, and places change. watch. Ask them: “What
This helps children develop would you do if you were
creativity, improves their in that television pro-
ability to use oral language, gram?” Some children may
and learn to cooperate with want to pretend that they
others. are on television when act-
ing out a story.
Draw a Story
Give each child paper, Eat a Snack You
crayons, paints, markers, Have Read About
or pencils. Let the children Plan snacks that relate to
draw some of the scenes books the children enjoy. Fruit and Vegetable
Display
and characters they liked in
Blue Berries For Sal— Set up an interesting
the story. Ask children to
display for children to
Stone Soup—vegetable explore.
soup
Little Red Hen—bread and On a low table, shelf,
butter
Bread and Jam for up a display of some fruits
Frances—bread and jam and vegetables with a com-
mon theme. Print a sign
telling how they are alike.
16 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
17. All of these are red on the to make a stick puppet. The or put on a play. They can
outside: children can make these in cut pictures out of maga-
tomatoes different sizes and shapes. zines and glue these to the
apples sticks. Yarn or crayons
radishes Fabric scraps can be used can be used to make hair.
beets to make costumes for the Paints or crayons can be
puppets. used to create many differ-
ent kinds of puppets.
Play Restaurant
Make your own props or Stage for Finger
visit a restaurant or fast Puppet Play
food store and ask for cups, Large cardboard boxes
empty boxes, hats, bags, make excellent stages for
menus, and other items. Set
these up so the children can plays after creating their
pretend to be customers or puppets. Cut a section
All of these grew under the restaurant workers. out of the bottom so that
ground: children can reach through
potatoes Scrambled Eggs with their puppets. They
radishes Crack open an egg, put it in can make curtains or other
carrots a bowl, and pass it around decorations for the front of
beets for everyone to see. Then the “stage.” If you do not
crack open 5 or 6 eggs, add have a cardboard box, any
All of these are apples: salt and pepper, and beat.
red apple Cook in an electric skil-
green apple let. Compare the raw egg
yellow apple and the scrambled eggs. song the children like, they
Talk about what you did to can make puppets to use
All of these are potatoes: make them different. Taste when singing or perform-
Idaho potato the scrambled eggs. (Never
red potato taste or eat raw eggs.)
sweet potato Finger Puppets
new potato Stick Puppets
Materials: draw a face on one or more
Paper Bags for stick
Puppets and Masks pencil to use only materials that
Small paper bags can be straw wash off easily.
used to make hand pup- paper
pets. The children can draw safety scissors Tape a piece of paper
faces on them or glue on paints and crayons
scraps of paper to make strip of heavy cardboard The children can draw a
different puppets. small strips of wood face on the paper and have
ruler the puppets talk to each
Larger paper bags can be other.
cardboard
used to make masks. The
glue
bag can be cut and deco- Fingers from old gloves
rated in many ways. Children can draw a face, can be cut and decorated
to create slip-on puppets.
Fill a paper bag with news- People or animals can
and glue it on a stick. They
paper. Tie the open end “come alive” with a child’s
can make more than one
around a stick with string imagination.
and use them to tell a story
17 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
18. Various shapes and sizes What you do: to secure the stocking and
of heavy cardboard can Cut rings from heavy cover with tape. Electri-
also be used. Two holes for cardboard. Let the children cal or masking tape works
paint them. An empty soda best.
can or a stick placed a few
legs. This is an activity feet away can be used as a Give the children light-
that older children may target for ring toss games. weight bean bags, sponges,
enjoy doing with younger Some children might want or lightweight balls to hit
children who are not able to make their own games back and forth with their
to use scissors to cut the and rules. rackets. Remove the stock-
cardboard. ing from the hanger and
More Ring Toss and use it for hoop games. It
Bean Bag Activities can be hung from a tree
Save empty milk cartons to make a moving target,
for the children to decorate held by a child from any
and use for either the ring distance, or hung like a
toss or bean bag games. basketball hoop. If a child
Make various sizes of rings holds the hoop, be sure that
for different size targets. it is at arm-length and that
The ring should be 2 to the object to be thrown is
3 inches larger than the soft and does not have any
Nature Walk target. Milk cartons can jagged edges.
Plan a nature walk. Have also be used as targets
the children talk about for bean bag games. The Like the ring toss and bean
what they might see. Give children can throw the bags bag games, children can
each child a bag and have into the cartons. Cartons make their own rules and
them collect interesting can be stacked in various games. These games can
items, such as small rocks, heights and knocked down be made out of many items
leaves, pine cones, or by throwing the bean bags. that you might normally
sticks. When they return Encourage children to de- throw out. If you do not
home, have them talk about velop their own games and have the items handy,
what they collected. They rules. Activities like these ask parents to bring some
can glue some of the items are fun for many children, things from home.
to a piece of cardboard or including older ones.
put the items in a shoe box. Cardboard Houses
A nature walk is a good Racket and Hoop and Villages
time to talk about outdoor Games Cardboard boxes of all
safety. Bend the hook of a wire sizes allow children almost
clothes hanger so that it limitless play activities
Ring Toss, Bean makes a small circle. Tape and experiences. Small
Bag, Racket and the end so that it does not boxes can become cars,
Hoop Games hurt the hand. Shape the trains, boats, the beginning
What you need: body of the hanger into a of a house or some other
heavy cardboard large circle or oval. Slip building. Larger boxes may
safety scissors a nylon stocking over the be available by contact-
paint and brushes body of the hanger until it ing a local appliance or
milk cartons - department store. These
bean bags ing surface is going to be boxes can be used to make
clothes hanger used to hit small light ob- a house. More than one
tape jects it must be as tight as box can be used to make a
nylon stocking village. Make sure that all
18 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
19. sharp objects like staples a gift. Rock painting is an remind the children that
and wood are removed be- activity for all ages. Give some toys will be ruined if
fore children begin to play. it a try. used in the sand. Try mak-
You can cut windows and ing some sand toys. Cut
doors. The children will Outside Water Play a large plastic milk jug in
love to paint them. The warm summer months half. Put tape on any rough
are great for outside water edges. Half can be used
The only thing that makes - as a funnel and half as a
cardboard a short-term play kler for children to run bucket.
item is the weather. Rain through the spray. Children
will reduce the boxes to pa- must be closely supervised Children enjoy wet sand. A
per in a matter of minutes, at all times around water. variety of sizes and shapes
but children will enjoy Children usually love to of plastic containers can
them while they last. If the play in the water, but some be used to make wet sand
rain does damage the play children may not want to molds.
house, don’t pass up an op- get wet. Remember to plan
portunity to talk about the all activities with the chil-
changes in the cardboard dren in mind. If one child
and how it happened. You does not want to play in the
can help the children dis- water, try to plan another
pose of the cardboard after activity for him to enjoy.
Forcing or embarrassing
with it. children to participate will
create more fear and break
Let’s Make a Tent down the trusting relation-
ship you are trying to build Sand Boxes or Sand
to make tents. Hang some with the children in your Piles
clothesline or thin rope care. You do not need to buy
between two poles or trees. a sand box for sand play.
Secure the bottom with
small sticks or rocks. If you makes a great sand box.
use old sheets or blankets, If you are able to buy or
the children can draw or get some lumber, you can
cut holes for windows. make a box to hold sand.
Tents can be used for many You can also dig a shal-
different play activities. low hole that sand can be
dumped in. These “sand
Painting Rocks box” ideas will help you
Smooth rocks provide and the children keep the
a good surface for the sand in one area and make
children to create a picture it last longer. Be sure to
using tempera paint. After have a protective cover for
the children complete their your sand box.
picture, older children or
- Set rules before children
Sand Toys
gernail polish to protect the play in the sand area. Make
Plastic and wooden
painting as well as to give sure the rules you set are
spoons, pots and pans,
realistic for the age of the
metal spoons, and many
The painted rock can be children. Not throwing
inside toys can be used for
used as a paperweight for sand is very realistic and
playing in sand. You can
19 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
20. important. Most children children begin to under- months of the year, days of
can understand this rule. stand larger numbers. the week, and numbers. A
However, telling children record of the weather can
not to get their hands dirty Number Puzzles be kept by having small
or sand in their clothes What you need: symbols represent weather
is not realistic; most of stiff cardboard conditions: a sun, raindrop,
the time it is impossible. safety scissors
Hands and clothes can be marker etc.
washed after sand play. ruler
Winter Mobile
Catch the Rabbit What you do: An easy-to-make mobile
“1-2-3-4-5.” Cut the cardboard into can be fashioned by bend-
squares or rectangles—all ing up the ends of a coat
hand) - hanger. The children can
“I caught a rabbit alive.” er to write a large number make a variety of things
“6-7-8-9-10.” on each piece of cardboard. to be hung by string or
For the number 1, you will ribbons, like a snowman,
hand) not do any cutting. For all
“I let it go again.” the other numbers, use a snow shovel. Pictures of
“Why did you let it go?” ruler to divide the card- winter scenes can be cut
board into sections. For from magazines, pasted
so.” example, there should be on construction paper, and
2 sections for the number hung on the mobile.
“The little one on my 2, 3 for number 3, etc.
right.” This activity will help the Dress Yourself for
children understand the Winter
right hand) number and allow them to Have the children lie on a
count pieces of the puzzle large piece of paper such as
Number Walk that equal that number. wrapping paper. Draw an
A walk around the neigh- outline around each child’s
borhood can be a fun time A Calendar for All body. Let each child dress
to use numbers. Children Seasons himself or herself for win-
can count houses, cars, Make a large piece of card- ter, using crayons or paints
trees, people ... almost board into a calendar. Paint to draw what to wear. Re-
anything. or cover the cardboard with mind children that we need
paper and mark it off as to dress warmly, which
Number Footsteps a calendar. Numbers can means wearing hats, gloves
What you need: be made or cut out of an or mittens, boots, etc.
cardboard older calendar and pinned
marker or taped on day by day. Shape Snowmen
safety scissors This is an excellent way What you need:
for children to learn the white and colored paper
What you do: safety scissors
Trace children’s footprints glue
on the cardboard and cut crayons or markers
them out. Number the foot-
prints and arrange them What to do:
- Cut circles out of the white
dren will have to follow a paper. Cut various small
sequence. You can increase squares, triangles, and
the number of footsteps as rectangles out of colored
20 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
21. paper. Glue circles to paper paper chains. They make Pencil Holder
to make snowmen. Make a colorful decoration for Glue a paper cup to a piece
faces, hats, and scarves a holiday or special occa- of wood. Paint and then
from the other shapes. sion. decorate with small bits of
wrapping paper or small
This is a good activity for Paper Mache pictures from old greeting
children to practice cutting. What you need: cards.
They can review shapes, newspaper
colors, and talk about size. wallpaper paste or home- Cornstarch Clay
made paste What you need:
3-D Trees 1 cup cornstarch
What you need: What to do: 2 cups salt
tree pattern Tear the newspaper into 1-1/2 cups cold water
green construction paper strips and soak in a con-
pencil tainer of water for 24 mixing bowl
safety scissors hours.
glue What you do:
cotton balls, glitter, paper Mash the paper into a Put salt, food coloring, and
scraps pulpy mass and squeeze 2/3 cup of water in a sauce-
out excess water. Mix with pan and boil. Mix the corn-
What to do: paste. This mixture can be starch and the remaining
Fold paper in half. Trace molded into a variety of water and stir well. Put the
and cut evergreen shapes objects. The children can two mixtures together and
out of paper. You will need paint their paper mache knead like bread dough. The
objects after they are com-
pletely dry. by the children like regular
clay. Store in a covered
Homemade paste container in the refrigera-
tor. The children can mold
with 1 pint water and boil different objects and paint
until consistency of heavy them after they have dried.
cream. Add 1/2 teaspoon
salt and mix. Play Dough
What you need:
Candle Holder
To make a candleholder, 1/2 cup salt
three shapes for each tree. glue small pieces of 1/2 cup water
Glue two of the tree shapes colored paper to a bottle. 1/4 cup vegetable oil or
together on one side only. Another idea is to mix a few drops of liquid
Do the same with the third Elmer’s glue with a little detergent
tree shape. You will now water, dip construction pa-
have a 3-D tree that will per or tissue paper into the
stand up. Glue pieces of mixture, and stick it to the What you do:
cotton or other trims to bottle. Or tear bits of mask-
decorate trees. ing tape and put them on Add the water, oil (or de-
the bottle. Paint or use shoe
Paper Chains polish to add color. For a Knead the mixture as if it
Cut strips of colored paper. were bread dough. Store in
The children can glue these mixture of clear craft glue a covered container or in
together in circles to make mixed with a little water. a plastic bag in the refrig-
erator.
21 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
22. The children can make touching the potato. The an avocado tree. To encour-
objects and allow them to potato will start to vine in age full growth you may
harden. Beads are easy to 2 to 3 weeks. Some people want to “pinch” the main
make and can be strung on have been able to plant the shoot when it is about 6
a string or yarn. Roll into potato vine in soil and have inches tall.
any size of ball or other the plant grow.
desired shape. Before the
mixture hardens, poke a Avocado plants
hole through the middle Starting an avocado plant
with a nail, knitting needle, is very similar to starting
or other slim object. When a potato. Be careful when
the beads harden, the chil- you peel the avocado so
dren can paint and string that you do not damage the
them. pit. Allow the pit to “rest”
for a few days before put-
Sawdust Clay ting into water. The fat
What you need: part of the pit is the bottom
2 cups sawdust and this should be resting
in water. This is done by
1 cup salt water, as needed putting toothpicks around
the middle of the pit. Make
What you do: sure that the bottom is the
Mix the dry materials only part in water. Roots
together. Add water until will start to form in a few
the mixture is moist, but weeks and then the pit can
not wet. This clay dries be placed in soil. Make
very hard and is good for sure the soil is appropriate
modeling and painting. for plants. Potting soil is
best. Place the bottom half
Potatoes and of the pit in the soil. Water
Avocado Pits lightly and keep moist, but
Potatoes and the pits of not wet. In a month you
avocados can be rooted will have the beginning of
in water and then planted.
Both make nice house
plants.
Potato plants
Select a potato with eyes.
One that has begun to de-
velop shoots is best. If you
have a narrow neck glass
water and rest the potato on
the neck of the jar. If you
do not have a narrow neck
jar, put toothpicks in the
do—and rest the toothpicks
on the top of the jar. Make
sure that water is always
22 101+ Ways to Keep Kids Busy
