How often have you heard the lament “Mom, I’m so bored!” That chorus becomes repetitive. Joining another family or two for a play date can be a great solution, but instead of merely dumping out more toys in yet another playroom, try some different activities that involve the whole group.
• Throw a pizza party! Make some dough and grab all the ingredients you can think of to whip up a delicious pizza pie. Toddlers especially love to play with pizza dough. Have everyone make one or two small pizzas catered to their own personal taste with any topping they desire. Be creative and make faces on the pizzas with your ingredients! Just picture a pepperoni nose, olive eyes and a sausage smile – scrumptious!
• Dress all of the kids in old clothes and have a painting party. Spread out newspaper on the kitchen floor or unfinished basement floor and pass out the paintbrushes and paper. Place the paints right in the middle and let everyone go to town creating their own masterpieces. Don’t forget to ooh and ahh over the finished products.
• Camp out indoors. Gather everyone around and assign tasks to build your tent in the living room or basement. Then start a toasty fire in the fireplace and make delicious, gooey s’mores. Read a book or tell stories as you sit around the campfire.
• Plan a scavenger hunt. Create about 10 clues that will send them to different areas of the house (for example, “This is where we have bath time” with the next clue being found in the bathtub). Then at the end, hide a small prize, like a piece of candy, for them to enjoy.
• Host your own story time. Have everyone bring one or two favorite children’s books and arrange a special area with pillows and blankets so the kids (and parents of course) can sprawl out comfortably. Set out a plate of warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies (or let’s be realistic… warm, pre-made cookies will do!) and take turns reading some crowd favorites.
• Try a toy exchange. Grab one or two toys from the toy box that are still in great shape but have lost their appeal with your own brood. Then join several other families, and let everyone choose a new toy to play with. It’ll be like Christmas all over again!
• Swap kids for an afternoon. If you are friends with a family with children similar ages to your kids, this is even more perfect. Have the girls come to your house to play for the afternoon and send the boys to the other house. Or let the older kids hang out together at one home while the toddlers or babies play at another. This mixes up the routine and keeps things lively at both houses!
• Create movie magic. Instead of taking them out to the movies, have your kids create their own! Help them set up a music video complete with dancing or act out a short, simple play while they’re dolled up in dress-up clothes. Don’t forget to capture it all with your digital camera, camcorder or Flip Cam. Then gather around the TV or computer to watch the final product!
Submitted by Courtney Westlake, mom to Connor and Brenna and wife to Evan. She is a freelance writer, portrait photographer and the owner of Westlake Photographer.
