Okay, I know some of you are curious about the wedding and wanting to see pictures, but I haven't even unpacked! :) It was a great day and I will post about that soon, but I've had a post on my mind for days and I want to get started.
Let's make a list! I need helpful hints about what to do with a nineteen month old and a three year old when it's miserable outside! Suggestions? Condolences? Wisecracks? I'll take them.
Here's what I have so far:
1. Coloring/crafts/playdough
2. Library
3. Barnes and Noble and the train table (haven't tried it yet)
4. Monkey Joes (fun but pricey)
5. Pet store browsing (I have a feeling this one will end in an adoption)
5 comments:
Here's some things we do/have done in the past: Chuck E Cheese at like 10AM (not crowded and you don't even have to stay for lunch, just play games); any fast food restaurant playground; put a sheet over the table and let them pretend they are camping; hide and seek (Mers just recently got good at not giving us away--she hides every time with somebody); Kidsenses, although it's a drive (call me and we will go with you!); just take the stroller and walk the mall or if you want to drive to Haywood Mall they have that indoor playground; red light/green light inside, only using colored index cards so they kind of get the gist of the game; pull out any of your old toys from the attic--to the kids it's like finding dinosaur bones!
I want to clarify. When I said to put a sheet over the table and let them pretend they are camping, I did not mean at the fast food restaurant!!!!
For Monkey Joe's if you get the Upstate Parent mag they have coupons in there. A couple of things I have done w/ my kids is pop popcorn or have some snacks and rent a movie, they can even play like they are going to the movies to where they have to buy the tickets and the snacks for like a penny or better yet you can be the customer.
Go to familyfun.com they always have some great little crafts you can do.
The libary is also haveing some kind of reading time they are usually posted in the Sunday paper which location is doing what...
Maybe a drive but there is a place in Columbia called Edaventure they have stuff for all ages to do... and I think the muesum there is free.
My kids love to go to Toysrus. There is lots of fun stuff to do in there. We always have a rule that we aren't buying anything only looking and making our list for birthday or christmas which ever is next. We usually spend about an hour in there and the kids beg to go back!!
Hey Sarah Beth!
My advice comes from my previous Nannying job. Some fun things I would do with the girls were:
1. allowing them to play dress-up/fashion show. I know Hannah is at the age where she will love it, and Emily is in the stage where she probably follows everything Hannah does, so together, they could play dress-up for an hour or so with the "choice set" of clothes that you let them use.
2. Find a good movie that they both enjoy. The one year old that I was watching before I moved back home with mom, was so much into Seseme Street, that she would sit there and watch the whole show without budging...and it was so cute to watch her sing, dance, and count with the people/characters on the show.
3. Just be creative with them. You may even want to ask Hannah (since she understands more concepts than Emily right now), as her what she wants to do inside the house. Whenever I would ask one year old Elise what she wanted to do, I would get a response like, "Jeja, I want to eat eat! or Jeja, go upstairs to my room! Jeja, I go night-night!" Although she is young, she knows what she wants to do!
***Also, because you have preschoolers, you can always incorporate fun creative things to do throughout the day that take up time!
It doesn't have to be a "set" schedule, but something like:
1.wake up
2.get dressed
3.eat breakfast
4.play time for about an hour
5.do a craft involved with numbers, colors, shapes, and ABC's...Emily is still learning these things at her age, and it is review for Hannah! :0)
6.eat lunch
7.nap time
8.snack time
9.watch a movie
10.when you begin to prepare dinner, get the girls to help you in some things. I bet they would love to be able to help...even in the small things! :0)
Post a Comment