Just Three Balloons

I blew up three balloons, and who would've thought that this would entertain a boy for hours! We played a few games. First, we tried to keep them in the air as long as possible. Then we played where I would throw them and my son would try to catch them before they fell to the ground. It was a hit!

Cereal Box Garage

I had an empty cereal box and wanted to make something fun for my son. I googled "cereal box crafts" and found this post on another blog http://frugalfun4boys.com/2010/10/05/cereal-box-parking-garage/

(I guess she got it from familyfun.com)

I actually just looked at the pictures and made up my own. I didn't have toilet paper rolls so I just made tubes out of cardstock. It probably doesn't look as presentable as I'd wish, but my 3 year-old doesn't mind. :) He's having fun so far!

Potato Stampers

What you need:

two small potatoes

small knife

paint

construction paper

Wash two small potatoes. It's better if they're small for little hands. Cut them in half and carve out the shapes you want on each. Use a different color for each shape and stamp them on a piece of construction paper. Have fun!

Lion Plate Mask

What you need:

paper or foam plate

brown and orange paint

brush

orange construction paper

glue

tape

brown crayon

black marker

popsicle stick

scissors

felt triangle for nose

Paint the edge of the paint orange and the inside brown. While it is drying cut out strips of orange construction paper and scribble some lines on them. Then take your scissors and curl the paper as if you were curling ribbon. When the paint dries cut out eyes and glue the strips around the plate. Tape a popsicle stick to the back so your child can hold it in front of his face. Glue the nose and draw a mouth with a marker.

Egg Hunt Snack Time

So I have a little boy who is not a big fan of eating. He's not picky, he just doesn't eat much when he does decide to eat. I came up with this idea to get him excited about eating snacks. I fill his easter eggs with small crackers, raisins, even a few with mini marshmallows. I hide them around the house and he goes around eating them and putting them in his basket. He asks me to do this all the time. He loves it!

Noise Maker

What you need:

empty toilet paper roll

scraps of paper

scissors

mod podge

uncooked rice

sponge brush

This was another easy one. We cut small pieces of paper. Then I helped glue a larger piece of paper on one end with mod podge. Then my son glued the little papers onto the roll using mod podge. We "mod podged" the top of the paper too to make it glossy. Then filled the tube about one fourth full of rice. I finished it up by sealing the other end with another piece of paper. When it was dry we put on some fun music and marched around making some noise!

Wind Sock

This is a very simple craft.

What you need:

Construction paper

watercolor paints

tissue paper or streamers

glue or stapler

piece of string

So I'm all about making things with what I have. We painted the construction paper together with watercolors and stapled it together when it was dry to make a cylinder shape. Then we cut out long strips of tissue paper (if you have streamers that would be easier) and we stapled them to the bottom of our cylinder. We stapled the string to the top of the cylinder. Voila! We had a wind sock. Easy!

Nutrition Relay

So I've had these big cards from my teaching days with me and I though I could have a little nutrition lesson with my son. We talked about the names of the foods and how food gives us energy. (It was short! He's three and he has a very short attention span) Anyway, to help him practice the names of the food, and get him moving, I put the cards against the wall in another room. I had about 15 or so. I would tell him what food I wanted and he'd run and get it. He thought this was really fun. I thought you could do something like this with any topic really, like shapes, letters, colors, etc. It's a great way to get him moving (and tired) and learning something new.

Sheppard Software

I was informed about this wonderful website with great learning games for children. They have all kinds of topics for all ages. Check it out. My son loves playing the pre-k games. He's actually getting better at using the mouse every time.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/

Metamucil Slime

What you need:

1 tsp Metamucil

8oz water

microwave safe bowl

microwave oven

Time required: 15 minutes

1. mix 1 tsp of metamucil with 1 cup of water in a bowl.

2. Microwave for 4-5 min.

3. Let the mixture cool slightly, then repeat step 2

The more you repeat it the more rubbery it will be.

4. After 3-5 runs in the microwave pour slime on a plate or cookie sheet to cool.

(You can store it at room temperature in a baggie for months. It will last indefinitely in a sealed bag in the refrigerator.

Kids will love playing with this slime/flubber. Not intended to be eaten :)

I didn't come up with this recipe. My husband got it from a cub scout day camp he attended last week.

Animal Obstacle Course

For this activity I printed off four or five pictures of animals and set up an obstacle course around the house. When my son reached each animal he would run, gallop, crawl, or flap his wings like that animal. He had fun pretending with this game. It's a great game to release some wiggles, especially if you're having an inside day.

Puppet Theater

I used a large t.v. box to make this easy puppet theater. My son and I painted it together.

Materials:

cardboard box

hot glue

box cutter

paint

glue

scrapbook paper for the stars

old fabric for the curtains