10 Ideas for Incorporating Fun and Play Into Your Child’s Daily Activities!

The Hub and TwitterMoms asked mom bloggers like myself to share 10 ideas of how we incorporate fun and play into our child’s daily activities.

I don’t know about you, but every morning, I am greeted with the same words from my 4 year old. “What are we going to do today?”

I’m sure many of you other moms out there wonder that yourself, and try to come up with new ideas. So here are 10 things that we do in our home, and hopefully you will find this information helpful.

1. Chalk It Up- Writing with chalk on the cement is one of my kids all time favorites. It allows them to express themselves and if they are ready to write, they can practice their letters. And when they are finished, they can take the hose and wash it off. They will then have a blank slate ready to go for the next day.

2. Gardening- Why not get the kiddos outside so they can soak up some Vitamin D and help clean up the yard. They don’t know that it is work, and it gives them an opportunity to dig in the dirt and play with the water hose. Plus, if they are really good, they can pull some weeds for you.

3. Build a Fort- This is something that I always enjoyed as a child, and my little ones love it also. We pull out all the chairs from the dining room table, and grab every blanket we can find around the house and put them all over it. I then grab flash lights, and the kids crawl in. They have such a blast.

4. Head to Chuck E Cheese – Sometimes, Chuck is our entertainment. We head up around 10:00am when there isn’t a crowd, and I usually buy $5.00 in tokens. The kids play for an hour or so, the kids burn some energy, collect their prize, and by the time we are finished, they are ready for lunch and a nap. And, Chuck E Cheese has a nice reward calendars set up for those trying to potty train or teach responsibilities: Chuck E Cheese Reward Calendars

5. Park Play- We have play time every day, but why not take it to the park. Parks are a great resource to have in your community. Not only do they provide a scenic view, but they provide an area where the kids can run and get some exercise. Plus, if you bring a picnic, the kids get a kick out of eating outside.

6. Stamping – It is messy, but the kids love it. I invested in an apron, and I always lay down plenty of newspaper. It keeps the kids busy for 30 minutes or so, and they have a blast seeing all the colors wash down the sink when they are finished.

7. Coloring- I teach my children a letter of the alphabet each day. I make coloring pages on request by either printing them from First School or drawing the pictures myself of things that relate to the letters. The kids love putting in the requests and watching moms artistic abilities. Plus, they love showing me the beautiful pictures they have drawn.

8. Music Time with Dance- Play time can be music time. I put on a children’s CD and we sing and dance. It is great exercise for all of us. We get to learn new songs and the kids teach me some new dance moves.

9. Name the letter- Learning time can be game time. We play a game that I made up using foam letters. I set up a bucket and hand my 4 year old a letter from the alphabet. He tells me the letter, we talk about what words start with that letter, and then he tries to toss it in the bucket. He does it until he makes it in. And of course we applaud and cheer him on. It teaches letters, sounds, and hand eye coordination.

10. Cutting and Crafting- Pretty self explanatory. Break out the crayons, markers, stamps, scissors, and get to making something. I usually base it around the season. So for example, right now we are making pumpkins from construction paper and decorating them. When we are finished, I hang them up in the window for all to see.

Plus, for some additional ways entertain your children, check out the Hub at Hubworld.com

I bet you will get some thank yous, smiles and good naps out of some of these activities.

Have any great ideas you would like to share? I would love to hear from you.

At Home Moma

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and The Hub blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

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