Troubleshooting: How Do I Keep Them Busy???
Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 1:05AM Tai Wrote:
My question is one I know you have answered a thousand times, but it seems to be my biggest struggle at the moment. My eldest is seven. He seems to focus and do much better on his lessons when there is NO distraction. The smallest bit of noise from his younger sisters (almost five and three years old) will have him out of sorts and distracted. Our playroom is right next to the school room (in order for me to keep a better eye on the girls). My only solution has been to let the girls go downstairs and watch a movie while we do school. But this can’t go on. I think my three year old is getting addicted…(I am only somewhat joking on that one!). Any suggestions, on how to help him focused with some distraction? Or how to keep a three year quiet without a t.v. to entertain her? – Thanks!!
And Christine wrote:
I second Tai’s problem! My boys are 7, 4 and 2. Right now the most productive/easier route is to have school during nap time. But the 4-year-old is giving up naps and this tired, pregnant girl could really use a rest!
And Jennifer wrote:
I need ideas for independent Activities for my 6yog. Her siblings are 11, 16 and 18 and they are busy with school in the afternoon when she’s been done since 10:30! She needs a simple schedule.
♥
Way back in January of 2006, I posted a really great list put together by someone else, and I love her suggestions. I'll repost it here, and then I'd love if you all would chime in with your suggestions in the comments, as well.
The following list was initially submitted on The Well Trained Mind Forums by Michelle in response to the question posed about what items might keep a 30-month-old busy during school. She then graciously elaborated in an email to me so that I could pass along her terrific ideas:
Craft Items That Aren't Very Messy
-twistable crayons (little ones can't peel the paper off and the crayons
don't break)
-foam sticker shapes or shapes with a jumbo glue stick - my boys like to make their own designs and patterns with these
-hole punch
-stickers (can decorate with them, or use blank labels and let them make their own stickers)
-simple coloring pages (let them color the pages/book, then go back through and cut out the pictures to decorate other things or make their own scrapbook - we love the Crayola spiral bound sketch books sold at Wal Mart for this)
-connect the dots
- rubbing plates- these from Amazon are really great
-true stencils aren't a hit here, maybe too detailed, but they love tracing shapes from the Lauri puzzles, then coloring them in and cutting them out
-Perler Beads - they love the tweezers too, good for fine motor - these get pulled out daily here, my kids can't get enough of them, the Perler website has some fun ideas as well
-pipe cleaners - bend into creatures or use to string bead patterns
-modeling clay for the preschoolers
-painting with water colors
-save empty containers/boxes for back up
Other Ideas
-retractable measuring tape (I think mine are broken annually. Buy cheapies!)
-dress up clothes & a laundry basket
-toss a king size flat sheet over the kitchen table
-pattern blocks and boards (my kids like Super Mind)
-Leap Frog DVD's
-Fisher Price Little People flash cards
-Leap Frog Fridge Phonics
-puzzles
-Kid K'nex
-Primary Bucket Balance
-Melissa & Doug Wooden Clock (numbers, shapes, colors/shades & telling time)
-Touch & Feel cards - we have colors/shapes they are board type flashcards
-music favorites that don't annoy mom (Kendra here- we love Go Fish!)
-Discovery Toys
Activities With Mom
-Brainquest - love the 2-3 & 3-4 year sets
-games: Sequence for Kids, Blokus, Letter of the Day Bingo, Sesame Street Bingo, Animal Upon Animal, Cranium Hullabaloo, Hi Ho Cherry O
-books, books, more books
♥
Of course, you could always just give them your camera during naptime
Reader Comments (12)
Thank you for this-very helpful. I have a 26 month old boy who has stopped napping, a four year old playing or doing fun educational games and a ten year old trying to work. The ten year old likes quiet too.
This list will be printed out!
Adding some of our ideas:
water painting-books which are painted with just water and a picture appears
wooden train set
Duplo
play dough-although does get messy!
allowing to stand at the kitchen sink and pour-messy but does allow his brother to do maths in the next room in peace
I don't know what this is called but we have a painted wooden board with fixed in painted vehicles which he can run along "roads" in the board. Quiet too!
The four year old "reading" (aka repeating) books she knows well to the two year old.
Cutting old vegetable/flower brochures and sticking the results.
Looking forward to more ideas.
Limiting the toys that my children have access to has really helped. When my "big" kids have chores or school work to do and my little ones need to be distracted (so they don't become distractions!) I pull out one of our toy bins. They are expected to play quietly with these toys, the small basket of toys kept in the living room, or look at books. My little ones are 17 months, 3 yrs, and the 5 year old joins them sometimes.
Monday- brio type trains
Tuesday- wooden blocks
Wednesday- Mr. Potato head
Thursday- Little people
Friday- duplo
(any grouping of similar toys can work, we've had several other groupings in the past, and I'm thinking of putting together a new bin for my little girls)
This takes a bit of training, but they get used to it fairly quickly. At this point this system is all my little ones know since I started it six years ago. Not having access to anything they want helps focus their attention on that one toy, they also appreciate the time with that toy since they don't see it every day.
*We do include the little ones in our circle time and they have quiet activities they do at the table with us then. My big kids have learned not to get too distracted, while my little ones are learning not to BE distractions... its a balance we're still working on.
So my little guy (21 months old) has Sensory Processing Disorder among other things so I thought I'd chime in with a few things we have done for him so we can have a somewhat peaceful circle time:
1. hide puzzle pieces in a tupperware bowl with dry beans. He fishes them out and puts the puzzle together
2. butcher paper on the table so he can draw
3. rocking horse with Vital Sounds Listening Program
4. We installed an indoor swing ... with a cracker in one hand as he swings he's a happy camper
5. Signing Time, Signing Time, Signing Time...
6. My husband and I recorded our voices reading books for him (complete with a fake chime to turn the page LOL)
7. 5 lbs weighted ball rolling back and forth with him while I'm talking
8. Cheapo ball pit for him to play in
9. Stickers go a long LONG way in this house!
10. This may sound crazy but baths really work for our little guy so if we all have to read in the bathroom while he's taking a bath... that's what we do
11. We love the What's in the Bible Series on DVD
12. Electric tooth brush. It makes an annoying sound but it gives the little guy the proprioception input he needs and it keeps his mouth quiet!!!
13. We found a train track table at a yard sale and he can play with the trains for quite some time
14. Weighted bear. I took one of his favorite teddy bears, cut around the bow on it's neck. Filled it with aquarium rock in plastic baggies and sewed it back together. Carrying it around gives him heavy work
15. We have a lightening mcQueen kids travel suitcase that we filled with two 4lbs weights. He drags that around as heavy work.
We're still in a lot of trial and error here ourselves but so far those are some of his favorites!
Thank you soooo much for the ideas! After 7 kiddos and almost 14 years of use a lot of our busy/fun stuff has worn out or lost many pieces. Our littlest gal will be 3 in May...I think I just found some fun things to get her! :)
Us too, Carmen!
A sand or rice box and shallow baby pool right outside the door where I was working on school was a great distraction. I would trade out the toys they played with in the box or pool to keep it interesting. And the lid went on during non-school hours to keep it fresh.
Krissy-Both my kiddos have SPD and I can't wait to implement some of your ideas! Especially the heavy work.
I love all these ideas, Love the Lauri puzzles, a box of beans (like sand to do scooping) also have really liked the Hot Dots jr. series. Fun, travel friendly and interactive. I looked at the leapfrog similar item and it was so expensive. Also they have add on dots where you can make up your own questions and just purchase some dots and use the fancy pen. This is a sample of what i am talking about http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-Hot-Dots-Cards/dp/B0035FVVEQ
Love all these great ideas - and even those in the comments!! Thank you so much for sharing - even without an older sibling - these activities will come in handy when trying to keep the little ones busy busy busy!
Here is a link to the set-up that worked for me this year. I used it to keep my three-year-old busy during school time. It is a practical way to apply all these great ideas. For me it is easier to have everything ready to go and on the shelf, and this set-up made it easier for me to do that.
http://thereisnogreaterthing.blogspot.com/2011/01/preschool-trays.html
Sensory Bins have also been a huge hit with us. He will play with it for a long time. (And he doesn't seem to notice that I still haven't changed out the Valentine's Day theme.) Here are a couple recent ones we have done:
http://thereisnogreaterthing.blogspot.com/search/label/sensory%20bin
Thanks for the suggestions- Kendra and commenters alike. I am always looking for new ideas to keep the "littles" happy while the "bigs" study.
Reading all of your suggestions brought back memories of my own kiddo at that age . . . I required a "reading nap" after she was about 2 1/2 (not wanting to nap any longer in the afternoon).
I told her she did not have to go to sleep, but she needed to pick 3 books to take to her bed for "rest time". On days where her little body really DID need the sleep, she slept. On other days she just looked at the books.
If she hadn't fallen asleep within about 30 minutes, I would allow her to get up and play quietly in her room for the duration. Sweet times!