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Noah is keeping us very busy these days. Play-Doh has been a dear friend. lol. I dare say he's the most strong-willed of our four and very busy.

I'm hoping you wonderful mamas can help me think outside the box and share some ideas.

Your thoughts are appreciated,

I put together some preschool activity bags that he can do independently. I posted some of my ideas not too long ago so you might be able to find that post. I also linked (I think) to a site that has a book with LOTS of bag ideas. I just got the little activities together and put them each in a gallon freezer bag. He gets one in his high chair and we change them out every 10-15 minutes.

He is by far my most challenging one as everything we give him gets chewed, ripped, torn, eaten, broken, thrown, or otherwise destroyed. Mostly mouthing of some sorts. Not sure why. We just can't trust him with most fun things most 2.5 yo boys get to do.


I just found my post and I'll just copy and paste it here:

I've made some preschool activity bags. There are actually books with tons of bags to make for under a dollar. You get some independent play items and place them in a gallon ziploc bag. I've made some without the books for my 2.5 yo WILD child...never met one wilder! LOL I put him in his highchair and let him have one. I change it out every 10-15 minutes. This could buy me up 30-45 minutes at a time.

Here's some I've made (and they've been great!)
~Tan/Black construction paper with 2 large paintbrushes. Give him a sheet with a little cup of water to "paint with water"
~Army guys
~Chalk and dark construction paper
~sponge animals
~pizza pan with magnetic letters
~muffin pan, assorted colors of craft pom poms to sort by color-I put different colors of paint in the bottom of the muffin cups to give him a head start
~stiff paper and safety scissors...'nuf said
~color books with jumbo crayons
~small dry erase board with a few markers and the eraser...he likes the eraser part
~paper towel and toilet paper rollers and a super ball or a couple hot wheels to tunnel through them
~pizza pan with hot wheels...makes a great race track

The books can be found here: http://www.activitybags.com/
Here's another site with some links and great ideas http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/prescho ... vities.htm

Thanks so much Tamara! These are wonderful ideas. He will love his own scissors... safety of course!

What works best for my 2 year old dd is plenty of fingerpaints and paper, assorted paintbrushes, sponges. It is the messiest of all but, it keeps her the busiest for a long stretch of time.
She also loves her own glue bottle, paper, and any tiny items that can be glued to her paper. Again, totally messy, but it really engages her for a long time.

Also, she really likes empty egg cartons along with small items, toys, that can be put in and out of the cartons.
Another winner is a small Magnetic Activity Kit. It comes with a magnetic wand, and a bunch of different magnetic items such as colored marbles, chips, and rings. Keeps her entertained and the clean up is super easy!

Candice

I've been thinking a lot lately about this Workbox idea, and while I don't have a toddler right now, I do have an active 4 yo who keeps us distracted. I think I may give him his own boxes with these special toy/craft ideas.

I haven't started HOD yet, but we have been doing cyberschool for 2 yrs. Some things I have done with my littles to keep them busy:

Paint with water
playdough/clay
sorting beans into empty egg cartons
coloring pages
letting them watch leapfrog dvd
a ball rolling thing I Found in a book things to do with toddlers and 2's- save an old wrapping paper tube (or similar)- 'hang' it from a stair rail or between 2 chairs at an angle- let the child roll various balls down the tube into a bucket.
pitch and toss with mini bean bags
practice cutting an old magazine
listen to a book on tape (I like to have my older dd's make them)
look at a family photo albulm
puzzles
An old phone, not plugged in, junk mail to open, an old checkbook to 'play' bank-- my kids love playing they are making phone calls, or getting mail....

(I keep certain things that they can only play with during school time, puzzles, coloring, paint with water-- by having these only at those time, they look foward to it)

Brenda

My kids each have their own crate for their school books and workbox (including my 3yoa girl). At the beginning of the year she had "stuff" like the rest of them and when those books, puzzles, etc. . . got boring she would go play or I would pull out some art supplies. I also rotating things in her crate for variety. At four, her favorite distraction was stringing beads into necklaces and bracelets for the family.

I'm making my list for our next trip to Target!

Thank you all!

I include my 3 y.o. as much as possible. She sits in for reading and participates in the activity. For copy work and/or spelling I give her her name or her letter for the week on an index card. She has the same copy work and spelling books as the older kids. Usually she just doodles though. I have a modified work box system going. But she has her own. It has her LHTH stuff in it, a kumon wookbook for cutting, a colouring book, etc. My best advice is include your son in everything you can and then the other postsers had great ideas for things to keep him occupied when you can't.

Mine is almost 2 and he loves to do the rhyme and song with us. I will usually hold him on my lap during history and story time. While the others are doing their workbooks sometimes I will give him a coloring book and crayons, blocks, or he will play his toys or hangs out with me on my lap. If he is cranky then I put him down for a nap or he will play in his crib for a little bit and then is usually able to rejoin the family a happier little fellow.

He has his own little rotation he goes through. Some of the easiest parts of the rotation that have helped me to be able to teach the olders...
*gated off our entry and put a blanket down with different toys each day (I childproofed it first ) and leave the door open so he can see us
*Barney video in high chair with his snack and juice
*30 minute play time with 6 yo, then 30 minute play time with 9 yo (both playtimes are in gated off room in basement with toys)
*outdoor "recess" time first thing in the morning with everyone, and at noon with everyone (but not me)
*low level cupboards in kitchen full of learning toys (magnadoodle, books, puzzles, coloring books, etc); he knows this is for him and helps himself (I usually try to have him choose something and then help him set it out and get started with it)

HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

I have found that mostly he can join in when we are doing LHFHG.He can join in on the science/art drama.He can do the rhymes in motion and he can [and indeed loves] to be part of all those.We struggled to get the quiet we need for phonic lessons.So we scheduled that for breakfast time when Daddy was still around and could either help out with The Reading Lesson or could entertain/distract the toddler[and often the toddler would be eating breakfast]
The math is needing more intermitant help so I set up both boys with their math.Toddler math is sticking little foam shapes[matching colours] sorting fuzzy pompom s into a tray.I have an egg box with coloured circles in or colouring /puzzle
The readalouds get done after the boys have a break and I have scheduled some time to read and play with the toddler.I then set up a few toys for him to play.Cotton reels to thread,little people,playdough.......
Hand writing gets done while I manage both boys doing pen work
The rest rest of it gets done together as a family
HTH