Activities for 5 Y/o and Under

Allison, Here are a few websites that I used in the classroom:
www.kidssoup.com
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.amazingmoms.com
www.first-school.ws/
www.preschoolrainbow.org
www.preschoolexpress.com/art_station.shtml (this one has SO MANY FABULOUS ideas)
Hope this helps!
Enjoy:)

Because of the age differance from the oldest to the youngest it is sometimes tricky keeping everyone happy; including yourself. When my middle child was born 2 months premature I became a stay at home mom and babysat. With the children I babysat and all the neighborhood kids that I some how adopted that summer I learned to be real creative. All kids like tents made inside. I would use my older sheets and tack them to the walls, ceiling or whatever suited the kids at the time. Then they would set off with their imagination. Whether they are camping in the forest surrounded by wild animals or play like they were royalty. It would last for hours sometimes. Another thing is a scavenger hunt. The way I would make up ours was also educational. For the younger ones it was find something blue, red, and white. But three differant things that had mostly that color. And they would get a piece of paper with the color and the name spelled out. The older kids got things alittle harder. A pop tab, a maple leaf, a bobby pin, or clothes pin. The oldest kids would take the middle ones with them and let them hold their bag of goodies while they went to prearranged neighbors and ask them if they had a certain item. If you don't have neighbors or ones you can trust it can be anything out side. If you want to be real daring come up with off the wall things and say find it. But give them some plastic gloves because mine would dig in the dirt, mug, whatever if they happened to know or think they once saw it there. Another thing my kids liked to do was make Macaroni Art. Sometimes when I had free time before hand I would cut out simple pictures or tear some out of a coloring book. And have the kids use a glue stick and glue their macaronis to the picture but trying to trace the picture as they go. And when they were done everyone put on one of my old T-shirts and painted their art. Sidewalk chalk is also lots of fun. Especially if you get out there with them and draw a town, or a race track that they drive their match box cars around. My boys loved that. We would even get a stiff piece of cardboard and go in the yard where only dirt grew; and "Pave" them a track with lots of curves. Another fun game we used to play inside was hide and seek. When my youngest was the only one home during the day while the other ones were at school we would play hide and seek our style. I would hide but after he looked one or two places he would call out, Mom I can't find you. I would say; I am in here. But stay where I was until he found me. He learned too that just because he can't see me, doesn't mean I am not close. When we first started playing he would get scared and cry but when I called his name he would smile and start right back up. There were many days I would have to turn him down for a game of hide and seek. He's 11 and when it is nasty outside and house work is done, we've been known to play acouple rounds. Good luck and I hope this helps.

I worked ina day care for four years in college as well as babysat. Here are a few ideas.
Carwash-either in sink or a tub of water. Give them a rag and cars (or any toys to clean). Will entertain for a LONG time and will also get toys clean.

You can also put rice or noodels with cups, animals, sppons etc to explore.

Make a big banner. Craft paper can be bought on a big roll and outline something (Happy birthday etc.) and have them paint, color, collage, glue etc Then hang...

Bake, cook, make fruit solad,

And play outside, every day, if only for 10 minutes. It will exhaust them all and fresh air is great!

There are a few great books out there titled Kid Concoctions, by local authors. They have wonderful ideas for things to do with items you have at home. www.familyfun.com is also a great website to check out. Libraries are also a great resource for activites, who knows once you see one book it may just get your creativity flowing! Good Luck

In the craft section of walmart, or any store really like that, they have wooden sticks, like tongue depressers. They have so many different crafts you can do with it!

One of the best activities for 5 year olds is playing card games like "Go Fish." It is a big help to them in learning to count and to recognize numbers in a fun situation. Another activity for that age group is making "music" in a marching band, with you as the conductor, by playing home-made instruments (such as drumming on old oatmeal cartons, banging pan lids, shaking rattles made by putting gravel in juice cartons and sealing the tops with tape). You sing and march and try to have them keep in rythm. Noisy but fun.

Kids Craft Weekly is a great place to find ideas: http://www.kidscraftweekly.com/

also having been a preschool teacher I used www.preschooleducation.com a lot to get songs, books, easy crafts, etc.

Hope that helps!

Hi there! I don't know if you are around the Solon, Ohio, area, but we have an AWESOME organization called the Solon Early Childhood PTA. We have activities throughout the year - field trips, adult outings, book club, coffee club, parties, etc. that you can take part in. I know that that really doesn't answer your question about the arts/craft ideas, but it is a great opportunity to get out and about (if you are in the area). One website I have found to be helpful is www.familyfun.com. They have great, creative ideas for new things to do at home. I hope that this helps!!! If you want more information about anything, including the Solon Early Childhood PTA, feel free to contact me! Have a good day and good luck!

N.
____@____.com

If you do not mind a little bit of a mess I let my 2 year
old paint. He started around one. I buy the elmers glue paint to go. Everything you need is in one small package. I buy big poster board and let him go to town. It is washable so it is easy to clean it off of him. Another thing he loves is bubbles. They have motorized bubble machines. He tries to catch them in his hands. Keeps him busy!!