Things to occupy for hours

well...hours in kid time. Usually amounts to about an hour or half an hour. Either way these have proven to be great pleasers and have provided much needed time to do dishes or sweep. :)

1. Giant (washable) ink pads and shape stamps.

Reinforces early math skills: naming shapes.

Also just a good source of tactile exploration.

2. Playdough!!

Big hit in our house. Used with letter cookie cutters helped

with letter naming and sounds. Also shapes, cause and effect (press).

FUN! FUN!

3. Sandbox! Another hit! So messy, so much fun.

I couldn't afford a large crab shaped one so bought this storage bin

and the crayola sand and a few toys and presto, sandbox. Kid doesn't care what

shape it is. Same affect, 1/3 the price. I wasn't always excited about the mess or that eventually

he learned he could crawl in the box, but how do you ask a kid to stop being a kid?

Both kids got in on the action. The younger needs to be watched more, but

how wonderful for early exploration! Also taught the older one to tolerate and

share with his sister.

4. Watertable

We bought this for J last summer for his birthday. We have used it daily (excluding cold months, of course) since then. This summer we have put water and beans in to change it up some. Both were fun for the kids. Water seems to be the most popular. Kids love water!