Last week I ended up watching a couple of neighbor kids for the day. Babysitting is always so intimidating. I feel like I have to entertain the kids for the entire time, and make sure that they are safe every minute of the day, when in reality, most days I let Clark entertain himself as much as he can. I love playing with my kids, be laundry has to be folded, dinner prepared, and diapers change; plus, I can only play dinosaurs or cars for SO long.
In an effort to entertain the kids, we did some impromptu crafting. We grabbed a couple of felt circles, that I'd previously cut out for an unrelated project, and a pipe cleaner.
It kept the kids entertained for a good 20 minutes, and then I was back to scrambling for more toddler entertainment.
We are watching a different little girl this week. I'm happy to have her, but exhausted already. We'll see what sorts of activities we come up with this time. Any suggestions? What are your favorite activities to do while watching other people's children?
3 comments:
I feel the same way about babysitting!! I love your butterfly idea. I try reading new books but that only lasts for so long. Maybe playing with flashlights or playdoh if you don't mind the mess? Freeze dancing? Make a blanket fort?
PS We were reading "One Fish Two Fish" today and when we got to the page about Clark Ansley said, "hey! I have a friend named Clark!"
these butterflies are awesome, so simple - that even my 3 year old could do it! So gonna have to try it with them. Thanks for sharing!
Ashley over at Make It and Love It had a really fun craft...more butterflies, but they are made with paper towels and colored water. That would be super easy and fun to throw together! Several years ago, a friend of mine watched my two oldest kids while I took an exam. She let them make peanut butter play dough. They still talk about it to this day, and always ask her if they can make some when we go to her house. :-) There's a good recipe for it on Our Best Bites, I think. But basically, it's peanut butter and powdered sugar.
Post a Comment