Amusing the kids

My kids both love paper mache. Yes its messy but they love it and it keeps them busy.

Ghee, thats a tough one. Probably you can ask them to make something out from papers or old newspapers.

I am forever running out of ideas and time. I buy story books, read with him, mouldable robots, craft paper, story writing, painting …I have tried everything in the time I can spare for him. Nothing has worked. He gets bored very soon and then its back to TV again. I cant run after him all the time so sometimes I allow him, sometimes I force him to sit with his story books, or moulds or painting stuff but I don’t like to force him. It should come spontaneously from within. Actually I think he is becoming a bit lazy too. He just wants to go out and play but that is not possible all the time. And now the schools are closed so it’s a nightmare for me. glad to know your daughter has started clay-modeling though. It’s a good hobby.

what about crap books. my son loves that,he gets to pick cool paper and stickers to add and he loves it. he had a bunch of pictures from summer and school activites so i got a little scap book for him and we sat to make one. he loves helping me and asked if he could make another one this year. he also used the stuff to make a sign to put on his bedroom door with his school picture. its really cute

Why not make some puppets from socks..or go to the dollar store and buy some that are the bath scrubby things and pique their imaginations by doing little plays or playing out their favorite story from their favorite books? I do that with my granddaughter who is three...she loves playing with the puppets!

We all get together, me and my kids and we get to clean the house. We sing and dance. I dont like to put the kids in summer classes, so I learn some good crafts and got the materials and we all work on that craft. We read some good story books and I enact the story to my kids. I encourage them to tell stories that I have told them.

What about a scavenger hunt? Pick out a few items and have them find it or something that goes along with it... such has a brush goes with a comb. It will let their minds go. You can also do it with matching the color of the object as well. You said apart from painting but I have a fun thing to do but it is very messy finger painting with pudding. The kids loved doing that and aside from the mess it is a lot of fun and brings a lot of giggles. A nonmovement game is making up a story together. Let each one add to the story and write it down so when you are done you have a book. I miss my girls being little they don't like to play like this anymore. Well at least not when friends are around*L* Good luck!

I would get a hobby book and learn something new with the kids. There are so many great things to do besides watching tv. Reading is fun. Dancing and singing. Playing a board game. making paperdolls and playing with them for hours. The best way to go though is to let the kids decide. They have great imagination and need to use it to stay creative and inquisitive