Activties and creative things to do xx

lottiesmummy · #1 (**permalink**) 20-09-07, 00:55

Lets get as many ideas togather xxx

Activites and creative things to do with babies and children xx

Make a sensory or treasury baskets they are wonderful and fun. It lets them explore for themselfs different objects, texture and shapes. Its great to watch to see what they do. It can help with hand and eye corration. Also there consentration span. Ikea have great sensory objects.

Have a small wicker basket and fill it intresting objects and make sure if they are supervized if needed xx

A good game is "kims game" you get a tray with different objects eg car, teddy shiny stone. Easy or hard for different ages. The child looks at the tray and you put a cloth over it. Then you trun around using the cloth you take away a object. Then turn around and ask the child what has gone, Its a great memory game and its easy to do. Childen do really like it. When they get good, you can not take anything away and see what they say x Its great fun and you can change the objects on the tray also let them do it to you they enjoy getting inolved and like it when you find it diffucit. It can really get shy children to have a go. If a child doesnt want to do it its a great game to watch.

In ikea there are round boxes all different sizes. They are about £4 and children can use them as stacking boxes. They are good to put presents in them. Also you can put different odjects inside and put the lids on. Children enjoy opening the boxes to find out whats inside! Put different objects inside. I have seen great square animal prints ones to they look fun. they are in the candle area and wrapping paper. They do great sensory objects as well. My baby likes the finger puppets.The picture frames are good there £1 for about three.Rolls of paper and chunky chalks and crayons.
Also you can get a pillow case and put an object inside and let your child to feel and think what it is. Ask questions eg soft, hard ect. Its another cheep idea that they enjoy. You can have a go to , it can be quite hard.

Cornflower is great to play with. Invest in a tray eg from a gardening center , that you put seeds in or the pound shop. Get one with high side and no holes. Cornflower powder mixed with water. Its very messy and you will find it places and is hard to remove from carpet. But if you have a area to play with it, its great. Its hard, soft, wet. Use spoons or hands to play around. Children need to do messy play. Buy own brand so its cheaper. Porriage oats and jams are great togather. If you have got aprons or overall put them in oversized tshirts with the sleeves rolled up. Jelly is great. Baked beans, cooked or dried pasta.

Get different papers eg xmas or birthday on rolls, tissue paper. sample wallpaper from b and q, crinkle paper. Scatter it around the room and lets them play, hide, explore roll around.
Get a large piece of card put them in wellies and walk around the card with paints. They are make great marks. Take them off use hands and feet.
You can put a piece of paper down and draw around your child. They can draw there eyes, hair ect. It helps them with there idenity. Its a great keep sake.

Also if you dont no if your older baby or toddler knows that thats them in the mirror. Put a dot of red lipstick on your finger and put it between there eyebrows and show themselfs in the mirror. If the try and rub it off then you no they no themselfs. Its great fun to do.

Get a shoebox and when ever you go out to the seaside, woods, or the park collect objects and put them in the box. children sometimes like collecting and looking at what they have got, shell or shiny stone.
You can find a big smooth pebble and your child can paint on it and it can be a door stop or paper weight.

Tree rubbing and leaf printing are fun activites.

Dressing up boxes are great for them to play with. Hats, scalfs, bangles ,bags purses, hand plastic mirriors,empty plastic bottles, boxes, hair brushes, old moble phones, clothes, face flannel, used clean toothpaste tube etc. They can rummage and explore. Things must be for the childs age so they dont chock ect, They must be supervised.

Grow cress its easy to do and the learn to care for something.
Remember to feed the birds in the winter with fat balls with seads in that you can make.The children can watch the birds and learn about them and help the birds through the winter.

Sensory bottles, get used drinks bottles. Washed with the label of. Fill it with lots of baby oil some water and only about two drops of food colouring. Then really put the lids on tight !! Could glue the lids. Young child again must be supervised.When the are turned up side down they look like lava lamps.I have made musical intuments with dried pasta or dried rice even marbles. But the lids must be tight!! Even put just water and glitter in them. Its endless. Small coke bottles are good because of the shape. Use different shaped and size bottles.

Have a small tent\ play house and put toys and objects. It can be great fun to play with them inside.

Book bags are great. Have a book "goldielocks and the three bears" and have props in there eg three bears, bowl and spoon ect. Then when you read the story use the props it can make them more intrested, Keep it all in a pillow case. Primark are selling them really reasonable.
You can display there drawing and stickings by pegging them on string arcross the wall.
You can buy maganetic paint to paint on the wall for the them to display things on. Also paint a square on the wall for them to have there own chalk board.

Children like junk modeling. Have empy boxes, straws ect. But not toilet roll cause of hygine or egg boxes. Then can stick things that they choose to go togather and create something. They can also paint it when it dries.
In a tray you can put a piece of paper in there with a blob of paint and put a marble in there. The child can roll it around and create a marble rolling picture. Its really affective looking. Also in the tray put eg sugar or sand and let them play making marks in it and pattens. Using fingers, paintbrushes spoons ect. Also in the tray have a piece of paper and blobs of paint and a straw and the older child can blow through the straw and make a lovely picture.

There are many different paints, metalic and glitter. You can make up your own with glitter and sequins.Also there are great paint tools they make different shapes and pattens. Roller and printing stamps. ELC sell them and I got a bid pack from the pound shop.

In water tray you can put in food colouring and glitter ect. Also freeze ice cubes with objects inside and watch them melt in the water. They can learn lots of science.

In wicks they have the big black trays that they mix the cement in. They were £10 the last time I saw them. They are great to have on the floor and to do messy or creative play in it.

Trase images from colouring book for your children to colour in.

Display your childrens artwork somewhere and be proud and tell them you are of them.

Download activity sheet from websites for children to colour in and do stickings.

Have a flower bed or vegtable patch for your child to grow there own.

will post more on xxxx

post any other activites and creative things to do xxx the more the merryier xx

Sending lots of fun and happiness to all

love lauren xxx

Ellie H · #2 (**permalink**) 20-09-07, 00:57

Oooooo, so glad you posted this for us Lauren!

So many brilliant ideas!

Thank you!

xxxxxxxxxx

Spooncat · #3 (**permalink**) 20-09-07, 08:25

Great ideas this should be made a "sticky" thread so it doesnt get lost - kayxx

bevvsedge · #4 (**permalink**) 20-09-07, 08:49

* I have been putting pasta, rice and lentils in plastic bottles to use when I play with Ollie, he is so interested in the different sounds and when I put it by his hands and feet he enjoys knocking it over.

* Something thats fab fun and makes brilliant Art work is to paint your childrens hands, elbows, knees and feet and let them run, crawl etc on a big sheet of paper/fabric. They will have sich fun making marks and experimenting and you will have a piece of Art worthy of the Turner prize! hehe,(obviously this is an outdoor project) I can't wait til Ollie is old enough to do this.

*Make your own playdough,

Play Dough

Ingredients
1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
½ a cup of salt
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Method
Place all ingredients into a saucepan on a low to medium heat

Stir until the mixture bonds into a dough

If you would like to make your play dough coloured add a little food colouring, glitter or some children’s paint to the mixture whilst in the pan. If you would like to add an interesting smell add some peppermint essence or grated orange peel.

As long as you store your homemade play dough in an airtight container it can last for up to one month.

* Something I did with kids at Art Club, and they loved it!

You need:
Round washing up Bowl
Paint, a few different colours
Marbles/small balls
Paper

Draw around the bottom of the bowl to make a few circilar discs. Blue tac into the bowl.
Dip marbles into paint one at a time and encourage your child to move the bowl so that the marble "paints a picture" for you.
More is more with this and the results are fab!