32 Ways to Play with Your Child Today

I am horrible at playing with my kids. I can only handle so many traffic jams and voyages across the sea on the U.F.S. ship before I am making up excuses and sneaking off to do something else. This leads to great amounts of guilt, yes. I wish I was better at this! Here's what I discovered about myself though: I really like playing with my kids if there is some structure to it, and I do feel that spending time having fun together is SO important! Also, if there is a set time for our playing together each day, everyone seems happier and looks forward to it.

After Ellis was born, we invented "Mommy School" as a way for Henry & I to get to spend positive time together. We did reading practice, coloring/tracing practice, and then the Mommy School activity. It was nice to have a special time scheduled into each day (we did it right after lunch) to spend together. Since Henry started Joy School, we haven't been as religious about Mommy School, but we still enjoy doing letter-writing practice when we can, and we still love the activities. JoDee emailed me recently asking for ideas on what to do for the activities. I typed them up in response to her, and thought it wouldn't hurt to post them here.

I kept ideas like this folded up on pieces of paper in a jar, and we could choose one each day. The rule: the ideas had to be simple enough to gather materials and prepare for it in less than 2 minutes. Most of them involve objects you probably have lying around your house. I'm looking for new, similar ideas, if you'd like to share them! I'll give you my 32 if you'll leave an idea or two in the comment section. Deal?

Here are the ideas (gathered from everywhere, from Joy School to Real Simple to the I Can Trace books):

1. Sorting (different colored beans, goldfish, whatever you have) into different cups
2. Stringing pasta or cereal to make a necklace
3. Lace ups
4. Rainbow name (write their name and trace the outline in different colors, like a rainbow)
5. Play dough
6. Typing letters
7. Tweezers/Tongs (moving objects from one bowl or basket to another with tweezers or tongs)
8. Ball/sports
9. Stickers
10. Giant drawing (trace their body and draw a life-size kid)
11. Boggle or Scrabble letters
12. Dominoes
13. Will it float? (have the child gather objects and then guess if they'll sink or float)
14. Follow the leader (sing the Peter Pan song while marching around the house, taking turns being leader)
15. Plant seeds
16. Where's my lid? (give a bunch of containers and lids and have them match them up)
17. Play a game
18. Color mixing (with cups of water and food coloring)
19. Concentration/Memory (play the game or create your own)
20. Bubbles
21. Pbskids.org
22. Fingers and toes (trace fingers and toes and color pictures of them)
23. Hide & seek surprises (have them open containers with screw-off lids with a surprise - toys you already have or tiny treats - inside)
24. "Piano lessons"
25. Bowling (make bowling pins out of household items and bowl)
26. Go for a discovery walk
27. Blanket fort
28. Story writing (have child dictate a story to you; draw or take pictures to illustrate)
29. Paper toys (print, fold, and glue a toy free from The Toy Maker or Paper Toys.
30. Blow bubbles in a cup (using a small amount of dishsoap in water, blowing with a straw!)
31. Finger-paint (with shaving foam, pudding, ketchup, or dishwasher detergent mixed with water)
32. Paint the sidewalk (with a bucket of water and paint brushes)