Helpful Mom

So you know how your kids get bored and want YOU to come up with the ideas for play?  Or maybe that’s just me…but I don’t think so or there wouldn’t be so many of these books I own with titles like 200 ideas for preschoolers.  Well one such book suggested that one should plan ahead for such times.  They even included a sample sheet to fill out with activities so you can plan ahead the way I mealplan.  So I have begun doing this so I have 7-9 activities planned for the week, whether they be games, crafts, or other activities.  This way I have ideas on hand, I may not use one everyday but I have them ready just in case.  And some days I may use 2-4, it just depends on the day.  My girls love it because most of the ideas they think are fun new things we’ve never done before and I like it because I’ve already screened the ideas and made sure we have the ingredients necessary to make it happen.

I know this takes a bit of work since you have to sit down and write up your activities ahead of time but I can’t tell you how much it has helped to have ideas at the ready on those hairy days.  I did it in one evening writing up 6 weeks worth of activities at one time so you don’t have to do it very often.  And you’ll find that some of the ideas they’ll love so much that they’ll request to do it again and again in the future.  Also while writing out the ideas make sure to make a shopping list of the items you may need to pick up so you’ll truly be prepared.  And if you buy those items you’ll be more likely to follow through and do those crafts.  Or baking, my girls love baking.  I found a great book about teaching the Bible in the kitchen which is for Sunday school teachers to use cooking to teach Bible verses.  My girls love it because they are simple recipes meant for them to help cook, and I like that I can teach them a simple lesson at the same time.  So get out those books with the hundreds of ideas and start picking.