Finding Children Shows in VietnameseI am raising my kids bilingual while living in the US. I am always trying to find ways to help my kids be exposed to the Vietnamese language more. One way that I do this is through children's shows that have Vietnamese. In the last couple years, Netflix has been increasing the number of shows that it has dubbed in Vietnamese or has Vietnamese subtitles.
Frog Jumping ActivityDid you know some frogs can jump over 20 times the length of their bodies? That means that if people could jump like frogs, we would be able to jump over 100 feet! Here is a fun activity to do outside with your kids. Join in and compare your jumps!
Toddler Activities for Learning at HomeI got this awesome list from my dear friend, Hannah, who is a teacher. I got her blessing to publish this list of activities she sent out to friends who were looking for ideas of what to do with their kids during the COVID-19 school and daycare closures. Check out what great ideas she has.
Reuse Hanger Size Markers For Educational ActivitiesWhen you teach, every single item you come into contact with starts having multiple purposes. I never want to throw anything away because I might think of a craft or activity later. During my part time job at Kmart, we had to take off the hanger size markers for clearance clothing. We were throwing out so many and I started thinking about how I could use them in the classroom.
Toddler Time for Discounted RatesAt select locations, there is "toddler time" where you and your toddler can jump/play at a discounted price - generally this is the time when bigger kids are in school and adults are at work. This is a great time to bring your toddler because it is much safer as there won't be any rough play generally and everyone is of the same age.
Pipe Cleaners as Cargo for Toy TrainI observed my four-year-old play with his train and he cut up some pipe cleaners. I asked why. He said it's cargo so it's like he's delivering things on his train route. So cute to see toddlers come up ideas using their own imagination and it doesn't require "actual toys", but pipe cleaners!
Blanket for Easy Toy PickupWhen the kids were younger, I use to spend a lot of time picking up their toys. I learned an easier way eventually. Put a blanket under them to play on and when they are done, just pick up the blanket with the toys on it and dump them back into the toy box.
Free Kids DIY Workshop at Home DepotThere are over 2,200 Home Depot's around the world. Check to see if your local Home Depot participates in free workshops for kids. You will need to register your child. What's awesome is everything is free.
Reusable Dry Erase PocketsIf you have kids, these reusable dry erase pockets are extremely useful. The trim of the pockets are neon and fun which attracts attention of the littles ones! No need for laminating papers, just slide the worksheet(s) in and allow your kids to be able to write on them like a dry eraser board.
Window Cling Matching PuzzleThese darling little window clings make charming matching puzzles for children to play with. The children can examine the texture and feel of the clings, place them on a tray, then put them back in the place where they belong.
Spray Bottle for Toddler PlayMy son's obsessed with using spray bottles, but I can't always find helpful things for him to do with them (like watering plants). So today I offered him a bowl to spray the water into. It captivated his attention for quite awhile.
Toddler Tweezer Pick Up GameI found my toddler on the floor playing with a chip clip the other day. He was using it like a pair of tweezers, picking up small toys, and putting them into his trash truck. This is a simple activity that is great for their fine motor skills.
Pom Poms for Toddler PlayToddlers seem naturally attracted to pom poms! Those fuzzy, colorful pom poms can be used for many things other than crafts. My son loves to use them with his toy dump trucks. He loads them up and dumps them out over and over again.
Felt Scraps for Toddler PlayI make a lot of felt crafts and the other day my son found my pile of scraps. He wanted them so I gave him a few, and after awhile he returned for the whole pile. He uses them with his little bulldozer and other heavy equipment vehicles. As he plays with them we can work on learning his colors.
Wall "Painting" as Rainy Day ActivityIt's raining. It's been a long, long day. The kids are bored. Get a bucket of warm water and a couple of paint brushes - the big kind that the kids see on the movies. Put them in the bathroom and ask them to 'paint the walls'.
Pudding as Edible Finger PaintIf you've got a toddler like mine who likes to put everything in his mouth, just mix some food coloring in vanilla pudding, and let your toddler play!
Yogurt as Edible FingerpaintsYou can take a little container of yogurt and mix it with Koolaid. It will make a colorful fingerpaint that won't taste as bad as the other fingerpaint does. :)
Save Packaging For Frugal Play FoodI have many times bought the kids those play food kits, and I always found they tired of the stuff quickly. Now I save empty boxes of food and keep switching the stuff around so they always have different play food.
Dress Up BoxFor kids who like to dress up you can fill up a box of dress up items from a thrift shop. Also add some accessories from the dollar store. You can also find Halloween reduced costumes in stores.
Keeping Child Occupied at Outdoor EventBack when my son was in band and my youngest child was very small, we spent a lot of time at the football field. Our daughter would get so bored and would be a real nuisance.
Lacing Project for PreschoolersI take care of a couple of preschoolers a few hours each week. Lately they are into "lacing". I made my own lacing boards. Store bought ones run from $2 to $12.
Store Puzzle Pieces in Ziploc BagsMy toddler grandson loves puzzles. We have many boxes of them - 35-55 pieces each. So the pieces don't get mixed up with other puzzles, I bag each puzzle in a zip locked baggy (sandwich size) and place it back into the puzzle box.
Tent For Toddler Play AreaInstead of buying expensive decorations for a toddler birthday party, put your child's crib mattress inside a small tent for a play area. For safety reasons, don't zip up the side door.
Dishpan SandboxNow that is is getting so hot and also rainy here, I am going to buy a dishpan at the dollar store and some play sand at Walmart and give it as a present to the little ones who come over to play.
Mess Free Finger PaintTo keep a preschooler amused and creative, you'll need a gallon press-lock bag and a couple different colors of finger paint. Put a tablespoon of each color in the bag - the more color, the more fun.
Cut Up Advertising Magnets for Children's ActivitiesEntertain your kids by giving them cut-up vinyl magnets that come stuck to the front of your phone book!
Cleaning With Small ChildrenIt is hard to get the house clean with little ones under your feet. I put my 2 year old daughter, standing in a chair, at the kitchen sink, with old towels all around the floor. I give her measuring cups, spoons, bowls, etc.
Rainy Day "Birthday" PartyAfter kids parties, there are inevitably left over themed plates, napkins, cups, and decorations. I saved these all together, then one rainy day we had an impromptu birthday party. My kids were bored, so I reminded them it was one of their dolls birthday!
Save Plastic Lids for Toddler ToysI did this when my kids were small, the youngest is now 32. I did it for my older grandkids, and I am now doing it for the younger grandkids and great grandkids.
Thrifty Toddler EntertainmentWe have a lot of toys for my 16 month old son. He's really rough on them, throwing them around and stepping on them. While we have bought a few toys brand new, we prefer to buy them used.
Learn Colors at Bath TimeTeach your kids colors by letting them choose a little bit of food coloring for their baths. With a regular box of blue, green, yellow and red, you can make a lot of colors.
Craft: Picture Books for Little ChildrenMy little one doesn't seem to like board books with drawings for pictures, and rather than go out and buy more books, I decided to make them. I used ziplock bags (not the zipper lock bags), construction paper, old magazines, and yarn.
Preschooler Activity TubDo you have a toddler or pre-schooler who likes to participate in small activities during the day? Organize them!
Helping Little Ones Find Their Computer GamesMy kids have lots of games on the computer, but my youngest has tendency to forget where the games are located, and which game is which. So, I came up with an easy solution. I made a folder on my desktop with a picture he would recognize right away, inside the folder I put in all his games and made picture icons for them with clips from the game itself.
Too Many Toys?A wise friend once told me when my children were young that the best solution to constantly picking up toys was to go through the toy box and pick out toys to pack away for later and narrow down the choices the child has to make.
Alternative to Commercial TV ViewingWhen my kids were little, I didn't want them to watch much television. But, their friends got to watch TV, and they wanted to watch, too.
Egg Carton BellsI just got back last night from a weekend of fun and games with my 5 year old granddaughter, Megan. We all know how little kids love to give presents to grown ups. She gave me some bells that she had made from a recycled paper egg carton. You just cut out the little cups and paint.
Keep Kids Amused With A Hole PunchInvest in several deco hole punches and keep some of your nicer junk mail that is a pretty color or nice texture. When the grandkids or neighbor kids come over, put them to work "helping".
Recycle Crib Sheets for a PlayhouseWhen my toddler graduated from a crib to a twin mattress, I gave my older two children the worn out crib sheets. Earlier I'd brought home big boxes for them which they used to create a home, cutting out windows and entries.
Make Your Own Toy FoodI see toy food for sale all the time and think that not only is it a waste of money. It may not even be safe with all the recent recalls. Save pint-sized milk cartons, empty pizza boxes, empty mac n'cheese boxes, any food container.
Lasagne Noodles For Toy CarsDry lasagne noodles work well as ramps for toy match cars! Also use glue them on cardboard for roads.
