1. Try a new to you park/playground.
2. If the weather is passable head for the water: beach, river or lake.
3. Cubby/playhouse building: Give them large manchester items (sheets, blankets etc) and permission to move some furniture around.
4. Add a mattress to 3 (above) and let them camp out.
5. Talking about camping out... set up a small tent in the backyard.
6. Add a mattress to 6 (above) and let them really camp out.
7. Go to that mall that has the big free indoor playground (bring a magazine and drink of your choice).
8. Let them wash the dishes.... seriously, anyone under about 7 years old generally loves this task.
9. Give them glass cleaner and suitable rags (as per above generally enjoyed by under 7's).
10. Buy microwave popcorn and get movies from friends, neighbours or the DVD store.
11. Go to the library.... weekly!
12. Read the stories you got at the library.
13. Give them a smallish amount of cash and free reign at the Dollar store or similar.
14. Head to the Museum.
15. Take public Transport.... sometimes it doesn't even matter where.... but if you can hope off for a packed lunch in the middle then even better.
16. Freeze Dinosaurs in a ice cream container full of ice the night before and give to kids with a small hammer, warm water, and salt for excavation.
17. Bake... even just pikelets.
18. Garden: get some cheap flowering annuals or cherry tomatoes and plant them in pots or straight in the garden... watering them each day is a fun task- especially with spray bottles.
19. Gather treasure- go on a bush walk or beach comb- or whatever suits your location and collect 'treasures': sticks, feather, seed pods, flowers, leaves, and such.
20. Get messy.... take the collected treasures and add water and soil.... mud pies and all sorts.
21.Have them take a long bath.... chuck your kids in the bath with the intention of letting them stay as long as they like.... add things like Bubble bath, kitchen tools, funnels and other plastic or metal implements, ice cubes etc. Add hot water as needed. Sit and read a book while they do. Completely ignore anything except the sound of drowning- mops were made for cleaning up after fun like this.
22. Get pampered. My kids like to brush my hair and massage me.... they enjoy it! This is one of the few real perks of being a mum... take advantage before they start to charge you for their services.
23. Make a treasure hunt with either verbal or written clues. Or if you have one hide treasure in the sandpit when they're in bed for them to dig up the next day.
24. Play with food.... rice coloured with food colouring and a couple of drops of something that smells good. Or add dry pasta and kidney beans to a pot with a wooden spoon and a sieve. Make playdough.
25. Ask a friend over to play.
26. Paint the house- a small bucket with a handle filled with water and a large clean paint brush. Go forth and 'paint with water'.
27. Make books.... fold A4 paper in half and staple- provide drawing implements and leave them to it.
28. They like to move it move.... turn up the music loud and dance it out... maybe with instruments and also fun on the back lawn... or with the lights low.
29. Make an obstacle course inside with furniture... or outside with whatever you got.
30. Watch the Telly... it's ok sometimes and it's even better if you find some of the stuff you enjoyed as a kid... Dangermouse, The Muppet Show or just Looney Tunes. Either watch them on your laptop in bed or via the TV if you have a flash one that can stream the internet. Or try watching cat jumping fails on youtube.... hilarity will ensue!
And remember- sometimes you just need to leave them to it.... lots of times actually.
♥
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