Keeping little minds busy and engaged is always a challenge. Whether it’s the quiet time while you drink your morning coffee or when the evening rush of cooking dinner hits, you want something to keep your child entertained and out of the way or away from creating a disaster in your home! These are a few of our favorite easy set-up, low mess activities that have been huge hits in our house!
Threading Pasta – Dye pasta with a handful of pasta in a plastic bag with a tablespoon of water and 10 drops of food coloring. Shake until well mixed and then spread the pasta out onto wax/parchment paper and let dry overnight. Grab some Play-Doh and split into small balls. Stick a straw in each Play-Doh ball. Let your child thread the pasta onto the straws. This activity has lots of options – thread by color, thread a specific number of pasta pieces, or just free play!
Dried Beans – Buy a bag of dried beans and place them into a plastic container. Add cups, spoons, or even small construction vehicle toys. Let your child transfer beans between the container and cups, etc.
Ice Cube Bugs – Freeze small counting toys, such as bugs, in a muffin tin. Once frozen transfer into a large plastic bin. Fill up a squirt bottle with warm water and let your child squirt the ice to free the toys from the ice. {Pro tip: get several bottles filled up at once if you can or you will be filling up the bottle repeatedly during the activity.}
There are so many resources on Pinterest, as well as bloggers who have easy set-up activities. What is your favorite way to keep your kids’ hands and minds busy?
