Here are some of the strategies that work well with my daughters when I need to devote some attention to schooling their brother. I try to have several examples from the following list on-hand at all times to pull from when necessary. I hope they help your family as much as they do mine! Want more inspiration? Check out my Toddler Ideas Board on Pinterest.
1. Rice/bean bins. All you need is a bin, some rice or beans, and some scoops or cups. (I use an under-the-bed storage tub because I actually store mine under a bed, and because that way it's long enough for multiple children to use at once.) These require close supervision for really young children, so I set mine up right next to the table I'm working at so the young kids are always in sight. And may I mention that Istrongly prefer beans to rice? You see, beans vacuum and sweep up easily while rice just gets blown every which way.
3. Paint with water books. Yes, they still exist and yes, they are still a great way to get some exploration going with less than half the mess of the full-fledged version.
4. Puzzles. Use the manufactured variety or try making your own by cutting up pictures your child (or a sibling) has drawn.
5. Special Play Boxes. The idea is that you only take these special boxes of toys out when you are homeschooling another child. These are special treats. Change them up every few weeks or so depending upon your younger child’s interests. Here, my youngest daughter is playing with matchbox cars as I work with her brother.
6. Stickers. On paper, on clothes, on favorite chairs...
7. Number Wheels. Print a color wheel and ask kids to place the corresponding clothes pin on the wheel. For details, check out Money Saving Mom's post here. If your child isn't ready for numbers yet, try putting colors onto the wheel and colored dots on the clothes pins for kids to match. If your child is really young, try just giving them clothes pins with a variety of things/materials to attach them to.
8. Legos and blocks. These are great all by themselves, but can also be used in conjunction with props like dolls, cars, shoeboxes and paper towel rolls. What can kids make with them?
9. Tweezers and pom poms. Provide some multi-colored craft pom poms and ask kids to sort by size or color. If the child is still very young, take away the tweezers and give them a yogurt container with a small hole cut in the top to stuff pom poms through. When they are done, open the container and start again.
10. Toddler sewing basket. For instructions on how to assemble one of these babies, go here, to Childhood 101.
11. Pipe cleaners in containers. This is a variation of the pom pom suggestion: cut several small holes in a yogurt or coffee container and ask the child to stick pipe cleaners into them. For added challenge, color hole-reinforcers (like you use in three-hole-punched documents) and ask the child to match the pipe cleaner color to the hole reinforcer color.
12. Magazine scavenger hunts. Really young kids can just rip up the pages, but slightly older toddlers can search through pages to find items you ask for, like pictures of smiles, flowers, a Mommy, etc.
13. Alphabet or picture tracing sheets. This is as easy as laminating an alphabet practice sheet and providing dry erase markers. All done? Wipe and start again.
14. Egg cartons filled with plastic colored eggs. Fill these eggs with little trinkets that will make noise in the eggs. This is enough for young kids. For slightly older kids you can ask them what they hear in the eggs, then have them open the eggs on their own to see if they were correct. (Be careful of very small items for very young children.)
15. Play-Doh filled balloons. You never know what a child is going to create with these, but the sensory experience is the major boon. For details, go here.
16. Pool Noodle Stringing. Cut up pool noodles and provide yarn for little kids to string together.
17. Magnetic Magazine Face-Making. Cut out eyes, ears, mouths, noses, etc. from magazines, laminate, and adhere to magnets. Then, provide your toddler with a magnetic surface to rearrange faces. For details from The Iowa Farmer's Wife, go here.
19. Felt Face-Making. Same idea as above, but you use felt to create facial features and let little hands assemble the faces as they will. This idea can be adjusted to fit any theme you're working on in your homeschool with just a little forethought. Cupcakes, ice cream cones, firetrucks, fish... the list goes on and on. Just create one large, major shape and provide lots of smaller shapes to adorn the large one.
20. Soda bottle filled with glitter, oil, and water. Grab a two-liter and fill it with these ingredients for fun. Roll them, shake them and put them into containers. Remember to glue the cap on before you give this to your child!
These are great! Can't wait to try them with my little guy :) Thanks!
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