What to do with a four year old girl?

[CheerfulYank]

I am going to watch one family in my home starting in September, 3 days a week.

It was originally going to be a little boy (he would be 14 months) and I was prepared for that as I have a DD only one month older.

However, his 4 year old sister will now be coming too. She is used to being at a child minder's with lots of other kids, so I'm not sure what to do with her to keep her from being bored! I have a seven year old DS as well as DD, so not a lot f toys in her age range.

I can do cooking projects etc, but what are some things to do to keep her from being bored?

*other things :)

I'll have her from about 7:30 til 12:30. She will be going to preschool in the afternoon. :)

Arts and crafts, visit a playground, cooking and baking, writing practice, play doh projects, dressing up... It really all depends on what you are doing with the others

My DS will be at school so it'll just be the little ones and her. :) I'm sure it will all work out, I'm just kind of nervous with her having come from having lots of kids to play with, to just me and the babies.

Are you in the UK? You need to be a registered childminder to look after children in your own home here. It's actually illegal otherwise, but you can look after them in their own home, but you'd probably need to be employed as a nanny.

Anyway, if you are elsewhere...
My DD is 3.5 loves craft activities, especially sticking. Currently, she likes covering a piece of card with glue and sticking things she has either cut out of magazines or things she has collected from the garden onto it.
You can do a similar thing with turned over masking tape (to make a bracelet that you can stick leaves etc onto.
We do a lot of play doh too, but she prefers the texture of the one that you make.
She also plays lots of games, orchard games do a lot of educational games for that age group and also hungry hippos, elefun and wack-a-mole are good.

She will also colour more and for longer periods of time and generally she does need less physical activity than my older boys did at that age.
I presume you've also kept your DS's toys from that age..I've also older Ds's and she'll happily play with their trains/cars etc, although she seems to enact a social situation with the toys much more than the boys ever did.

If you do get one girly toy, I'd get the pink princess tent from ELC (you can get discount codes so don't buy with less that a 15% discount). She and her friends play with is constantly and have "sleepovers with their teddies" hide in there, make "cakes"..

Good ideas, thanks! DS does have a teepee so maybe she'd like that. :)

I am in the US. In my state you can child mind for one family without a license.

When DS was four he loved "helping" so maybe she'll like doing little things like feeding the fish, watering plants etc.

She's a really sweet little girl, I'm starting to look forward to it a lot.

Must admit rising 4's are hard as some need school but just miss the cut of point

Sure she will enjoy playing with 7yr toys but as others said crafts like cooking paintin play dough will be enjoyed

You could take out to a m&t in am some days or see what activites sure start have near you

Babies will sleep pm while she is at pre school so sounds as if you will also have a break - essential when 2 small babies who aren't twins

I think you need to find activities, indoor & out, that will work for both her & the babies as well as making sure there is a zone in the house, perhaps at the table or even with her in the playpen, when she can draw or do craft or play with playmobil without interference from the babies. Yes, she will probably like helping but will obviously need supervision which may be tricky with two crawlers. I would also suggest taking her to the park & local soft play and finding out what equipment she can do by herself, what she is pretty OK on but needs a hand at a certain point on & what she is guaranteed to get stuck on as then, when you are all out together, you will know which bits she can have free access too.

Also, don't forget stories, OP! Most four-year-olds love listening to stories and it is excellent for developing their vocabulary, especially if you ask her questions and discuss the action and pictures etc. I would recommend the Usborne fairy tale books - they have different ones for various ages/stages of children. Also, Nursery Rhymes -children of four usually love them -and looking at the pictures - and they can learn some which is good for their memory and confidence. So you could have special story time every day for her, while the babies are asleep or crawl around you!

Another activity for indoors is sticker books- Usborne make a fantastic range including animals, pirates, fairies, seaworld and princesses so you could allow her to choose a topic she is interested in. Once you''ve started her off (I find peeling off the "background" paper around the stickers really helps), she can do a whole "scene" or page by herself and this should engage her for 15 - 20 minutes at a time. Just make sure she is working at a level where she can't be disturbed by "helpful" toddlers!

What good ideas! Thank you :)

We live in a small town so no soft play or anything. Out playground is the school playground so can only use it at certain times as the school is using it for recess. There is a nature park though, with a big field and trails by the river. Though that may be problematic with two such little ones! I also have a bug swing set and trampoline with enclosure in my backyard.

Also no Sure Start as we're American. :(

The library has storytime every few weeks and also as a playhouse that kids love, so we can go there and play and get lots of books.

I'm just worried as she is leaving the daycare where she has been since she was 2 months old. It will be an adjustment for the poor girl and I'm sure she'll miss her old friends and her old environment.

I do have some friends with DC close to her age, maybe if it's all right with her mom they can come over to play for a bit.

Typos galore!

I did mean a BIG swing set, I do not have a playground for bugs in my backyard. :o