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Help... indoors with 5yo and 2yo, bored, hot and fed up

9 replies

4gotoindia · 27/03/2009 12:10

Not sure where to put this? and it probably shouldn?t be on overseas, but can?t see where else. So I?ll put it here ? if only as some of you may be able to empathise.
I?m looking for ideas of what to do with my 2 kids at home. Indoors. All day. Most days. They are nearly 6yo son and 2yo daughter. It is very hot here, and we can hardly go out as a result. We don?t have much ?stuff? with us, and they are bored of the toys we have. I?m supposed to be working full-time, but have been off this week with a bug (as have both the kids). We have a woman who comes in to help us, but she has virtually no imagination. The school holidays are about to begin, and we were hoping she?d be able to do more childcare, but I think that might send the children loopy. I?ve run out of ideas. We do things like ? fill the paddling pool up in the middle of the sitting room under the fan and play in it; play indoor cricket (for about 10 mins, until we sweat too much), play with play dough, blocks, we did painting, but have run out of paints and this town doesn?t sell any (last weekend and this we?d planned trips to go shopping to buy such essentials, but we?ve been too ill, so had to cancel). My son is easier because he loves reading (altho? we?re fast running out of books) and so will keep himself entertained for a while? but he does need some attention at times? and the 2yo is going thro? a bratty tamtrumy stage ? not helped by inconsistent rules from carers with a very different cultural approach to discipline (shall we say).

Sorry if this sounds like a whinge? but ? anyway ? what would you do with a 5yo and a 2 yo if you were stuck indoors for the foreseeable future. I need activities ? if at all possible ? that are suitable for both at the same time.

I will be eternally grateful for any suggestions!
Mrs4

OP posts:
PinkBubblesGoApe · 27/03/2009 12:21

Dressing up - use anything in the house, grown up clothes, pot and pans, anything goes.

Use the costumes you create and invent plays, set up a full-blown theatre with sheets for curtains (the older one will enjoy helping set up, write programs etc).

Make a play tent using sheets, chairs, brooms etc.

Make up loads of stories together, DCs can suggest characters, situations etc and after (when you have art supplies again) maybe your DS can paint his own books based on the stories, you can write in them together...

Just a few suggestions!

4gotoindia · 27/03/2009 12:29

Sorry for all those ??? - don't know why they appeared.

I should have said - as I'm supposed to be working full-time (HaHa!) they need to be suitable to explain to our ayah, so that she can do them with them. (I sometimes work at home, so can have some input, but cannot be fully involved - if you see what I mean!)
Thanks!
mrs4

OP posts:
PinkBubblesGoApe · 27/03/2009 13:22

Could she maybe teach them some local kids games? (though I have no idea what kids play in your part of the world - we're in Brazil)

Good luck in planning the school holidays! That sounds tricky...

Amapoleon · 28/03/2009 21:27

Is it too hot to go out early in the morning?

I'm in Spain , so very different. In the summer when it is really hot, we got out or play out on the terrace early in the morning, eat then have a siesta.

I think if it is too hot to go out , then it's got to be lots of crafty things.

Is there an international school near by, they often have summer schools?

4gotoindia · 29/03/2009 17:03

Too hot pretty early now! So we're indoors most of the day. And no international schools for hundreds of miles, indeed no international people for many many miles.

As for local kids games. Great idea - but cultural approaches to entertaining children are v different here. Younger children are largely ignored and left to get on with it, and slightly older children are chucked out of the house, out of the way, and also left to get on with it.

Any silly games anyone?
Mrs4

OP posts:
Themasterandmargaritas · 29/03/2009 19:32

Hi 4gotoIndia, how is the work going?

Sounds tricky I have to admit.

How about cooking games, making bread, biscuits etc? Hide and seek? Can you get your hands on balloons, both my 5 year old and 2 year old will play with balloons for ages. Have you got an felt tip pens? If so how about boiling some eggs and letting them decorate them?

Ask the ayah is she can teach them some local nursery rhymes and get them singing. We often make 'bands' with stuff from the kitchen, pots, pans, wooden spoons etc, the dc love this. Put pasta or rice in some jars/plastic drinking bottles to make shakers...

Can you tell I've lived through some pretty boring places with my dc?

4gotoindia · 30/03/2009 13:49

Thanks for the suggestions, all! We've gone out and got a lot of colourful paper and more glue, and are going to try to talk to the ayah about actually playing with them, rather than sitting and watching them. The good news is we've just found out my son's school does a 'summer camp' in teh mornings, with things like swimming and karate. He is really keen to go, which is just great.
TheMandMs - work was going fine - until we were struck down by a series of bugs, which have meant I've done nothing for over a week. But hopefully will get back into it soon. Thanks for asking!
mrs4

OP posts:
gordonpym · 31/03/2009 13:51

IF you read some french, this site www.teteamodeler.com has plenty of ideas, activities,mosaics,... otherwise, try posting in the CM/nursery section and ask for similar web site for pre-school. My boys 5 and 2 enjoy mosaics a lot and if you can't face cooking with the heat, play restaurant, and let them serve you coffee, pasta,fries,...
Also, surf the net, and look for zoo,cartoons,...

Amapoleon · 31/03/2009 20:44

Also do a search on here for home made play dough and salt dough. Very easy to make and my kids love it.

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