what do you do with a pre-schooler for 2 quiet hours?

[Pitchounette]

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Colouring in
Model construction
Teach him to write his name
Bingo
Cards
Board games
dvd
Build a den

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Junk modelling - keep all your packaging and give him some PVA glue - make towers, cars, trains etc - could then paper mache or paint them - can take weeks to complete a project! Try to make it his project htough and not yours - it will keep him interested for longer!

Play dough. One of my dds' favourite things is making 'hedgehogs' from playdough. We use colourful little sticks (like matchsticks) from the craft section at Tesco, and stick them into a lump of playdough to look like hedgehog prickles. Can be finished off with some googly eyes.

Painting. potato printing, duplo printing etc

Collages

making masks, crowns, etc

Also, get him to help you with the housework. My dd1 is 3.10 and does things like getting washing down from the line, wiping appliances, cleaning glass doors, putting cutlerly away when it comes out of the dishwasher.

Baking

There are millions of craft activities you can do, and they don't have to cost much money. Start saving anything like old catalouges and magazines with colourful pictures, pretty shiny paper, sweet wrappers, leaves, twigs, little pebbles, shells etc.. He can make collages and pictures, decorate birthday cards, and have lots of fun just cutting things out (well,actually, most kids will happily spend hours just snipping bits of paper)

You could also try painting, playdough, potato printing, the list is endless. You could also do some cooking together. Try the library for some books on craft activities for children, they will give you loads of ideas.

Hope this helps.

painting
why not but some plants and let him pot them or you could do herbs

Playdoh
the garden

Cutting holes in pieces of paper
Alphabet
Numbers
Jigsaws
making little men out of playdoh and making a house for them in a cardboard box

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How about a white noise thing for your ds2? I understand how the sound of voices will wake him, but with my ds2, I can whisper and he will wake - but the washer on spin doesn't stir him!

So if you put the washer on before you put him up for a nap, it will mask any noise your ds1 does make?

How about a white noise thing for your ds2? I understand how the sound of voices will wake him, but with my ds2, I can whisper and he will wake - but the washer on spin doesn't stir him!

So if you put the washer on before you put him up for a nap, it will mask any noise your ds does make.

cooking
puzzles
'helping'

Sand play - get a tray and some fine sand in a salt shaker (2 colours of sand if you can get it is even better)

let him sprinkle the sand and then draw patterns in it with his finger, then collect sand back into shaker and do it again

White noise machine (or fan which is what we have used) for ds2 is a great idea - this is really a dire situation for you and ds 1 otherwise

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