LOW COST ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR PRE-SCHOOLERS

It is that time of the year once again when we all have some time off from work, school and many other activities. Now is also a time when it can become challenging to keep our little energy bombs, who will be with you all day and night, busy at home happily. Some of the activities below are suitable for indoors, whereas some others are specifically designed for outdoors. They can be used at home, at school or at a birthday party easily and they may be real savers during this holiday season.

* Odds and ends box-include pegs, tins and lids, shells, large buttons, costume jewellery, and other knick knacks.

* Paste and collage - fabric, leaves, wool, egg cartons, old magazines, pasta.

* Threading - beads, buttons, macaroni, cotton reels, cut up plastic straws threaded onto strips of plastic or shoe laces tied at the end.

* Photo albums - include family photos, children's drawings, magazine pictures of favourite characters, old birthday cards.

* Playdough (See my homemade playdough recipes here)

* Water play - wash plastic dishes or doll's clothes in a baby's bath. Use plastic containers, funnels and sieves for pouring activities. Also see these activity ideas as well as this one.)

* Musical instruments - ice cream container drum with wooden spoon sticks, shakers made from empty cream bottles filled with rice (tape the lid), craft shop bells sewn on ribbon or elastic wrist bands.

* Skittles - plastic drink bottles or detergent bottles with a rubber ball.

* Make an indoor obstacle course using chairs, cushions, cardboard boxes and a skipping rope for children to climb over and under, walk along, crawl through.

* Cardboard boxes - can be turned into a boat, car, plane, garage, TV set, oven, sandals etc.

* Cubby house - throw a blanket over a table, add small cushions, plastic cups and plates and baby blankets. Also read my post titled A ZERO COST CUBBY HOUSE IN A MINUTE here.

* Dress up box - include old hats, shoes, pieces of material, costume jewellery, belts, ties, scarves, purses and handbags.

* Puppets - decorated paper plates on an icy pole stick, empty plastic bottles, old socks. Also see my post on MONKEY PUPPET.

* Nature walk - collect leaves, stones, pine cones, shells, feathers.

*Cooking - cook with your child.

*Gardening - garden together with your child.

* Puzzles - cut out and paste big pictures on to cardboard, then cut the picture into two or four pieces for children to put back together again.

Note: Some of the above recommendations are from a Positive Parenting Course while others belong to Home of Homemade Treasures Blog.