Want to keep your kids busy to free up some time?
From the archive. This post was first published on the original Green Eggs and Moms blog and is kept here as it was.
Are you familiar with electronic baby sitters? The TV or iPad?
They’re handy when you need more time for other things, but what if there was a better way to keep kids busy?
What if the “sitter” is actually a series of off-screen activities that’ll keep your child entertained and stimulated at the same time?
Enter activity box.
Okay, okay, so the name isn’t anything fancy shmancy, but you’ll love this idea!
A brief introduction
I first unveiled this to my email subscribers. And yes, they get special treatment because they signed-up to my mailing list!
Wouldn’t it be great if you’re in on the fun too? If you answered yes…{click here to subscribe}.
Anyhoo, here’s how the Activity Box works
Provide your kids with several educational and fun activities everyday; whether it’s 5 or 7 times a week, is up to you.
My son is 5-years old so this is perfect for those his age, but as I always say, you can easily tweak the activity box depending on your child’s age and skill level.
Here’s what you do
1. Prep
- Make a list of activities based on areas of improvement – motor skills, reading, math – and other things you’d like your child to learn
- Take stock of existing activity books that include tracing, writing, connecting the dots, coloring, etc.
- Use free printable activity sheets found online (there’s a list of resources I use towards the bottom of the post, so you can cut down on prep time)
- Schedule activities for each day
- Place activities in separate boxes
All these 5 steps took 2 hours to complete, but it gets faster after the initial “set-up.”
2. The next day…
Announce the mechanics to your kiddo (in an exciting way):
Choose one of the closed boxes, open it, and complete the activity inside. The “game” is finished when he or she has done all the missions inside the boxes.
The Benefits
This is an ongoing activity in my house, and I’ve observed that my son now…
- Looks forward to his “exciting activities”
- Automatically completes activities
- Has improved his writing and readings skills over the summer
- Enjoys the experiments we’ve done and asks for more
Curious about the activities I’ve planned? Here are a few examples:
| Activity name | Materials inside the box | Instructions | Targeted skill(s) | Freed up time for me |
| Box 1: Fish Frenzy |
|
Segregate red and green fish pellets, and put them in each cup. Feed the fish. | Pinching – fine motor skills to improve the writing grip | 10-20 mins |
| Box 2: Ant Explorer |
|
Observe ants (I ask him about what the ants were doing when he’s done) | Free play and exploration | 15-20 mins |
| Box 3: Kumon Practice |
|
Complete the worksheets | Writing and math skills | 25 mins (but he occasionally asks me to check his work |
| Box 4: Color, Cut and Paste Galore |
|
Color, cut and paste | Fine motor skills | 10 mins only because I watch him when he’s cutting |
Conservatively, I get 1 hour and 5 minutes of free-time from the activities above.
What if you have a toddler? There are activities that can keep them occupied for several minutes, but I wont get into those now. It’ll be for another post.
Some items in my son's activity boxes: crayola markers, scissors, a pencil, magnifying glass, TV and iPad reward cards, and glue
Before you go off and do this, here are other tips
- Place interesting items in boxes; put a lemon if you planned a lemon experiment.
- Include a few rewards, incentives or prizes such as TV time, a small piece of chocolate or a granola bar, to make things more interesting.
- Sometimes a child may not be in the mood for activities. What I do is nudge him a bit or make it clear, in a non-threatening way, that he’ll have to open all the boxes before the day ends. It works.
- Give the activities before your child does something physically tiring like swimming.
- Some activities require supervision while others don’t. Mix it up.
As promised, here are the free resources I use: A-Z Worksheets | TLS Books | All Kids Network | Super Teacher Worksheets
Final words…
It’s a bit of work in the beginning, but I assure you it’s well worth it. The real value is that your child gets a supply of engaging off-screen activities. The bonus? You get extra time for yourself.
If you think your friends will love this activity for their kids, help them out by sharing this post.