Ideas for alternatives to TV

[niccig]

I read about an idea in either Family Fun or Parenting. You have a box of index cards by the TV and on each card are suggestions for non-TV activities. When the DC want to turn on the TV, and say they are bored, they take a card and do that activity.

DS and I are sick, so we're watching way too much TV, but even when were not sick, we watch too much.

Any suggestions for activities. DS is 3.5 yo. I'm too hopped up on cold medicine to think clearly, and I know there are parents here who are more creative than I am.

THanks.

[hillview]

ETA: My kids are also TV free and agree I think it will get easier. Right now no one is "bored" but they don't know better ;).

Not sure how old your DS is but mine is almost 3. Here are some of our projects:
- drawing
- painting
- painting with fruit!
- sand and water table
- water play in bathroom
- bath (esp when it is warm outside) pull shower curtain and let him splash
- scooping dry beans
- mixing water and flour
- making cookies etc
- planting seeds in egg cartons
- cutting out (with safety scissors) things from a magazine and using a glue stick to them to construction paper
- puzzles

HTH
/hillary

[JTsMom]

I bought one of those "Things to do with your Preschooler" type books on clearance at Borders for like $2. It has hundreds of things you can do- definitely worth investing in. Here's a couple just to get you going-

Punch holes in a piece of cardboard. Have DS thread a piece of yarn and ribbon back and forth through the holes to practice "sewing".

Make homemade playdough

Make sock puppets

Play a board game like Candyland

Make a big piece of artwork with the letters of his name- think posterboard or butcher paper.

Trace his body on a piece of paper and fill in eyes, nose, mouth, hair etc

[brittone2]

In the long run, it will probably get easier. If you are transitioning to less TV, the next week or two may be challenging but it should get easier.

My kids are TV free so this is kind of hard for me to answer. They spend a lot of time doing:

-Art supplies
-Outside play (sandbox, using things like rakes, shovels, wheelbarrow, etc. to rake leaves, watering my flowers with the hose or child-sized watering can, playing in the pool, playing on the slide, bike riding, swinging, etc.)
-Painting (we usually paint outside and have a plasic easel that lives on the deck for that. We have an indoor easel with whiteboard/chalkboard)
-Sidewalk chalk inside or outside
-Helping me w/ cleaning (spray bottle of club soda and a microfiber towel)
-Bubbles
-washboard, small towels, two cheapo plastic dishpans and some soap. I hang a clothesline up and give DS some clothespins. We do this a lot on really hot days. I'll set him up w/ that stuff on the porch and I can usually read a little on the porchswing in the shade while he's busy. We just got a bath baby (water safe doll) and I'm hoping DS and DD will "bathe" it as something fun to do on the porch or deck.
-Books
-Play kitchen, restaurant, store
-Play Doh
-helping me cook or bake
-DS sometimes likes to wash dishes in the Learning Tower
-Puzzles
-Build with blocks
-Play with playsilks
-Have a parade w/ instruments
-dance to music
-make goop, gack, etc. (recipes online) Cornstarch and water is cheap. Mix to make gack or goop or whatever that mix is and send them outside with it and some spoons. Plan for a bath afterward.
-Books on CD/tape (Greathall makes some wonderful ones. StoryNory online is free and great too).
-sorting
-transferring cotton balls, beans, rice, etc. with tweezers from one container to another
-keep a bird bath or bird feeder near a window. Keep a bird indentification chart or book near that window. DS likes to look up the birds he sees while eating his breakfast
-make a nature bracelet (masking tape around their wrist somewhat loose like a bracelet, sticky side out. Send them outside and let them collect stuff to put on it (little flowers, grass, etc.)
-mazes, cutting books (like Kumon), etc.
-measure how tall DC is (we have a little wall we pencil it on). Take a measuring tape and measure together.

eta:
-Folding clean dish towels in 1/4s
-draw a letter on heavy paper with glue (depending on DC's ability level the parent can do this part). Find fun stuff to glue to the letter (rice, popped popcorn, beans, lentils, cotton balls, etc.
-make a collage

This site is run by a very experienced and wise mom that is a regular on the MDC homeschooling forums. She's great. Anyway, lots of good ideas and links to other great sites that have art supply "recipes" etc.
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/articles/lillian_jones_ps_kdgtn.html

Edited again to add (gosh I'm annoying LOL ;) ):

When I get really stumped, sometimes looking around at the online Montessori types of catalogs gives me ideas. You can often structure similar activities at home with things you already have around. Check forsmallhands, Michael Olaf, etc. and see if you get any inspiration (once you are feeling better).

I hope you are feeling better soon!