20+ ways to get your kids to play alone #kids #activities

How To Get Your Kids To Play Alone

HOW NOT TO TAKE CARE OF KIDS – WHILE TAKING CARE OF KIDS

 

I am the meanest nanny, I know!

 

Jokes on a side, we are all here for the same reason. Either you are a mommy, dad, nanny, babysitter, au pair or grandma, we all love kids and being around them, but that doesn’t change the fact that sometimes, just sometimes (10 hours a day), you need a tiny bit break so you can scroll on Pinterest (cough, Follow Me, cough), or catch up with laundry and dog’s hair all over.

I’ve always had rules with kids. Sometimes I fear I have too many rules, but it seems they just love routine and knowing what is ok, what not if they want to have fun day doing what they desire.

 

 

Here are some of the rules:

1. Chores first, fun second

2. I do not play “for them” ( you know, I play, talk and act goofy and they stare and laugh doing nothing)

3. Before getting new toy/game, previous one is has to be put where it belongs

4. If kid starts whining, I am immediately done playing for at least half an hour. I repeatedly share why am I no longer playing and talk about better ways to express their feelings

5. We make list of things that need to be taken care of, if kid wants to play with me. The faster it’s all done, leaves us more time to play together.

If you need a break, or just some motivation for easier, faster days with kids, check out my list of fun activities your kids can do alone, and stay amused for, hopefully, at least an hour or two so you can do all your serious business by ignoring chores and being on Twitter (Please tell me I am not the only one)

 

 PLAY ALONE ACTIVITIES:

 

1. Glue, old t-shirt and scrapes of material / paint – let them create their own fashion

2. Child size pool + sprinklers

3. Bubbles, mountains of bubbles

4. My favorite – drop all the toys on the floor and they will discover so many new things they forgot about

5. Tell them to go clean their room

6. Play date – I even offer to neighbor to watch their kid if they drop it for playdate, as long as I get to have some peace (meaning – send the kids over, and don’t come along)

7. Play dough –  either you play or teach them how to make your own – they will love it

8. Huge role of paper and paint outdoors / stickers/ glitter/stamps (each time they come in saying they are done – add one more thing)

9. Puzzle

10. Tent – find old towels, blankets, rugs and give them freedom to make their own little space

11. Looking for worms and ants

12. Activity books – this works for my toddler only if I sit next to her 🙂

13. Library books

14.  Park time

15. Chalk

16. Video Games or a movie – I am not a big fan of screen time, but from time to time, I let them have it

17. Create a laser maze for them ( check here for idea from Brassy Apple)

18. Making bead necklace and friendship bracelets is always favorite

 

Since I am Pinterest freak I found these amazing blog post from great moms with amazing imagination. Check out what they do to entertain their kids – either to get them to play alone or with a grown up, this looks like amazing fun.

This post offers 20 activities for different age groups to play together, and some of us can really use that 🙂

Get your kids to play alone by follwing these rules and 20+ activity ideas….

From Keeping it Simple – How fun are this cans?

great -play alone- games for your kids

What do you to get your kids to play alone?

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2 thoughts on “How To Get Your Kids To Play Alone

  1. One thing my children always enjoy is making a craft. We will make something together and then when we are done they will play with it together without Mommy. It gives them the Mommy time they want and it gives me the Mommy time I need to do some blogging. =)

    1. I love it, Sheena! That is the way I like it the most – making sure they get some time with me, but also learning to entertain themselves 🙂
      Thank you for stopping by!

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