creative and inexpesive things to do with your child

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said good parenting requires Twice as much time and half as much money.

I agree!!  Below is one of the hand outs from my parenting class.

Nurse Judy’s Inexpensive and creative activity list

• Collect and decorate rocks with colorful paints and glitter for a rock garden.

This is a great one to use as a reward for good behavior. When they see the pretty rocks, they will remember that they earned them.

• Make a collage. Old magazines and old photos are great for this activity.

• Make an musical instrument... Use your imagination: a shoe box with rubber bands can be a guitar; Glasses filled with different levels of water make different tones; Tapping different surfaces with chopsticks makes different sounds.

• Go on a ‘use all your senses’ walk. What do they see, smell, hear, and feel?

• Create a scavenger hunt walk. Plan a list ahead of time of thing to find…like a dog, an airplane, or even a girl with purple hair.

• Go on an ABC walk. Find things that start with all the different letters…or find the actual letters on signs and license plates. This is a great game in a supermarket.

• Download Free coloring pages from the internet. With a little searching, you can get a picture of just about anything.

• Draw with chalk. Make a hopscotch board.

• Make your own play dough. You can find the recipe on line

• Make a fort using the couch cushions

• Write a story and illustrate it together.

• Decide on a recipe and bake or cook something. Kids will often try foods more eagerly if they helped with the cooking. Let them help sprinkle in different spices and be the taste-tester.

• Have a Tea party. Invite the dolls, and get out the good china that you never use.

• Trace your hands and feet and color them in.

• Have some down time while watching a video or a special TV program. There are some lovely educational TV programs and videos out there.

• Play a computer game. Don’t be afraid of controlled use. Children that don’t learn how to be comfortable on computers at a young age are at a distinct disadvantage in this high tech culture.

• Blow bubbles

• There is little out there that is as much fun as a big appliance box to get inside of . If you buy a new appliance or see a neighbor buying one, ask for the box.

• Wash the car!

• Read!