What are some fun activities i can do to keep 5 and 7 year old kids entertained while not spending too much?

camping tent crafts for kids image

BURRiTO

I am going to be babysitting a 5 and 7 year old for almost 3 weeks and i need a few ideas to keep them busy such as crafts and games, that arent expensive. Just anything that will keep them entertained so they arent just watching tv all day.

Answer
Board games are fun. Like: go fish; uno; sorry; candy land

Playdough. Buy a few tubs and you can use every day kitchen utensils to carve up the play dough.

Play outside in the yard or walk to the local park.

Maybe taking a walk to the local library. Some have guest readers come in and read books to the kids. Or the kids (and you) can just hang out and read books.

Maybe you could do some research on a particular subject and plan a theme day around the subject. Pick a subject; find out some interesting facts about the subject. Insects, Bugs, for example. Maybe you could go outside and search for worms, caterpillars, moths, etc. For lunch, you could make "worms" by slicing hotdogs length wise in several slices and drop in boiling water. They'll curl up like worms. Make nature pictures using cut outs out of magazines, etc.

Use different dried pastas to make artwork. Or string onto yarn for necklaces.

Bake cookies. Let them do all the measuring and stirring.

Have a camp out. Either pitch a tent in the back yard and pretend to camp out or set up a tent (or use a sheet and kitchen chairs to make a tent in the living room). Eat campfire food (make smores in the microwave or over the flames of a gas range); eat hot dogs and chilps in the tent. Make up funny stories. Let the kids just play.

Finger paint.

Get a couple of appliances boxes (big enough for them to get in). Have the kids decorate those up like a spaceship; a pirate ship; or a grocery counter.

Kids sometimes need a few ideas, but for the most part, can use their imagination to entertain themselves.

What are some games and activities to play while babysitting 3 boys?

Squeegee B

I babysit for this family quite often. Their kids are 7, 5, and 2. I always bring games, activities, videos, and books for them so they don't ever get bored while I'm there. (All 3 kids are boys!)Normally I do "themed" nights (We've had Baseball Night- play baseball, eat hotdogs for dinner, and watch a baseball movie. We've had 4th of July- fireworks craft and make cookies with red, white, and blue icing. We've had the Olympics Night and so on...) I'm kind of running out of ideas and activities and games to bring. Normally I'm there at night for 2 or 3 hours (7-10 pm) and the 2 year old is asleep by 7:45 and the other kids go to bed at 9:00... What are some more activities I can bring or games we can play that will be fun for them???
Take into consideration that they really don't like to play games that involve competition... One of them always loses and cries.

Answer
Well, first, congratulations on coming up with "themed" nights. That sounds like fun!

They're still pretty young, which severely limits how much you can do, but let me see...

Bugs Night...Watch A Bug's Life and make "Ants on Log" (Celery, Peanut Butter, Raisins) and/or "Worms" (Crumbled Oreo cookies, Gummy Worms). For a craft, you could make little insect toys/dolls.

Race Car Night... Watch Herbie the Love Bug (or equivalent) and have them make their own race cars out of cardboard boxes so that they can race - non-competitively- around the yard. You could make car-shaped cookies.

If they have a favorite TV show, you could do a night based on that. For example...Wiggles Night. Have a Wiggles marathon and make crafts and recipes based on what they watch (fruit salad jumps to mind).

I hope that helped inspire you!

EDIT: Okay, I've thought of a couple more.

Camping Night...Set up a tent and sleeping bags in the living room. Eat hot dogs, s'mores, and tell "scary" stories around the campfire, I mean, flashlight. Perhaps when their parents get back they can join them down there.

Healthy Night...A night where you teach them about the Food Pyramid, and they learn what various parts of the body do (heart, lungs, etc.). I'm sure there are movies out there about it. They could have an impromptu "teddy bear clinic." Have them help you put together a balanced meal.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Why is San Francisco needing to control what we feed our kids by banning Happy Meals?

kids tent set image

4woods@att

A great example of Big Government. Most parents control their own kids eating and if they don't it's not the governments business.
I understand you can't get the toy and that's why is so stupid, so why even do it. My kids loved the whole Happy Meal and I controlled how often we went.
Mr Wordy and Mad Max.....it's not up to the gov to control it. Just another facet of them thinking they know what's best for you.
Again, a business shouldn't be told how to market and what they offer.
IT'S UP TO THE PARENTS

Answer
The camels nose is under the flap of the tent in San Francisco. Banning toys is a meaningless gesture, but it is setting a dangerous precedent. The are declaring that the government can tell a business how they can operate. How does a toy in a happy meal effect the nutritional value of the food supplied. Are they lo dim witted that they think that people go there to get the toys and item that McDonald's probably get for a dime a dozen. The best reason to ban the toys is if they were hazardous waste,

What would be some good things for an Easter Party I am setting up for extended family?

Adamismyna

I am hosting one this year and I am 28, single. It will be kids but only 1 little kid (Easter Bunny aged) the rest are junior high and high school. Some will come and others might not but I wanted to make enjoyable activities.

Answer
List of things to do for an Easter Party

Mummy: Need rolls of toilet paper, one per person. You can form teams to see who is the fastest dressing their mummy (other person) or just let them have fun. This can be very messy with the dust from the toilet paper and the paper fight afterwards.

Picky Marshmallow Relay: Need toothpicks, one per child and one marshmallow per team. The marshmallow is placed on the end of the first persons toothpick. They hold the toothpick in their mouth and try to pass it to the next person in line using only the toothpicks in their mouths.

Clothes Pin 7-Ups: 7 clothes pins per person. Clip clothes pins on the backs of all players and have them face each other in a circle (outside). At the mention of "GO" they each run around trying to get the clothes pins off each others backs. No grabbing and holding on to the other persons.

Talent Show: Video the kids performing to music. Lip sync is fun or air guitar/sax etc.

Nighttime Easter Egg Hunt: Hide eggs and prizes outside. Everyone brings a flashlight to the party. Hide items like fingernail polish, body mists, not just candy.

Piggly-Wiggly: Everyone lays out their sleeping bags. Choose someone to be "it." They must leave the room. Everyone else hides inside the sleeping bags (not their own). When they are ready, "it" comes back in. She sits on one of the sleeping bags and says, "Piggly-Wiggly" the person inside says "oink, oink." 'It' must guess who is inside the bag. If they are right, the person in the bag is it.

Rock and Roll: When your having a slumber party and going to a roller-skating rink is out of the question, make a skating rink in the garage. Parents can back out their cars and take out other stuff in the way so there is room to skate. You can also have music and a snack bar!

Hip hats: Decorate denim hats with jewels and sparkle puff paints and wear them around the next day.

Puffy pillows: Decorate plain white pillowcases with puffy paint. Let them dry overnight.

Popcorn Toppin': Pop some plain popcorn. Give everybody a couple of dishes with popcorn in them. Have your guests put on all the toppings you want. For example, cinnamon and sugar, raisins, melted butter, pizza seasoning, and parmesan cheese to make a pizza kind o' popcorn.

Curly-Cute: Make rag curls in your friends' hair. Take pieces of fabric and wrap hair around them. When you wake up you hair will be all curly.

We Had A Ball: At the end of the slumber party, sit in a circle and sign beach balls with a waterproof marker. Write all about the good times you had together at the sleepover.

Burglar Alarm: Set a little timer and have everyone go out of the room. One person stays in and hides the timer. Then the other children come back in and try to find the timer before it goes off. Whoever finds it might get some kind of prize.

Set up a craft table to make bracelets.

Have a pajamas contest! See who has the best pajamas!

Watch some fun movies.

Pillow fights.

Make smores!!!!!!!!!!
Serve whipped cream and fruit on waffles in the morning.
See if you can borrow a kareoke machine so you can sing along to music.

Do makeovers!

Make rice krispie treats.

Make your own sundae!

Popcorn fights, if you have a vacuum handy.

Decorate some cutie pie cupcakes.

Play boardgames.

Decorate pillowcases with fabric markers...this way they can use them that night. Put on date, etc.

Shaving cream fight out side.

Play telephone.

Have a talent show!

Wacky fashion show!

Have a "theme" for the slumber party such as spa slumber party (perfect for all girls), spooky slumber party, survival slumber party, etc.

Do pedicures.

Think of unusual places to sleep: the attic, a tree house, a tent outside in your back yard.
Scavenger hunts.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers