Entertaining children?

[Mihona]

I know a lot of you have young children, so I was wondering if you could help me?

My friend is taking a business trip, and he cannot take his son with him, so the child is going to be staying with me for a few days. The problem is, I have no idea how I'm going to entertain him. I'm a single woman who really doesn't leave the house much (I work from home). I've looked at what I have, and out of about 1300 DVDs I have maybe six that would be acceptable for a four-year-old to watch. My video games in general are too complex for a four-year-old. I've looked around my house, and there's just not a whole lot that a little kid could do. I feel really bad about the whole thing- I don't want the poor kid to be bored while he's staying with me, but I really don't know what to do to make this time fun for him.

I would really appreciate any suggestions you could give.

[wifemarsha]

I know a lot of you have young children, so I was wondering if you could help me?

My friend is taking a business trip, and he cannot take his son with him, so the child is going to be staying with me for a few days. The problem is, I have no idea how I'm going to entertain him. I'm a single woman who really doesn't leave the house much (I work from home). I've looked at what I have, and out of about 1300 DVDs I have maybe six that would be acceptable for a four-year-old to watch. My video games in general are too complex for a four-year-old. I've looked around my house, and there's just not a whole lot that a little kid could do. I feel really bad about the whole thing- I don't want the poor kid to be bored while he's staying with me, but I really don't know what to do to make this time fun for him.

I would really appreciate any suggestions you could give.

If the weather is nice take him out to a local playground, or just in your front yard with a frisbee or such, my kids prefer to be outside when the weather is nice, if it is not, all little kids love crafts, etc. spend a couple bucks on constrution paper, markers or crayons, some wiggly eyes and stuff and have him go to town creating stuff for when his parent gets back, read books, play simple card games like old maid, etc. hope this helps some... I am sure you can handle this!

[DaughterOfRuth]

Some things that always are fun that I like do with kids and relatively cheap to purchase. My favorite games with my nieces and nephews are:

Go Fish-picture cards for the young work great
Checkers
Blank paper and crayons and colored pencils- let both your imaginations go wild.
Bingo -I have the disney dvd version
Dog dominos or plain dominos
Memory game where you match cards or tiles
Baking, even guys like to mix up a batch of cookies. It is hilarious to watch them try to break eggs. One of my nieces, you have to duck when she breaks an egg, it goes EVERYWHERE. However, the joy of laughter when she does that is worth the effort to clean up.

Reading books. I love to read to kids. They really enjoy it a lot.

[Mihona]

Thank you very much! I need to go to the grocery store anyway, I'll pick up stuff for cookies, and look for some color pencils and cards. Maybe I'll go to the library and look for some picture books.

I looked around the "junk closet" and I have some google eyes and cotton balls- don't really know where those came from. I also have quite a bit of random fabric my old roommate left (she liked to quilt).

Thank you all very much, I think this will help a lot.

[Robinbobbin]

Another vote for lots of time at the playground if the weather is nice. The more energy he gets out of his system, the better he'll sleep.

And, if you have the extra funds, put-put golf is always a resounding hit with my cousins' kids. Or, bumper-bowling. The bowling alley has these bumper pads they put in the alleys so the kids actually hit the pins.

[penbrat]

Let him help you "cook" a meal with you (i.e. you can keep it very simple, English Muffin pizzas or hotdogs or even just pb & j sandwichs that you can cut into shapes with cookie cutters. You could have the cookies you make for dessert, then pop some popcorn and watch a dvd.

Can you take him with you to the libarary and let him check out a few books on his own? And most libraries have kid friendly dvd's to check out for free also, so maybe he could pick out a few on his own also?

[watching4him]

Thank you very much! I need to go to the grocery store anyway, I'll pick up stuff for cookies, and look for some color pencils and cards. Maybe I'll go to the library and look for some picture books.

I looked around the "junk closet" and I have some google eyes and cotton balls- don't really know where those came from. I also have quite a bit of random fabric my old roommate left (she liked to quilt).

Thank you all very much, I think this will help a lot.

Also check the children's section of library for videos ours has a childrens section. Whiy not check to see if he can bring a favorite game or toy from home?

[antsinmypants]

At that age, coloring books and generally anything that you do as an adult around the house is fun.

[Lucy]

At that age my kids liked to play in boxes, color, play blocks, watch movies, make tents in the house (0ften with the big boxes), eat crackers and peanut butter...make cookies, play dolls...play in the waterhose outside of course.

[antsinmypants]

Ah yes! Tents!

We loved making tents with blankets across the furniture (or clothes lines), picnicking in the livingroom...

You could ask him to bring along some movies/shows he likes to watch and a couple of books.

[BelovedChild]

Sometimes musems and art galleries have special kid sections. We have a local train museum which is very hands on, ditto for our local art gallery. What about a kid's movie at the 'BIG SCREEN'. Even a walk around the neighbourhood looking and listening to birds, flowers, butterflies can be fun.

Do you have a back yard. Get a cheap ball and have fun. The sky si the limit for b all games.

[Mihona]

Thank you all very much- I'm sure my friend's son will enjoy all of this. I went out today and bought some stuff, and called his dad. I asked him to send him with some DVDs and books. I bought some color pencils, and coloring books. I went to the library and got some picture books. I'll take him to the park some days if the weather's nice.

I looked at the library for more DVDs, but they didn't have many children's DVDs. Most of the DVDs they had were exercise videos.

Thank you all for your help. I'm hoping that staying with Aunt Mihona won't be too boring for the poor kid.

[Lucy]

Out church has a nice movie section to loan for adults and kids. All free and open to anyone. People come in and fill out a library like card and use it to check stuff out!

[Precious]

And when he gets lonely for daddy (and he will), it always helped my boys to make something for daddy. Gets them excited. When they stayed with my dad for a week, they must have colored a hundred pictures and made several crafts to give to us.

[Mihona]

So today my friend dropped his son off. First, we watched The Lion King and Bob the Builder. Then I took him to the park, which was a little strange for me (I rarely leave the house during the day). The kid made some new friends and I spoke to the parents of the other kids at the park. It was interesting.

One thing I've learned is that he is a very picky eater. I think I'm going to be living on pizza and chicken nuggets for the next week... my usual takeout places aren't going to work, since my friend's son doesn't like Chinese food, Mexican food, sushi, curry, or kebabs. What he does like is McDonalds and Pizza Hut. Oh well.

I might actually have to cook this week, since I can't bring myself to eat pizza every day.

[topekaclark]

Thank you very much! I need to go to the grocery store anyway, I'll pick up stuff for cookies, and look for some color pencils and cards. Maybe I'll go to the library and look for some picture books.

I looked around the "junk closet" and I have some google eyes and cotton balls- don't really know where those came from. I also have quite a bit of random fabric my old roommate left (she liked to quilt).

Thank you all very much, I think this will help a lot.

If you look in the kids section the library has movies for kids, atleast ours does.

[jt0830]

My grkids love to play "Did you ever..." I start by saying "Did you ever ...find a monkey in your bath tub?" , substitute any silly situation and then encourage them to make up a story about what they did. Goes like this, " Did you ever find a monkey in your bathtub?" Answer "Yes, I did!" I say "What did you do?" then they make up the wildest, craziest story they can! We laugh and roll and it goes on forever! Then they ask me one. We love it.

[Mihona]

My grkids love to play "Did you ever..." I start by saying "Did you ever ...find a monkey in your bath tub?" , substitute any silly situation and then encourage them to make up a story about what they did. Goes like this, " Did you ever find a monkey in your bathtub?" Answer "Yes, I did!" I say "What did you do?" then they make up the wildest, craziest story they can! We laugh and roll and it goes on forever! Then they ask me one. We love it.

That sounds like a lot of fun! I'll try that tomorrow!

Again, thank you to everyone who responded. I'm hoping this week will go well. This is the first time that his dad's been on a trip and he hasn't stayed with his grandfather, and I think he's a little disconcerted.

Well, he seemed like he had fun at the park today, though, and he liked the McDonald's I got him for dinner.

[Nene]

4 y/o children survive on Mcdonalds nuggets. The playground is great and I second the art projects. My grandkids love to glue stuff. Of course there is always television--lots of kids shows. My grandkids would rather be doing rather than watching though. make macaroni necklass and paint them, glue cherios on construction paper. Watch the markers/crayons though or you may have art where you don't want it like your walls. If warm a sprinkler in the yard is a blast or if not warm--play in the bathtub is always fun. They make a soap paint that is great for painting the bath tub and their body too and washes right off. lots of cars--like matchbox cars are fun. reading is wonderful, especially just before bed to settle them down. playdough is fun too and you can find a recepie on internet for making homemade playdough and he can help make it. My grandkids also love to help cook. Cookies are great. mine are 3 and 6 or will be VERY soon LOL. They are not difficult to entertain. Plant a few flowers and let him do the watering. Put in a pot ahd he can take it home. Best of luck with the little guy.