There are many kids' activities that foster creativity.
A 2001 study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics says that kids under 2 should have no TV time at all and kids over 2 should have no more than 1-2 hours a day. It takes some planning to give kids other things to do besides watching television, but it doesn't have to be difficult or costly. There are many popular activities for kids that foster creativity and give you valuable moments of quality time together.
Outdoors in Every Season
Spending time outdoors gives kids fresh air and sunshine and the opportunity to get some exercise and stretch their imaginations as well. Fly kites in the park. Play Frisbee in the yard. Get those little dime-store boats and put your slicker on to sail boats in puddles on a rainy day. Go sledding or make snow angels. Make clover or daisy chains.
Home Improvement
Give kids an assortment of dollar-store paintbrushes (the sizes you would use to paint the house) and give each a bucket of water that they can tote around. Send them out to "paint" the deck, sidewalk or fence with the water. It sounds goofy but they love it.
They also love helping to clean. Arm everyone with his own spray bottle filled with water and maybe a splash of white vinegar. Give each a rag and the rule that he must wipe once for every time he sprays. Put them to work on cabinets, doors or windows.
Outings
Go to story time at the public library. Call ahead. Sometimes, you need to pre-register.
Big-box craft and home improvement stores often have no- or low-cost kids' activities on Saturday mornings. Children get to spend some fun time learning a craft project and then have a take-home completed project.
Adventures
Plan a scavenger-hunt-type nature walk and have children find a list of items such as a stick, an acorn and a feather.
Build a tent in your living room on a rainy day using four chairs, a sheet (weight the corners with stacks of books on the chairs) and perhaps a broomstick in the center to act as a tent pole. Give the kids flashlights and tell ghost stories.
Arts and Crafts
Lie in the grass and imagine shapes in the clouds. Have crayons, markers and paper handy to draw what you see. Or give each child a paper plate. Set out a bowl of glue, pencils and some old magazines. Cut some pictures into small squares and have the kids sketch a design on their plates, then glue the squares on to make a mosaic. Print seasonal coloring and activity pages from the Internet to draw and color. Or give each child a few pieces of tin foil and see what she can sculpt with it.
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