10 Fun mommy-and-me activity ideas

Oct 15, 2012 1:42 AM by
Posted in Parenting / Age by Age / Preschoolers
mom doing sidewalk chalk with child

The same toys and games can get boring — fast! Spend quality time with your preschooler with one of these 10 fun mommy-and-me activities that are anything but the same-old, same-old.

Make playtime exciting

Trace each other's hands and feet

This is a great opportunity to talk about big and little, count toes and fingers, and play with different art supplies. Try turning the tracings into animal pictures for an added challenge.

Liquid sidewalk chalk

Mix one cup of cornstarch with one cup of water. Stir in food coloring. Pour the mixture into a muffin tin. Use paintbrushes to "paint" the sidewalk.

Go for an adventure walk

Lace up those sneakers and head around the block. Look for fallen leaves, interesting rocks or interesting flowers. Ask your kiddo lots of questions about what he or she sees.

Digging in rice

Fill a large bin with rice. Bury a few of your child's favorite toys in the rice, and work on digging them out.

Finger paint

A perennial favorite, finger painting is a messy and fun activity. Roll butcher-block paper across a table to protect the surface, and then go wild! Bonus: To make a piece of art worthy of the wall, use painter's tape to spell out a word, initial or picture. Paint over it, and then remove the tape to reveal the image.

Splash in a water tub

Fill a large plastic container with water. Gather up plastic cups, lids or toys, and dunk them in the water. See how much water fills each container and see which toys will float.

Eat a lunchtime picnic

This activity is so out of the norm that your little one will be sure to be surprised. Spread a blanket out on the floor — or outside, if the weather permits — and eat lunch picnic style.

Build sponge towers

Cut up packages of colorful, inexpensive sponges. Strips work great, but you can cut out shapes as well. Build towers and castles from the pieces. Bonus: When the tower collapses, it collapses quietly!

Sing silly songs

Kids love to sing. Pick a few of your favorites and belt out the tunes together.

Hold a dance party

Get exercise while having fun. Turn on your favorite tunes — anything works, from Lady Gaga to Kidz Bop — and let loose! Try mimicking each other's dance moves to work on those fine motor skills.

Watch: Entertaining your toddler

Read more about preschoolers

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Tags: preschool activities

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Comments

Comments on "10 Fun mommy-and-me activity ideas"

Amy October 15, 2012 | 10:21 AM

All of these are great tips in helping stay connected to your little one. What it boils down to is spending time with them and having fun! Whether you're singing songs or walking around the mall, it's important that you spend time together.

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