Did your kids give up napping? My three-year-old did, and it’s a major bummer. I rely on having a few hours of kid-free time to work, clean, organize, and exercise. I may or may not also nap.
Anywho, the days when I could count on having two sleeping kiddos are over. Will is still a pretty consistent napper. At one, that’s the big thing he’s got going for him. I still put Graham in his room, but instead of napping, it’s evolved into “quiet” playtime.
To assist with this, we have a few go-to projects that he can do on his own.
Velcro Stix
What you need – craft sticks (available at craft stores and Wal-Mart) and velcro
How to assemble – cut velcro into slivers to fit sticks and adhere.
Then what? Graham likes to build trains and lines with the sticks. He sometimes makes shapes and letters. We have the colored sticks, so he also creates patterns with them.
Alphabet Tiles
What you need – foam letters (or a marker) and construction paper.
How to assemble – um, you cut out a ton of squares and put letters on them.
Then what? Graham will take out books and copy the words he finds in the books with the tiles. He’ll also do a scrabble sort ‘a thing where he builds chains of various real and made up words. When he’s not in quiet time and I engage with him, we work on sounding out and making words with the tiles.
Marshmallow Construction
What you need – mini marshmallows and toothpicks
How to assemble – n/a (just be sure to store marshmallows in air-tight container.)
Such fun ideas!! Thanks for linking up to Tot School Tuesday 🙂
What great ideas! Pinned to my “Frugal Family Fun” nights.