What does your 3 yo love to do?

[bluebirdiemama]

When your 3 yo is bored, and it's up to you to come up with something really fun and interesting, what do you do? What are some of the favorites in your home?

here are some we like around here...

*measuring games; they get a bowl, measuring cups/spoons, some beans, rice, what ever else, and they can go at it! (sometimes water gets involved and it's messy but always fun)

*playdough and popsicle sticks, turns into a playdough bowling game OR playdough and coins, use the coins to cut

*let him play, supervised,with a game of triominoes, or chinese checkers (not quite all the marbles)

*help me bake, or let him mix up his own creations with flour, seeds, brown sugar, anything else with unique texture/color


I guess I am mainly looking for indoor ativities, since my ds can keep himself occupied outside. But, anything fun that never fails with your lo... let's share~!

[joy_seeker]

My two have surpassed three but when they were little they used to love getting into their bathing suits and snorkeling in the tub. Building tents with chairs and sheets was also a big hit.

[mary3mama]

My youngest is 3 1/2 and this is a big one for me...since when she's bored no one gets to do anything.

Some of her favorites:
- play on the computer
- play dollhouse games
- board game with anyone who will join in
- play dough, coloring or painting
- playing imagination games with her big brothers
- helping me cook or clean
- read books together
- build with blocks or wooden train set
- attempt to clothe the cat
- sort manipulatives (shells, buttons, glass beads, etc.)

[Dar]

Moved from Unschooling to The Childhood Years.

Dar

[Hayeser]

- pretend to serve me food (play food, plates, cups, etc.)
- build with lincoln logs
- play board games
- play with balls of all sizes - throwing, kicking, ringing baskets, etc.
- help with chores, esp laundry, dishes, dusting
- water table playing (screen porch)
- hide and seek
- mystery bag game - I put objects in a bag and she has to guess what they are without looking. then it's her turn to fill the bag for me
- take pictures with our digital camera

[jenfl]

- Cooking (muffins are a favorite)
- Stickers/stamps/paints/glue
- Hide and seek with stuffed animals (one of us hides them around a room, the other has to find them)
- Puzzles
- Lego!
- Listening to audiobooks

[wallabi]

dancing!
making slides and houses and stuff out of the bedding

[Llyra]

My twins are three. The big hit around here right now is cutting paper into little itsy bitsy pieces with safety scissors. They just recently got the hang of scissors, and they're fascinated. I let them cut up all my junk mail today, and it bought me at least forty-five minutes of quiet time.

[ShadowMoon]

DS is 3.5:

*go to the playground
*hike in the woods
*explore my Dad's neighborhood and yard with my Dad
*help me cook (especially pancakes!) and go food shopping
*play with his train table
*Inventive play with his various other toys
*dance
*watch Curious George or anything with Ellen DeGeneres on TV
*reading

[Oliver'sMom]

Things we do when we can't go outside:

*play with matchbox cars
*listen to records
*read books
*jump on the bed
*throw a ball for the dog
*ride his scooter in the house
*ds loves to clean windows and mop floors
*take apart various electronics while I'm not watching
*ds is also really good at imaginative play and will dissappear in his playroom for up to 2 hours at a time singing and dancing and talking to himself I usually have absolutely no clue what's going on in there.

[Nazsmum]

It is not always up to you to come up with "stuff". Sometimes I just let things happen.

[LaughingHyena]

Cutting up paper, junk mail etc.
Just recently he's got into colouring books
Playdough
tap a shape it's a cork board with little wooden shapes to nail on.
playing on http://gcompris.net/ on the computer

[Shazer]

With a baby in arms, I don't suggest too much anymore. Here is what DD regularly does

1. Go through Mommy's jewelry and clothes. Play dress-up.
2. Pillow forts.
3. Choose something to bake with Mom.
4. Housework - dusting, cleaning windows or appliances with spray bottle and rag.
5. Look through photo albums.
6. Sit and ask ten billion questions of Mom.
7. Play with dollhouse.
8. Mix colored water.
9. Find objects. Put in a bowl of water to see if they sink or float.
10. Dominoes, Candy Land, puzzles, or other games.
11. Talk to relatives on phone.
12. Science type stuff. We are currently raising tadpoles from our backyard pond.