Need ideas for activities with 3 y/o

[allisonrose]

Somedays I feel like I have nothing interesting or exciting to offer for my son to do. I also have a baby who is still nursing frequently at night so I'm still sleep deprived at this point. DS1 is a higher energy kid and I have so little energy. I'm open to suggestions of books, websites or just lists of ideas.

Related but a bit off topic (to my own thread!) but anyone suggest material about what is going on with a 3 y/o? Especially about what is developmentally appropriate expectations for them?

[meetoo]

The Preschool Busy book is a great book. Lots of ideas most are fairly simple.  

Best Preschool   this is a great site written by Lillian who is on mothering. :) 

Preschool express   this is another great site. Try checking out the calendars. It gives simple things to do everyday. :) 

There is a book called "Look at Me I'm 1,2,3"  which goes into quite a bit of child development. 

As for you, get some sleep mama! Sleep is a need, not a luxury. Try getting your Vit D levels checked too. Being tired all the time with littles is no fun! I blog(my youngest is about your sons age) if your interested you can PM me and I'll send you the link. I would be careful with blogs though. If you are over tired and stressed out, they can just make you feel worse.  Like you need to  be doing some huge complicated thing everyday and your child is light years behind because they aren't reading/writing at 3 and have no idea what the solar system is made of.  

[reezley]

Simple puzzles.  Some different building toys that he can manage without help - Duplos with some fun pieces (we have a hand-me-down set that has house pieces/doors/tables/etc.  in it.   Train tracks and a couple trains.  A bunch of new books from the library.   Play-Doh and lots of cutters and tools.   Kids' scissors and gluestick and paper -  cut shapes for him or let him cut some,   and he goes to town gluing them to the paper!   Finger paints (best on special finger paint paper) are exciting and fun, if it's new.   Just put a lot of newspaper on the floor first.  Do you have an easel?  Any paint or drawing or chalk is fun on an easel.

I used to do a thing where I kneel on all fours on the rug, and call it "jungle gym"!  The kids would climb on me, crawl under (protect your nose though!) roll over, etc, without much effort on my part.   :)

The book series "Your Three Year Old"  ("Your One Year Old, Your Two Year Old, etc...) is a good one.  Old, but good.

Editing to add:  Put on some music and dance.  If you can get the CD "Elmo and the Orchestra" -we find it at the library -- it's great and has some great dancin' tunes (the Can Can, in particular).

Edited by reezley - 11/23/11 at 7:45am

[Megan73]

I just wanted to recommend the National Geographic Kids web site - it's full of amazing animal videos with no ads or marketing. It's great in a pinch for my animal-loving three-year-old.