stuff for a 6- and 2-year-old to do together

[srain]

The two hours after my first grader gets home from school but before my husband finishes work are really tough. My 6-year-old is needy and demanding after being out all day, and my 2-year-old is needy and demanding because she is 2 and it is 4:00. They both want my full attention, and I usually am able to get dinner prepared before my son comes home so I don't have to do it with both kids (he doesn't like cooking anymore).

BUT I'm having a hard time finding stuff both of them can do together, even with my facilitation. What we've tried that works sometimes (albeit briefly):

putting on music and dancing
play dough
eating dinner (bummer for dad)
reading a book (if I manage to choose the perfect one)
directed physical activities ("clap! now find something red! run to the kitchen and back!")


what we've tried that doesn't work:

playing outside (son not in the mood, daughter hates the cold despite being bundled up)
musical instruments ("she's playing the wrong song!")
separate activities (both kids want to be with me pre-dinner, but insist on messing up each other's projects/ games if they're not separated)
building with blocks (arguments)
art projects (they pick fights over materials even if they're doled out equally to start with)

Ideas for us?

[mattemma04]

Edible finger paints
Goo made from cornstarch powder and water.Add a bit of color and a few toys to get stuck in there
Paint a bank or sun catchers from the dollar store
Board games such as candyland.Perhaps try the interactive tv version
A movie and an afternoon/after school snack.For movies we are always on the look out for the Japanese ones like spirited away/howl's moving castle
Mixing peanut butter/bird seed,and sticking it on pine cones for the birds
Halve/hollow out walnut shells.You can make animals,boats,or picture holders.
Have each pick a book to be read to them
Bean toss(we found the tic tac toe bean toss at goodwill)
Ring toss
Bowling(empty paper cups and any ball)

[Scout]

My kids are about the same age, and I'm right there with you on the pre-dinner madness. It sucks. They are both tired and whiny and hungry and demanding. I usually have a glass of wine during this time! Happy hour for the witching hour.

How about hide and seek? Or hide the phone? If you have a cordless phone, have one child hide the phone and then page it. The other one can look for it. Hullabaloo (game from Cranium) might be good. Or Twister.

Sometimes I give my kids a little snack while I'm making dinner, from whatever I have out on the counter. They sometimes will eat all their veggies this way, before dinner (cucumber, peas, red pepper). A music or story CD would be great to play while they snack.

I often give my 5yo 30 minutes of computer time around this time, and let the 1.5yo help me with dinner. Our computer is in the kitchen, so we are all still together, but can be doing separate things.

Good luck!

~Scout

[kate~mom]

trains, playing ball, playing cars, playing in the sink filled with bubbles - my two are just short of these same ages and the above seem to be the few activities that they actually "play together."

[srain]

Thanks for the ideas! Any others?

[formerluddite]

5 1/2 and 2 (tomorrow!!!!), can play really well together sometimes, maybe because they're both girls? lot's of imaginative play directed by the kindergartener; lately they've been playing kittens in their respective cardboard boxes (from the grocery store). or they go to bed (on the floor/couch), then get up and put their backpacks on and go to school (upside down cardboard box is the desk), and so on. i also try to time snacks to make sure no one's starving. and go to the playground after school to wear them out. and fix dinner in the morning or while dd2 is napping, then i just reheat, or frozen stuff (meatballs, vegi's) and rice/pasta. or tv if i'm desparate. or promise of tv after dinner if there's cooperation and help before dinner. i've found that benign neglect from me inspires the most creative play from them. or else a meltdown if they're too hungry/tired.

thanks for an inspiring thread!

[PiePie]

can't they each go on opposite sides of an easel?

[srain]

Thanks again- would still love to hear more!

My oldest is super jealous and possessive. Even if I get out an identical set of toys/ art supplies/ whatever, he'd attempt to usurp them all and tears would ensue. I've given them each VATS of homemade play dough- so there's no shortage- and he still tries to take it all. Obviously that's something we're working on, but it makes a lot of activities difficult....

[jillmamma]

Does your oldest have homework? Maybe sit at the table and help him with that, and give the little one something to color for "homework" at the same time? I would try taking them outside for just a few minutes and running around, walk around the block, bounce a ball against the garage door, ride bikes or something first to burn off a bit of energy, then maybe they would go for something like that?

[flyingspaghettimama]

Torment the family cat?
Play "let's drive mama crazy?"
Watch highly inappropriate television shows?
Throw pebbles at passing cars?

Ohhh, you wanted helpful suggestions. Hmm. We don't have this problem (yet). I do give them both a snack right after school and it does make life easier on me. Also, do you have a crockpot? Hope the kids like soup! We have a lot of soup around here. She usually also has some sort of project going that is confined to her room, art or robots or something with tiny pieces.

Playing outside would be difficult for srain's kids, because it's FREAKING COLD THERE. Like, really cold.

[LauraLoo]

[QUOTE=flyingspaghettimama;7072288]. Also, do you have a crockpot? Hope the kids like soup! We have a lot of soup around here. She usually also has some sort of project going that is confined to her room, art or robots or something with tiny pieces. [QUOTE]

I second the crock-pot idea. I also have a lot of quick recipes that I can start and finish prepping for in less than 30 min. (kind of like Rachel Ray...) If I'm doing something more complex, I try to do most of it while ds is in school. I try to keep the actual time needed in the kitchen during the "witching hour" under 30 min. We sometimes do things that they both can help with at the same time - like making mini pizzas. My kids don't fight with each other, but they will not let me cook in the kitchen without being under my feet. If I try to let them both help me at the same time - that's when I get into problems : -- I want to crack the egg! I want to pour the water! I want to get the pan out! I've had some luck working one on one - giving them both a turn.

[formerluddite]

i'm rereading your post, srian, it looks like it's really a "how to pass the time" issue, and that at home is the (for now) unworkable part, since dinner is usually prepped already? when dd1 was too little to be much of a playmate, i stayed at the park or ran errands at a slow pace til dinnertime to avoid the "whiney hour". maybe you can set up an afterschool weekly schedule. since it's cold, is there an inside sort of playground near you? or an afterschool class, like gymnastics, a rec center, or pay to play place? and can you do playdates? trade off with a classmate and have them alternate houses? maybe like this:

M rec/pay to play/class
T home
W playdate
Th grocery shopping/errands/appointments
F home

weekly schedules help keep the older one oriented to the idea that not everything happens every day. for us, monday is gymnastics (for the 5yo), tuesday a playdate, w my sister comes over, th appoinments/park, f home or errands or park.

you could also make one day each kid's: they get to choose the activity, get more one on one with mom, then the other gets the other home day to be chooser.

and maybe dicipline for misbehavior when playing together, hogging stuff, not cooperating...