Playdate with no toys!!! Help!

[transformed]

I have a 4 year old ds and latley I realized that I have like next to nothing age appropriate to play with. He has unknowingly outgrown everything and his birthday is in a week so I am not buying any toys, LOL.

We may be having a boy over to play with him on friday and I dont have anything for them to DO!

I am also going to be entertaining my 19m old girl the whole time too.

What can I put together for the boys to play with from just household stuff???

Jenny

[IndigoGirlies]

Crayons and paper, paints, play doh or clay...can they play outside? You can do Simon Says, Red Light/Green Light, or just play around with a ball. Take a little nature walk and organize a "treasure list" for them to find...a leaf, different sized rocks, a bug, etc.

[mightymoo]

A bowl, a little soap and a straw, the kids love blowing into the straw and making bubbles. (Put a towel under everything)

[boatbaby]

Play outside!

[4evermom]

Kids always like other people's toys, including the baby toys so I wouldn't worry too much. But if outside play is an option, you can get bubbles. Or have play dough and toy cars that can drive around on it making tracks. My ds loves marble runs so if you have some cardboard tubes and small balls, they might have fun rigging something up with a little help.

[Mizelenius]

My DC don't like toys!



They could spend a lot of time reading, drawing, dancing, playing with water/dirt, riding their bikes, watching TV, acting crazy, making projects, "cooking" (real or with water, bowls, spices), etc. but NO actual toys. I even have a playroom that's cute, but they could care less.

[AnnesMoM]

Make play-dough, it's cheap and kids love it!

[pianojazzgirl]

My friend's 4 yr old son is obsessed with "teasure hunts" where either he hides something for someone else to find or vice versa. They could have a lot of fun if you set something like that up for them.

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by pianojazzgirl

My friend's 4 yr old son is obsessed with "teasure hunts" where either he hides something for someone else to find or vice versa. They could have a lot of fun if you set something like that up for them.

Yeah, my 4 year old and her friend were having a great time doing that recently - taking turns hiding something for the other one to find.

Playing outside with water is usually pretty entertaining, too - a wading pool or sprinkler, or just some bowls and cups and plastic jugs full of water.

[Babytime]

Bake cookies

Make playdough

Paint pictures

Play catch

[citymama]

A stuffed animal safari is also fun. One person hides the animals while the other counts. They then search for the animals with a flashlight.

I also agree with letting them play with rice/legumes/etc and pots and pans to pretend cook.

Or set up different bowls and buckets with water outside to play with along with measuring cups, plastic jugs,etc.

[ledzepplon]

Does he have a ball?

[Ceili]

Got a bunch of old clothes = Dress Up

Play music on pots and pans or fill containers with beans or rice and use them as shakers and put on some music for a dance party.

My ds could play for hours with a rubbermaid tub filled with water and a few cups, pitchers, etc... food coloring and dish soap can extend this indefinately.

We have kids of all ages at our house on a regular basis and the older ones do play with the baby toys because they're different/new. I wouldn't stress about it too much.

[transformed]

Question about beans:

My kids always want to play with beans and dry noodles. It makes such a HUGE mess though and I HATE it!

What is a way you can let them play with it where it doesnt take an hour to clean up?

Can you do it outside? I am worried about having food in the backyard because I wonder if it will attract wildlife/bugs we dont like. (In FL-do fire ants eat beans? LOL)

Jenny

[transformed]

I bought 2 cans of shaving cream yesterday-would that be a great toy or a total disaster in the backyard-with the hose involved.

[Ceili]

I don't think fire ants eat dried beans. Ds played with bean pods from our garden for a while last summer and left them on the back porch for weeks... in fact I remember cleaning them up this spring, so at least our fire ants didn't fine them interesting.

In the house we keep an art tray (like a rimmed cookie sheet) under any project involving beans, pasta, rice, etc. It helps keep the mess contained. Once they're sealed inside tupperware for drums or shakers, I've not had any problems. You could tape the containers shut if your kids are likely to try and open them.

You could subsitute bird seed for the rice or beans or whatever if you're outside and the birds will clean it up for you.