Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Any ideas for keeping DC occupied?

Thanks for the insight, PTP. However I don't want to imply that I spend my entire day trying to keep DD3 busy. She does play by herself quite often with Little People, drawing, computer games, the play kitchen, and various little toys she collects and imagines with. However, there are times throughout the day, especially when I'm trying to get something done, that it would be nice to have a new idea to keep her entertained. Or when I do spend time playing with her, I'd like to know some new ideas to keep her interested.

By no means do I have the time or the energy (or the patience) to constantly distract her with my attention, especially since we've had a new baby and DD11mo is very mobile and very curious.

I'm just looking for unique ways to keep her occupied -- by herself or with me.

I would suggest checking out some library books with fun activities to do with the kids. Different crafts, projects, science experiments etc. There are lots of different ideas. I almost checked out a library book last night about boredom busters. I agree with other posters and I have a mixture of time with them, and time by themselves. I think it is important for them to be able to keep themselves busy...but also to engage in activities together. For DS4 (almost 5) he has a list of about 50 things he can do by himself if he gets bored. If I see him getting antsy I encourage him to check his list. DD22 months does lots by herself too...but more with me in the vicinity at least.

Independent activities (with some supervision as needed): computer games, making up his own games, building contraptions, playing number games, wheel of fortune, play doh, moon sand, drawing or writing, workbooks, playing in the back yard, reading books, playing hide and seek and other games with his sister, playing with lots of different toy things (labrynth, puzzles, Izzi, chocolate fix, peg solitaire games, rubiks things, k'nex). DD does a lot of pretend play by herself. She plays with her ponies, all her stuffed animals. puzzles, She talks to them and feeds them and totes them around. She looks at books a lot, she draws and colors and does play doh and moon sand. She likes to listen to music and dance. She loves running around outside with DS. And of course we have the fall back of a tv show or two. She is really into Hi-Five and peep, and sesame street right now.

Together activities: Lots of board games, treasure hunts (one clue leads to the next), egg hunts, letter hunts (hide letters all around the room) when he was younger he would have to say a word that started with that letter. hitting a balloon up in the air and counting how many times you hit it without falling to the ground, hot and cold, origami, craft projects, science experiments, math games (usually ones he makes up), outdoor games, trips to the park, walks, obstacle courses, planting things together, scavenger hunts outside. I am sure there is more...but that's a start.

My older DS loved activity books when he was 3 and 4 years old. He would spend hours working on connect-the-dot books, preschool activity books, and Kindergarten ones. He LOVED them!

My younger DS, on the other hand, will barely even look at an activity book. I set up a craft kaddy with drawers full of craft materials (paper, pens, glue, tape, beads, string, stickers, etc., etc.). He will spend a lot of independent time making things and drawing pictures. He also loves legos and K-nex.

For a while I also put together activity packets in ziplock bags for my oldest son. Then when we were really needing him to have some independent time, we could pull one of those out. This really helped my DH when I was traveling for work and he was playing the single parent role. (I got lots of ideas for these by Googling for ideas about keeping toddlers busy while homeschooling older kids. There were some great ideas.)

My son is 4 and loves dot to dot and maze books. He like his Leapster. We have the Rush Hour game and he likes that a lot. He has a box of gears that he can make into a robot that he likes. Play dough and Silly Putty keep him occupied too. He likes any kind of craft. I print worksheets off of the Internet and keep them in a drawer for him in the kitchen and he likes pulling them out and doing them.

thanks for starting this thread

I'm reading with fascination and finding that I mentally reject some of the ideas that work so well for other kids. It's made me take a longer look at my DD 28 mos. to find out what exactly engages her.

DD needs animate objects. If it doesn't have a respiratory system, she's not terrifically interested in it. Thank goodness for all the bugs in the garden, or I'd get nothing done. She will watch some videos and movies, but they have to have a strong social dynamic component or she's up and off to tinker with the dog in some new way. Not surprizingly, her number one favorite play thing is a human.

The good news is she loves to help me do whatever I'm doing. But if I need to get something done without toddler assistance - like the taxes - I've got to think fast.

So this thread got me thinking that there are introverts and extroverts and many of us fall somewhere in between. Don't some GT assessments use the Myers-Briggs personality type test? Introverts need to spend time alone to recharge their batteries and are more likely to learn something very deeply and thoroughly, while extroverts get energized interacting with others and tend to learn a little bit about a huge range of subjects. (I'm nearly dead center on the test.) I tend to think most GT kids are introverts (ISTJ's maybe?) and that my DD is an extrovert.

I am glad I read through the posts b/c I too was going to post something similar. I 100% agree with PTP on this one. Parenting is also letting your child be bored. Granted, my DD (2 1/2) can entertain herself for hours on end through imaginary play. We still don't know exactly when that kid wakes up in the morning because she will sit in her room and play with whatever until we come and get her. And she doesn't have a room full of toys. She is allowed to have a few stuffed animals on her bed and that is all that is in there. Maybe I got the strange child that would have naturally been able to do things on her own but I like to think I had a hand in that by not always looking to have another activity ready for her to do. She has areas around the house such as crayons and a tablet at the kitchen table to draw on and her playroom upstairs and her dogs that follow her around. When she wants to draw she goes into the kitchen and draws for a while. When she wants to taunt her dogs she grabs a ball and the game is on. And yes there are times I need to entertain her but they are few and far in between.

To tie back into what PTP wrote, we always include her in our world. She loves to help bake and cook. Laundry is a love for her. She is even getting good with picking up the living room. And this type of activities has really helped her to go on and explore the rest of her world. There has been many a conversation with whatever stuffed animal about helping her make cookies or put dishes up, basically reinforcing the routines we already set in place.

LOL ... okay I read to PTP post and clicked quote. Now that I read through the rest I certainly don't think my response is directed towards you Hoosier. I get what you are asking and please disregard my input b/c it really has nothing to do with your situation. Other then maybe if what you are trying to distract her from is stuff she might be able to be involved in such as cleaning the house, cooking, etc. Just a thought.

We had great luck with the Fisher Price PowerTouch (I don't think they make them anymore, but you might find them and their games on eBay still) and after that the LeapPad. Our DS6 got the PT when he was 2, and LeapPad when he was 3. He enjoyed quite a few books on the PT, not so much on the LP but he was already on the computer and Nintendo and PlayStation by then. We are a bit of an electronics household, as you may notice.

On the other hand, DD2 is only occasionally interested in either of those, and not in the same way as DS. But she isn't interested in reading yet and prefers drawing and singing. She does like the puzzles on the LP.

I don't think it's so odd to put a 3yo on the computer, what's odd is when that 3yo calls you over to help with something and it turns out that he's signing up for his own Yahoo email because a game site asked for his email and he didn't have one, and he's now stuck because he put in his real birthdate and it says he needs an adult to help!

Katelyn'sMom, no, I am not trying to distract DD from things she can help with around the house. When I clean, she gets out her spray bottle full of water and a rag and helps me, she's always at the kitchen counter helping me cook and when I vacuum, she takes some of the attachments and "vacuums" the doors and windows. I'm just looking for different ideas to keep her occupied or stimulate her mind. DD3 is easily bored with her toys, despite her great imagination. Some days are worse than others and some days there is no problem. But I was just looking for some different ideas for games or products that have helped other children out there stay busy.
Thanks Nautigal for the tip. I think can check out those Leapsters from the library so I can try that.

seablue, That was really interesting about the introvert/extrovert thing. Like your DD, my DD3 is definitely most interested playing with humans. She always has been since birth, however with the arrival of DD-almost-1(!), DD3 has had the tough lesson to learn that she has to share her mommy, which continues to be tough for her. I would definitely classify DD3 as an extrovert. Sounds like our DD's are very similar!!

HoosierMommy, you may find that as DD-almost-1 gets closer to 15 or 18mo, her and DD3 will be much more likely to play together. I have 3, all ~2 years apart (DS7, DS5, DD2.5) and 15-18mo was the magical age when the younger one was old enough to participate in games with the older kid(s). My boys loved making block towers for DD to knock down or telling DD about their trains and letting her try to run them on tracks they had made. I really think it just helped that there was someone there to watch the older kid play, especially a younger sibling who thought the big kid was so cool, lol. I think their toys also get a second life at that time because they can show off all the neat things they can play with.