Mothers are always looking for simple activities to keep the baby busy. And if you add some skill practice to it, then it becomes icing on the cake. But do you think that preparation for DIY activities requires a lot of time, energy, and creativity?? it’s not like that at all. Easy DIY Ideas For Kids
I’m going to tell you 10 activities that you can prepare in 5 minutes or less with things you already have at home.
1. Cotton balls and tongs – Let the child transfer the cotton balls from one container to another, using tongs found in the kitchen. It’s great for fine motor skills and builds muscles for the important skill of writing.
2. Sensory games related to water – Playing in water cannot be compared with any other sport. Put their feet/animal/spoon/bowl/sponge in a tub of water. Let them wash or clean it thoroughly. It also allows them to explore the concepts of sinking and swimming, strengthen arm muscles by squeezing water from a sponge or simply splashing and playing.
As an alternative – Take a large kitchen container or tray. Add rice, pasta, corn kernels, shaving cream or lentils and some of their toys. Let them explore textures by pouring, scooping, hiding objects, and simply through the feel of their skin.
3. Kitchen – Use a kitchen ladle or perforated spatula for lapping. This activity is great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Use leftover party spoons, knives and forks and transform them into a fun sorting activity.
4. Play-Doh Ya Atta – Flour is prepared for making roti in every house. Add food coloring to it or use your child’s play doh. Using some existing shapes, print in dough and let the child identify the animal or bird.
5. Why Study Numbers or Alphabets – Pour shaving cream onto a tray and give your child an unsharpened pencil. Say the letters, numbers or sight words and practice drawing them on the cream with the child.
6. Use a calendar or wired basket and straws to practice hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.
7. Paper plates are my go-to solution for quick setups.
- Practice Phonics – Grab a bunch of paper plates and markers. Write the letters of the alphabet on them and arrange them at different places in the room. And say “I hop to the letter” which makes _____ sound.
- Practice Fine Motor and Math – Write down the target values you want your child to practice. Give them a box of U-pins and ask them to complete the plate. It’s perfect for beginners and is great for learning counting, counting and general calculations. Along with counting, the child is also practicing fine motor skills.
- Gross Motor Skills – Grab a bundle of paper plates and a marker. Write the letters of the alphabet and spread them around the room. Ask your child to jump/jump/hop/fly/slide on different letters or numbers or shapes when you name them. You can also do this with younger children to practice mathematical problems, synonyms, and antonyms.
8. Science experiment
Volcano eruption using baking soda and vinegar. Fill 1/4th of a glass with baking soda. You can add food coloring to get the color. Now add vinegar and explosion…!!
Rain Clouds in Jar – Fill the jar or container you are using with water till 3/4th full and then pour the shaving cream on top of it. Allow some time for the shaving cream to sit on top of the water. Mix several drops of blue coloring with a little water in a bowl. Children fill their droppers with blue water and drip it onto their cloud. Ask them to put as many drops of blue water as possible on the cloud. When the cloud is filled with water, it will start raining
9. Use Q-tips found in your bathroom cabinet and let your child draw shapes or letters with them. Or older children can also set up a maze and blow a cotton ball through a straw to get it to the end of the maze. You can make a shape with Q-tips in advance and click a picture of it and ask the child to copy it. The child copies the picture.
10. Open-Ended Play – Just provide them with a few things like cardboard, markers, glue, ribbon, stickers, etc. You will be amazed by their creativity and imagination!
Children play, learn, work, explore, discover, and research while holistically connecting their minds, bodies, and spirits. We, as parents, just have to support them and help them discover/rediscover the joy that comes in learning something new.