Babysitting boredom and ideas to fix it needed

[PixieSunbelle]

I was not quite sure where to put this. It's sort of a parenting issue but not that in that I'm not a parent.

My mother in law watches my nephews 5 days a week. They are 2 & 3 years old and are getting super bored. They have toys and TV but they just kind of throw around the toys (including at one another) because they either don't know what to do with them or are bored with them... maybe both, I'm not sure.

The solution could be coming up with sort of a lesson plan every day for several hours that includes a craft. My question is... what should a 2 and a 3 year old be learning? Does anyone have any craft ideas for 2 & 3 year olds?

 

[CelticRose]

Jigsaws. If they get bored doing them the conventional way try upside down or blindfolded. Painting. Food dye & a straw isn't too messy. Finger painting. Play~doh. Nature hunt. Kim's Game. Animal identification. Bird id. Plant id. Water play with different size containers. The kitchen sink works. Blowing bubbles. You could even try pre~reading skills with the older so long as you do it as a game. No stress. No pressure.

At this age though the thing is they want & need an adult to join in. You can't just leave them & expect they will entertain themselves.

 

[PixieSunbelle]

They love water play but generally we do that only in the summer time otherwise our entire house would be soaked! When their dogs stayed with us the kids would dump out the water bowl on the kitchen floor!

 

[LilLamb219]

Are the toys just sitting out all day and the kids left to "play" on their own? I mean, that does sound boring.

Why not section certain times of the day for specific things? Like tv time is from this time until that and then craft time is next, recreational activity for exercise, etc... Change the toys out too for different days of the week so they don't see the same old things all the time.

 

[PixieSunbelle]

We don't have that many toys here for that. The kids come here and it has sort of become "the boring grandparents house". They have some toys here but most of them they are now too old for or not old enough for. Fortunately the problem has been half-solved by their parents finally enrolling them in daycare 3 days a week.