How to entertain 3 kids under age 4 when they can't go out to play

you can always do puppets from brown paper bags or old socks! thats what i remember from childhood…..

if it’s a girl you can make a butterfly out of paper plates… staples them together and let her color it and put pipecleaners for the antenas. i guess you could do a robot the same way for a boy…..

good luck!

Popsicle sticks and glue as well!

No toy, game, project, will keep your kids as accupied as you will, if possible sit down on the floor together with them, tell them a story, read them a book and have fun. Yes you will also enjoy it.

I dont believe in “entertaining” children. If you are at home with them an entire day, it should be broken up so that you are only in fact “instructing” them as a guide/teacher for short short periods. You basically pull out some activity give them short instruction and demo and then let them get into it themselves.

They will naturally get bored of this within a short time, after they’ve experimented with what they can and cannot do with it and then turn to other activties.

Children need free play, free creative time and yes, they do need a bit of “guidance aka entertainment” as far as being given ideas as to what to do with themselves. But usually they will let you know what they want to do, naturally.

Playdough with household utensils for mushing with, (can make your own playdough by the way), sewing buttons on things (you can pull them off once they’ve gone to sleep), let them stand on a chair at the kitchen sink and “wash dishes” even 2 year olds can do this!….a wash cloth or spray bottle for washing the walls is a BIG toy in my house! Don’t ask me why. I have all nice expensive toys what a kid would want but they love the wash cloths. I let them do the windows, and turn a blind eye to the blurry smears they make. Polishing shoes is fun for 4 year olds. (Dont give real polish.) Give an apple with a peeler they think its great.

set up a train on railroad on living room floor,. they love this. Pull cushions off couch and let them jump to music.

princessy what you do (before hand)is go to a Toy Shop and purchase a light good (not gigantic)Rubber Ball, Light Non Breakable Cell Phone,Light Non Breakable Computer. With the ball interact and play catch with the Todler and Post Todler. Kids love to mimic their Parents, they see them talking talking on their Cell Phones, and on their laptops/PC typing on Yeshiva World they want to do the same as their Parents. Play a game of either catch or rolling their Rubber Ball back and forth between the young child or children and the Adult or Adults. Rubber Ball, Toy Cell Phone and Computer are good Creative Fun for them.

Make cookies.You make a dough and give each child some dough. Children are so proud to bake their own shapes. Have you tried making paper mache? It is a bit messy but great fun.

Let me know if it works. Maybe I’ll right a book on how to keep kids occupied.

ask my sister in law! she just had child number 6 and the oldest are 5 years old. she puts toys on the floor, bribery in her lap and says play nice! dont think it works though!!!!