Home School Preschool : Help! I Need Ten Minutes To Myself!

Some days you just need your child to work on something by himself. Usually when you're really stressed it's hard to think of activities for him to do.

Here's a list that might be helpful to print out for those occasions!

* Give your child two rolls of pennies and let her put the coins into a piggy bank.

* Bring out the cookie cutters and homemade clay. (the simple homemade kind doesn't stick or make as much of a mess as commercial play clay)

* Make a necklace with yarn and ziti pasta or fruity loop cereal.

* Give your child a couple of large boxes to play with.

* Offer your child a pencil and a pad of post-it notes. You'd be amazed at how long this activity can keep a little one occupied!

* Load up the refrigerator door with magnets of all kinds and let the fun begin!

* Sort sea shells and place into an egg carton.

* Have your child put a sock on her hand and help "dust" the furniture.

* Get a bag of 15 bean soup. Let your child sort beans or glue onto a piece of cardboard.

* Shine a large flashlight on the wall and let child make hand shadows. Sure, you'll use up a few batteries, but sanity is worth a couple bucks!

* Let him measure objects around the house with a small retractable measuring tape.

* My niece loved this activity --even before she could walk! I'd give her a small bowl of water, a toothbrush, and some baking soda. She'd sit and "scrub" the kitchen floor and keep pointing to more baking soda!

* Make leaf rubbings by placing a sheet of paper over a leaf and coloring over it with a crayon. You can do coin rubbings, shell rubbings, etc.

* Chalk on dark paper makes for a fun activity.

* Have your child try to bounce ping pong balls into a small wastebasket.

* Provide a stack of magazines that need the "cards" taken out of the middle. Funny how these simple activities can provide so much fun!

* Pitch a tent! A large sheet over a card table or 4 chairs makes a great imaginary playground. Invite some stuffed animals over for extra fun!

* Provide a few plastic kitchen utensils and some old pots and pans to play with.

* Children love to use unusual items like a hole punch. Simply provide a few sheets of colorful paper, and the fun can last for a good half-hour!

These activities all provide important independent learning time for preschoolers. Fun and games lead to "brain gain"!