In theory, I believe in letting kids create their own fun. I can’t tell you how many times my 7-yr old has said, “You’re making this day not fun!” and I have responded “It’s not my job to make your day fun”. Every now and then they will come up with something fantastic and I’m so proud of their imaginations and of myself for ignoring them so they could be creative. Like the time they made this “house” for their hermit crabs and sat and watched them for an hour. They all four were intent on watching them, but were insistent that loud noises scared the crabs, so everyone had to whisper. That was a delightful hour.
The hermit crab house
We have a fenced-in backyard with a clubhouse and swing set that I can see from my kitchen window so they run and play and create all sorts of fun out there. This teepee they made? Amazing.
Come on, this teepee is really cool, right? They did it all by themselves!
This spy fort they made inside didn't look as cool as the teepee, but they all played together quietly, so it's a win.
But those are the Facebook-worthy moments. They’re wonderful and amazing and are the brief fleeting moments of time when I feel like this mama gig is going ok. Most of the time they just pile things as high as they can and jump and wrestle, which inevitably ends up with someone crying to Mama.
Letting them have free reign with the craft supplies leads to some amazing creations, but also to some amazing messes. Ok, let’s be honest. This time I let the toddlers fingerpaint didn’t exactly lead to amazing creations, only amazing messes.
Their imaginations also regularly lead them into the kitchen to sample anything they can find. Once they tried to “bake” something by putting butter and all the spices they could find into the mixer.
One Sunday after church they invented a game called “throw dirt in the air and run through it”.
Which is why I’ve begun coming up with “Desperation Games”. Desperation Games are games that require no skill, supplies, or planning. They are completely ridiculous, but if you ham it up and act like you’re doing something super-fun, the kids will totally buy it and think you’re amazing. I don’t have any pictures of us playing Desperation Games because they are not picture-worthy. They are just something every mom needs to have in her “rainy-day arsenal”
Most of my Desperation Games are played in the car. Because in the car, kids are contained and Mama can go through the drive-thru at McDonalds for her Coke and doesn’t have to look at how messy her house is. When they’re little, you don’t need a game. Get in the car and drive around until they fall asleep. Good times. But when they get a little older, they expect you to give them “reasons” for going somewhere, so you have to get creative and make stuff up. Let me give you some examples:
Roller Coaster Road – Find a road with a few hills and turns. Drive down it, making noises like you’re on an exciting roller coaster ride. Kids squeal with glee.
Tell Mama Where To Go – Set the timer on your phone for 5 minutes at a time and each kid takes a turn telling you where to turn. You go wherever they say. Tell them they got you lost and they will beg to play every day.
Scavenger Hunt – Ok, I have been known to make supplies for this one and draw a few things on a piece of paper like a red car, three trees together, a stoplight, a bird, etc. Then I tell them we’re going to drive around and see if they can find the things on their list. Sometimes, though, I just say, “Hey guys! We’re going to drive around and count how many birds we see today!” Equal excitement levels. (If it’s around Christmas, get them a $1 kids hot chocolate from Starbucks and go look for lights. That’s next-level, though. More of a fun mom activity than a desperation one.)
House Hunting – Pick a neighborhood. Drive through it and ask the kids to tell you which houses they like best and why.
Construction Sites – Find a construction site, pull up nearby, and let the kids watch.
Car Picnic – One time my kids had been sick for a week, but the weather was so nice we had to get out of the house. I went to the Wendy’s drive-thru, got them little Frosties, and then sat in the parking lot with the van doors open while we ate them. My kids beg to be unbuckled in the car and have a car picnic. Sometimes we do it in our driveway. It’s a lifesaver when we’re on a road trip and I can’t handle taking my whole crew in somewhere to eat. It is, however, more of a Type-B mama activity for those of us whose cars already have a layer of crumbs on the floor.
When we’re staying home, my Desperation Games tend to be “Go In the Backyard” or “Watch TV”. One time my kids invented “Run In A Circle and Give Mama A Hug Every Time You Go By”. That was a good one. As I’m writing this on my back porch, the toddlers are playing “Squirt The Hose Around the Backyard” which is very entertaining but is making me question if I have any more clean clothes to put on them because they’re soaked. My real advice, however, if you want easy activities for at home is to turn to the experts. Busy Toddler is the one who taught me how much fun kids can have with a bowl of water and a bucket of ice (If you’re thinking, “That doesn’t sound so fun”, I can promise you all four of my kids would disagree). Toddler Approved has tons of great activities as well. I follow them both on Instagram to make sure I see their latest ideas. Pinterest and Instagram are full of more creative mamas than me – use them!
My kids having a BALL with ice and water. Who knew?
Good luck out there, Mamas! I’m right here with you, just trying to make it to naptime the best way we can.
This Post Has 3 Comments
Great blog post.
My kids grab almost every box that ever gets delivered to the house and ask to keep it so they can make something out of it! I love how creative they get with simple things! Also the ice is such a great idea!!
I let the kids tell me where to turn and get us lost in the car the other day….they loved it. So we did it again when we went walking on a trail with lots of turns.