Has your home been taken apart by your little explorer? Don’t despair. It may simply result from an extraordinary desire to learn. Who knows, your child just may be a future scientist, inventor, or leader in the making. When your child needs to occupy some creative energy, have your child try some of these fun, educational activities.
Put together a book of facts on a favorite interest such as dinosaurs, insects, rock bands, sports or astronomy. Clip pictures and descriptions from magazines and Internet printouts. Then trace drawings from books and write about personal experiences with the topic.
Make up a scavenger hunt. Parents, make a list of easy to find items for your small children. Give older kids a greater challenge with a list of puzzles to solve in order to determine what items to find. Kids can also create their own scavenger hunt for family or friends to try.
Play restaurant. Have your child make up a restaurant menu with several simple dishes he can prepare. At dinnertime, he can seat the family, take orders, then prepare and serve the dishes.
Recycling fun. Start a discard collection and teach your kids the importance of recycling and reusing disposable items. Then get their creative juices flowing. Save zippers and buttons from old clothing, plastic containers, fabric strips, packing materials, small scraps of wood, carpet and wallpaper scraps and more. Then supply your kids with scissors, tape, and glue, and let them go to work. Offer ideas to get your kids started then let them come up with their own creations.
Play Thomas Edison. Save old kitchen appliances, computers, DVD players and other electronics. Give your child a supply of tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, and safety glasses to get them started. Kids love this type of exploration and learn by taking apart and examining the inner workings of electronics. As a word of caution, cut the electrical cord before your child begins to prevent any mishaps and supervise for sharp parts or mechanisms that could pinch fingers.
Create a video. Have your children make up several humorous television commercials using household items for props and by dressing-up for the part. After they’ve rehearsed their skits, set up a video camera and tape their production.
