Hey I babysit for 4 year old twin girls and i like to keep them busy while im there rather than just sittin infront of the tv. some of the things i do with them are;

* make up a treasure map and hide some things around the garden. the girls have great fun running about trying to find the gifts iv hidden.

* we recently went out for a walk and picked up some nice colourful leaves and when we got back in stuck them down and made pictures out of them.

* I picked up a few leaflets from my local vet and cut out the pictures of animals and i got the girls to stick down the animals to make pictures.

* The girls really enjoyed it when i once took over a cupcake baking kit and they got to bake and decorate theie own cakes.

Hope this is of some help. Lauren X

Four year olds love new experiences!

Shaving cream finger painting. Planting seeds and looking after them- try beans and alfalfa sprouts for quick results. Bubble blowing- use baby shampoo. Music - singing songs, making instruments ( rice in plastic bottles, saucepans and wooden spoons etc) Looking in magazines to find the letters of her name - help her cut them out and glue them on to make her name. Have a letter hunt- eg Find all the a's on the page of the magazine/ newspaper , cut them out and paste them on a blank page. Get a packet of cheap shoelaces- great for threading- try Fruit Loops or Nutri Grain for a tasty necklace. Cut up some coloured straws to thread on.Colour some pasta tubes with food colouring and water and dry out to use for threading - talk about colour patterns Join the local library - often they have a children's story morning - if not,  just go along and borrow some books! Find a playground close by - half an hour on the play equipment and a little morning tea picnic is lots of fun! Go for a walk along the beach - make a sandcastle, collect shells etc. Dice games such as snakes and ladders are great as they teach children to recognise numbers or count the dots ( try varying the dice)  also turn taking which is a great concept! Card games such as Snap, Go fish, Old Maid are games that four year olds can comprehend as the rules are not too complicated.

Hope these help!

my son loves to cook with me

try having a treasure hunt. All kids seem to love treasure (in my experience, anyway lol) You could make a list of things that your child has to find and when the list is completed they can receive a treasure which could be a treat of some kind. It could be outdoors, and you need to find things like "a brown leaf", "a red letterbox", "the number 4", "a green car".

It could be as simple as just spotting them and putting a sticker next to the item on the list, or if you have a camera you are comfortable with your child using, they could take a photo of the item. My son loved taking photos when he was younger and he always took them from such interesting viewpoints! : )

And while you are out looking for the items your child is being active (walking, skipping) and it gives you a chance to talk and ask each other questions and tell jokes etc. And it gives the child a sense of accomplishment to complete the list and get a reward too. : )

Ok so there is reading, and then there is READING!!!! Try dress-up where you become the characters in the book1! How about a baking cookies, treasure hunts, plays, a museum, tea parties ( oh do you have a boy or a girl?) gardening, cards, board games. Just try to remember what you liked when you were a kid take some time a think then tell your child this is what mommy played! Add skipping, kick a ball around outside, draw chalk drawings on the sidewalk.

taking them to the local museum-my children are from age 3-9 and love the museam...also you can cook like everyone has advised.... In our area we have a garden where its a community based garden, and the kids canm go there and help with preparations of it all, or if you dont have one of them, you could make your own garden patch...If you have a dog take it for a walk, visit a friend and then ask them if they would like to go on a picnic to the local park....

what about duplo blocks my 4 year old just loves them they come with cars, people, helicoptors ect ect and they can build houses and all sorts i got a whole heap from the second hand shop for $12 and they are excelent the kids just love them

Hi. I've begun a series of articles about movement with a purpose for preschool age children.  The first is up www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4361/We-Like-to-Move-ItMovement-with-a-Purpose-for-Preschoolers-Part-I/ and the second will be up later today.  Both of the articles provide background information and part III, hopefully on Monday, will begin with activities.

Join in and maybe you'll find something that you like.

ill try this again  my server is really acting up tonight ..

as i tryed to write this before i will do it again lol,,

you do heaps ,, but also here are other things you both might like to do ,...

enroll her in swimming lessons .....

learing to count and to write the numbers starting from 1-5 then introduce 5-ten

learing the whole alphabet while you both sing it

little childrens gym ,, its called gymbaroo they sing dance learn to ballance etc..., you can look that up in www.sydneyschild.com.au and if your not in sydney they have the links on that page for the other states also .

rolling a ball to oneanother back and forth ( teaches them skills )

going to the local park kicking a ball arround or  doing other things that are there ...

 

*Cooking is great.  *Music, Dancing, Singing, Playing instruments. *Craft with stuff you use aroud the house e.g. make a catapillar with a egg carton. *Dress ups and role play.

I think you should also ask her what she would like to do. Letting her chose will make her think that she is a big girl and make her feel more special. Hope this helps.

Before I had my ch`n I used to sit for alot of people instead of using day care. All the girls loved dress ups, or hospitals, just provide old clothes, shoes, hats etc and bandages for hospital, and lots of teddies to be sick people!! Shops is another good 1.

I agree with  the cooking too, all kids love cooking and the mess that goes with it

Good luck.

We have just had 4 days stuck inside with the rain we've been having!  We have made pikelets and All Bran muffins, made playdough from scratch, and I have taught her how to tie a shoelace! My daughter is 3 years and 5 months old.  She has been enjoying this idea of staying with mum as usually she is in daycare and I'm at work, but with this rain we've been flooded in and I was unable to go to work so I kept my daughter home even though her centre was close to home.  I moved the coffee table to the corner of the lounge room and made an obstacle course with chairs and sheets in the lounge room then played follow the leader with her through it.