Looking for Fun Table Top Activities for 3 to 5 Year Olds

There are board games, they could play or cards. Old maid, fish, war all at the dollar store. At Michaels they have all kinds of cheap activities. Foam shapes to make things Jewlery beads. For boys snap together model cars. I would ask the parents to bring one as a project their child could work on. keeping the imagination going is a tough one. I dont know if you have a fenced in yard with a swing set mostly you need to exhaust their energy so they slow down.

Kids that age are all pretty much in the realm of attention deficit OOH SHINY! They need more direct contact & constant interaction to keep their focus. I would try more physical games. I used to work @ Sears Portrait Studio & It was so frustrating when I had little kids in with a big family so we usually planned it out to do a team shoot for those appointments so it would work out better. I would honestly see if you could maybe hire a neighbor (college age) kid that has experience with working with kids that could help you out part time. With a business like that, it's more difficult to 'gear' it to multiple age groups when it's just you running it. It sounds like you're already coming up with great ideas for stuff they can do so you can work with the little ones so I don't think it's that you're not already coming up with great ideas but I would still hire some help before the hair pulling starts! LOL Good luck.

One fun thing I did with the preschoolers in our homeschool group was to make one "activity envelope" for each child. After 15 minutes, a timer went off, and they packed the supplies back into the envelope and passed theirs to the person on their right. Then I started the timer again. Since there were 7 kids, I had 7 (large) envelopes, and (counting a few minutes for clean-up in between) it kept them busy for almost 2 hours! If you have fewer kids, you can make more than one envelope per child to help stretch the time--after the "first round" (when each child has done each activity), bring out the second set of envelopes and start "Round Two." You can also update/change some of the things in the envelopes as their skills develop, to help keep them from getting bored.

Some ideas for the envelopes:
1. Safety scissors and paper with long, thin strips to cut into small squares. You'll need a LOT of paper for this envelope so that no one runs out before time is up! (I often use old magazines and unimportant scraps from a paper shredder.) You might also want to use a plastic bowl or cardboard box to "catch" the bits of paper as they cut. You can have them cut along lines and/or cut out shapes if the strips are too easy for them.
2. Felt Stories: One rectangle of blue or green felt; various felt shapes; print out simple felt-shape pictures to use as idea-starters. Suggest that they tell a story using the felt pieces to "illustrate" it. Sometimes we would take a digital picture of their finished designs to show parents. Felt works better than foam, but do NOT use adhesive-backed felt; you want this to be reusable.
3. Origami-paper matching: I purchased a set of 12 small (4") squares of origami paper and cut each one into two rectangles. The child would sit on the floor and put the matching pieces together. This was especially fun because the origami paper had different designs on front and back, and some of them looked very similar! Later in the year, I cut those rectangles into two pieces each (now a total of 4 per design), so they had even more pieces to match.
4. Mosaics: I used real tiles because I had them, but you could also use foam tiles: squares and triangles work best. I put a couple handfuls in the envelope, along with mosaic pictures to copy (if desired) and a blank "graph" printed on cardstock paper (one square tile would fit perfectly in one of the blocks on the graph).
5. Stringing beads: plastic cord, large beads (wooden or foam work well), pipe cleaners, and a few different bead patterns printed on small cardstock rectangles.
6. Wooden blocks or a building set (such as Legos, Tinker Toys, or Lincoln Logs). You can add pictures of small finished designs to copy if you like.
7. Lacing cards with plastic cord (works better and lasts longer than yarn).
8. A small rag doll with several outfits (you may have to make them yourself) that include buttoning, fastening snaps, and zipping. You can include lacing and tying, too, if it isn't too challenging for them. I'd suggest you use plastic cord (easier to untie).
9. Tangrams: look these up on the internet to find lots of ideas and instructions on how to make your own set from a square of craft foam.
10. A small chalkboard and colored chalk (I do NOT suggest dry-erase boards because some of those markers will stain clothing). Some kids love to try and copy their own name over and over, so you might want to write it out for them at the top on their turn.

HTH! Good luck!

I have lots of activity books with creative ideas that have helped me with my kids on rainy days! The drawing books have step by step pictures that keep my 4 year old son excited about the project. Before, I could not get him to sit for 2 seconds and I pulled out one of these books and before I knew it, an hour had gone by!

There are lots of "things to make and do" "what shall I draw" "1001 things to spot" and more. There are also combination books where you can get several books in one to save money. Most of the books are already under $10 :o)

Go to www.ubah.com/w2474
search: activities or anything I put in quotes above

Good Luck and have Fun!

S.

Hi B.,
I know that you have asked for table top ideas and you have recieved some fantastic ideas from others. I would like to add a different twist...whatever happened to the old fashioned tent set-up in the living room? Get out the sheets and blankets and spread them around on the furniture...you may need to rearrange some furniture but I remember hours of fun just sitting and playing with dolls or building with blocks under the "tent". It's something different for the kiddos and I bet they will really enjoy it and will occupy them for more than a few minutes...Good Luck and Have Fun!

I have not read the responses but I think that a good idea is finger painting but use ketsup, mustard, etc. Those are things that belong in the kitchen anyway so it won't be crazy to clean up. Kids like to get messy!

Also, what about those simple card games like Gold Fish? Or how about Pick up Stick. My son is 12 years old and I bet he has been playing that game for 10 years. Maybe not 10, but it sure feels like it.

Good luck!!!

I love the ideas given so far, especially Amy's idea for activities in the folders. I've been out of the classroom for a few years, but off the top of my head...an easy time-filler is fingerpainting with shaving cream. The kids just play in it and rub it around until it evaporates. They're clean, table's clean and room smells nice! :) Another activity that would be good for that age group and work with the envelope idea is to have pictures mounted on sturdy cardstock or cardboard, then punch holes (like a dot-to-dot of sorts), then give the kids a long piece of yarn or string with tape or something on the end to make it slightly pointed and have them thread the string through the holes. This is great practice for their small motor skills. Another idea would benefit both the older and younger kids. Get some picture books that they are familiar with enough for the older ones to "read" them to the little ones and possibly do a little puppet show with them. A large box (go to a furniture or appliance store and ask for a refrigerator box or even a washer or dryer box would be big enough for that age group). Cut out part of one side to make a window then let them use little stick puppets or hand puppets to act out stories. Some great books for that would be any by Eric Carle. They have repetition and patterns and also focus on colors, days of the week, animal sounds, etc...fun and educational. I have tons of activity books down in my basement that I haven't used in awhile, so if you'd like to set up a date to come over and look through some, you're more than welcome to borrow them. Just pm me and let me know.

My girls love the foam stickers I get from the dollar store. I let them have construction paper and crayons and they make pictures. If they make a big mess and I have to sweep some of the stickers into the trash I don'e get upset because it only cost $1. Crainium has a game called Cariboo and the girls love it. They would sit at the table and play it for hours.

When I was substituting for the day care my kids went to, they days had themes to them. One maybe a red day. One maybe a season day. for example the jack-o-lanterns: a story about halloween or jack-o-lanterns, adding texture to paintings. games that have an pumpkin theme. making a snack that is pumpkin related. On thanksgiving you can do the same with turkey, pilgrims. Maybe in the weeks ahead they could practice a little play about the first thanksgiving, that they could cut out, draw, or paint pictures about the holiday. and recite a little story about each picture. Need more ideas just give me an messaage.

I see someone already gave you the table-tent idea. This was what I was thinking as well. I think it is important for the kids to 'make up' what they will play, 'set up' their own play, and 'clean up' their own play as much as possible. Kids this age don't really distinguish the difference between work and play. They can help make the edible play dough. Learning to measure is a great math lesson! Kids also like routine. Everyday they can help 'play' lunch set-up or snack clean up. Maybe you already include them in those activities we adults think of as chores. But, the kids might just have fun and the parents might appreciate it if you put old socks over their hands and teach them to play 'basebord dust hunters', making sure they know to never touch the dangerous 'electric cord snakes' (especially where their fangs are biting the wall). The nooks and tunnels behind recliners and couches become caves. Just let the parents know that these are skills you are teaching the children so they can feel empowered to help out at home. If you want to make it especially fun, the kids can glue faces on their dust-hunter mitts and take them home so they can dust-hunt in their own room.

We provided tons of edu-toys, projects, etc., when my son was young. To this day, he says his best times were at Grandma's house, "...because we never needed toys there." One day I came to pick him up at Grandma's and found him and his cousin in the back yard with wrapping paper tubes in their hands and fuzzy toilet seat covers clipped onto the back of their shirts with clothes pins. I wondered what in the world they were doing with toilet seat covers on their backs, but they seemed to be having the time of their lives. So, I asked my marvelous mother-in-law what they were wearing and she said, "Oh, they're Teenage Ninja Turtles. Those seat covers are their turtle shells!" She had a way of pulling ideas out of them. Playing Ninja Turtles certainly wasn't her idea!

Anyway, hope this helps you discover endless ideas. Those kids are lucky to have someone who cares so much. Would that all children had that in their lives!

We love playing with shaving cream. They bring cars and animals (things that can be washed) and make roads in the shaving cream, smooth it out and right their names, abc, or numbers in it. The plus is that their little hands, your table, and toys are all getting clean while they are getting played with!! I have a 7 and 5 year old and it STILL entertains them!

This isn't practical for everyone and you may have tried it but uncooked rice or beans. I give them eanch their own bowl, the biggest ones I have. I also give them spoons and little cups. The usually find thier own addition things to play with also. I did this with my youngest who was just over 18 months and she made a huge mess. We have hard wood floors so this is ok. My neice and daughter-4&6-keep it pretty clean. The can do this for hours.

Hi B.,

Well first I would like to invite you to come join one or all of the yahoo groups I am in. You will get alot of information from them and good ideas. I'm in Provider's playground, Daycare connection, Providers Playground - Preschool, Child Care Cubby and child Care Cubby themes, I know there are a few others but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Next thing I beleive this is more of a thing that you need to set up a good routine for during the day. No matter what activities you do if they are allowed to get down fro the table when they feel like it they will never just sit there.

So here is an example of my daily routine with my daycare kids
6:00 am Daycare opens
7:00 am I start Breakfast/get things ready for the day.
7:30 am - 8:00 am Breakfast
8:00 am - 9:00 am Free time
9:00 am - 9:30 am Circle time
9:30 am - 9:45 am diaper changes/handwashing
9:45 am - 10:15 am outside play time (weather permiting)
10:15 am - 10:30 am Handwashing/light snack
10:30 am - 11:30 am Learning time
11:30 am - 12:00 noon free time, I am getting lunch prepared
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm diaper changes/handwashing
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm Lunch time
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm free time, I am getting the kitchen cleaned up
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm nap time
4:00 pm - 4:15 pm diaper changes/handwashing
4:15 pm - 4:30 pm snack time
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm free time/children going
6:00 pm day care closes
Hope this helps, W. B

Some things I would recommend are already on here- the shaving cream is always a big hit in our house! It wipes off easily and doesn't hurt them if it gets in their eyes or mouths. I make them draw certain things in it- my 5 yr old has to draw letters/numbers, my 4 yr old has to draw letters/shapes, my 3 yr old has to draw animals/shapes.

- decorate sugar cookies- my kids love this too! Just get the tube of dough, cut them, bake them and then give them frosting or decorating gels

-crafts- kids love to use things like scissors (safety scissors of course) and glue. The oriental trading company is an excellent source for cheap crafts (for all different ages).

- make sock puppets and then cover the table with a sheet- let them use it as their 'puppet theater'

- kids love to make food items- so make crafty foods- use Scooby Doo bone crackers and cover them in white chocolate- make a bone graveyard, make acorns using donut holes, chopped, nuts, peanut butter and pretzel sticks... stuff like that

I like to do activities with my kids for each holiday- this website offers tons of great ideas!! http://familyfun.go.com/

Good luck!!

B.
The key to making any activity last more than 5 minutes is you. Sit down at the table with the children and engage them in the activity. Some kids need to be prompted and encouraged. Next time you give them play dough, give yourself a blob as well. Show off what you can do, challenge them to copy you. Don't get me wrong, I realize that you need the kids occupied so you can take care of lunch etc.., but don't leave them totally on their own. Stay involved in their games and crafts. Check back often, praise their good work, and don't play all your cards in the beginning, so to speak. You can always toss a few more cookie cutters in the mix after 5 minutes to refresh their interest, give them some glitter to finish off their paintings, put a few drops of red food coloring into their yellow play doh and viola-now they have orange to play with. Be creative, and have fun!

The older kids need to have some outside time, it's really the only way for them to get that energy off. I know my son would be the exact same way, he has got to be outside for a few minutes. Even the younger ones need to be outside.

I know you said the parents know the drawbacks but maybe you shouldn't offer care to the older ones since you aren't set up to take them. Sorry I dont' mean to sound harsh.

Other than that maybe having them help out with preparing for lunch. Keeping a table stocked with arts and crafts that they can go to at all times, legos designed for older kids. You may have to block the younger kids away from that area but allow the older ones to have access to it at all times. Of course if the misuse the supplies, take the open access away from that child.

I know of a few other daycare moms on here that may have some other ideas.

I am having the same problem, so I am interested in seeing your responses.
Good luck :)

Snow flakes are a good activity. Make sure to have a dust pan ready for them to clean up.

Also butcher paper on the floor to make a city with roads for match box cars. (table would work too).

Get a couple of large cardboard boxes for drawing and crawling around in....also making a tent out of the table, chairs, sheets and clothes pins would be easier to clean up.