Hi guys, Thanks for dropping by to Axel Adventures toy talk! Today were going to share five easy things to to that will hold your child's attention for at least 10-15 minutes (in our book thats a real win with any kids under 5!) 1) MAKE PLAY DOUGH AT HOME Its super easy to do and it likely you will have everything you need already in your pantry. You can get your child to help you pour the ingredients into the bowl & swish some things around to help you make it AND your play dough can last up to 6 months which is a real win! Ingredients
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1 cup flour
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2 tsp cream of tartar
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1/2 cup salt
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1 tbsp cooking oil Olive oil or vegetable oil
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1 cup water
Instructions
1) In a large bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar) and mix well.
2) Mix food coloring with your water first. Then add the vegetable oil and water with food coloring to a large pot. Mix together.
3) Add the dry ingredients to your pot and mix well.
4) Cook over low to medium heat until the dough starts to form and becomes dry.
5) Once it starts to form a ball together and looks fully cooked, take off the heat. Let the dough cool first before touching.
6)Once cool, knead the dough for 5 minutes to make the dough soft. Tip: The tartar makes it last longer & makes it softer but you can omit it for lemon juice too :) Store your colorful balls of fun in the fridge in a sandwich bag to freshness :)
2) Giant Dry Erase Mat
All you need is a plastic table cloth from the cheap shop and some dry erase markers! Lay out the cloth/mat on the floor and let your little ones create some fantastic art!
3) Anything to do with balloons (lets be honest!)
Balloons appear to be an endless novelty for small children. You can simply blow them up and play a game of catch with balloons or you could even get creative with some balloon tennis! All you would need is a new balloons and some large fly swats (dollar store kind of item) - you’ve got yourself an easy game to keep the kiddies entertained. This is perfect for kids to use their gross motor skills and have fun indoors. You can even add a bit of water into some balloons for a new bath time toy element. VERY FUN!
4) Bubbles Indoors or out bubble blowing is always a huge hit. Running to pop the bubbles or trying to teach your little one to blow their own bubbles is a super fun way to pass time with your child.
5) Sensory Walks
Sensory walks around your local neighbourhood are a treasure trove of fun! Your little one may like to walk or run or simply sit in the pram but kids always love to collect sticks, stones & flowers on a walk around. We love to look for plants with smells like rosemary, lavender & pine that commonly grow in our area. Pointing out pretty flowers & leaves of various shapes and colors or picking them (if appropriate) is super fun for small children. We have even found pieces of chalk on some of our walks which we used to draw hop - scotch & little pictures with once we got home. Enjoying the simplicity of strolls around your local neighbourhood is totally underrated as a fun activity for you and your child & also encourages a love of nature and simple things.
Here are some of the beautiful things we found on one of our sensory walks
Thank you for dropping in to our blog Lucy, Geoff & Little Axel - The Axel Adventures Family
