Desperate for Ideas!!

[cheerfuldom]

Okay ladies, throw them at me!

I am babysitting at my church for a parents night out and am in charge of about 10 to 12 kids for 2 and 1/2 hours. Ages are toddlers to young school age. The thing is, this will be held in an empty fellowship hall so I have to provide all the activities. I have to call the pastor and see what the rule is for TV because we may do a movie and popcorn thing but even that would only hold most of the kids for 30 minutes to maaaaybe an hour. Any supplies and stuff, I would have to pay for. What are some ideas? Your all time favorite crowd pleasing crafts? games? activities? Keep in mind that the toddlers will not want to be left out (there's a few two years olds and then a one year old) so I have to thing of things that would be fun for big kids but not totally leaving out the littles. PS its this saturday!!

UPDATED: Here's my plan, split the time up into half hour sections. We will do some sort of scavenger hunt, snacks/movie, games, crafts, one more round of games/songs

I LOVED the trail mix idea and will do that! I love the game ideas. I need a craft idea too.....something easy. I was thinking toothpicks and marshmallow creations but would love some other ideas....toothpicks might be scary for the littles and I dont know for sure if I will have help there or not.

[Christian Mother]

A lot of my kiddo's love Veggie Tale movies...there are 2 good ones for Easter...

An Easter Carol and Twis the Night Before Easter

I find that Michael's always has great group Easter Kits that the kids can make if you grab one of there coupons you can get like 40% off.

Maybe even have them do "Hand Print Easter Crafts for their Parents"...There is a cute Easter Bunny Hand print featured on Handprint and footprint Arts websight



I will think on this more and get back to you again!!

[cheeseheadmama]

A fun cheap activity of a group is "moon tennis". Blow up a couple balloons and then have the kids make "rackets" with paper plates and Popsicle sticks. They can color the plates if they want. Then divide the kids into groups and have them hit the balloons back and forth like tennis, seeing how many times they can hit it before it hits the ground. The toddlers will just love chasing the balloons around.

Have the kids help assemble the snack. Something like "build your own trail mix' is fun. Provide bowls of things (i.e. goldfish, craisins, pretzels, cheerios) and then give every kid a small bag or cup and let them use a spoon to add the things they want. Takes more time and then they tend to eat everything because they choose what they want.

You could set up an obstacle course out of anything you can find like chairs, tables, tape on the floor, jump ropes, etc and then see how fast they can go through it. Have one of the older kids operate a timer.

Those are what I can come up with off the top of my head. I will put some thought to it and see what other ideas I can find. Good luck!

[cheeseheadmama]

Masking tape is fairly inexpensive and is fun in a big open room like you have. The kids can make roads for cars, hopscotch, tape around themselves, make play houses, the possibilities are endless. Have the kids pair up and create something with tape then give out small prizes for each. (don't get super cheap tape though because then it breaks really easy and is hard to get up off the floor)

Bring in homemade playdough (do a google search for kool-aid play dough) and all kinds of tools to use. Forks, spoons, plastic knives, cookie cutters, straws, toothpicks, craft sticks, etc. I haven't found a kid yet who doesn't like play dough.

Even games like Red Rover, Red Light/Green Light, Duck Duck Goose, Freeze tag, etc. are fun in a big room. Just depends on how revved up you want them to get.

You could come up with a theme and then base activities around the theme, even have the kids dress up if they want. Pirates, Underwater, Camping, PJs, Space, Everything starts with the letter P, Beach Party, whatever.

Will keep my thinking cap on......

[Blackcat31]

In the summer time years ago when I had lots of school age kids along with the younger ones, we would play games with the parachute and a few Nerf balls.

ALL ages of kids seem to really enjoy playing with the parachute!

[cheeseheadmama]

If it will be in the evening, turn down the lights and hand out glow sticks. They make their own fun after that. You can usually find glow sticks at the dollar store and some times in the dollar section at Target. Give them things to experiment with using the glow sticks like paper towel tubes, small bottles of water, etc. if you want. Have the kids create a "glow stick campfire" and then sit everyone around it and sing camp songs.

Bring in a bunch of board games and have the kids pair off to play. Candy land and Chutes & Ladders for the littles and Sorry/Uno/Clue for the bigger kids.

Teach everyone to play Pictionary or Charades in a kid friendly way using simple words/actions.

[cheerfuldom]

I wish I had a parachute!

but other than that, great ideas so far, keep em coming!

[KDC]

In it to win it... shake an egg?

From the show in it to win it, there are a few games that you can steal using household items, may need to modify a bit for the little ones. For X-mas we did the jingle bells game (Kleenex boxes, string & little bells). We strapped the kleenex boxes above their bum with the bells inside and they had to dance and shake to get the bells out. Hilarious to watch, and the little ones could join. Could adapt and use small easter eggs? Make stations and include this in a station to not have too much chaos or have to get that many kleenex boxes

There are other games with straws and ping pong balls -- many options. Just google minute to win it games.

Egg on a spoon race? Egg hunts? Scavenger hunt (google, many easter riddles already there to use)?

[CaliMom]

I wish I had a parachute!

but other than that, great ideas so far, keep em coming!

How about using a sheet as a parachute?

[MizzCheryl]

Musical chairs, simon says.
My kids love the dress up game.
Put a bunch of silly dress up clothes in a pillow case. Sit everyone in a circle and play music like musical chairs. Pass the bag around. When the music stops the person holding the bag reaches in with eyes closed and pulls out an item. Then they put it on and start passing the bag again. Nobody wins or looses it's just silly. The siller the clothing the more fun you have. Old ties, sandles, silly socks, dresses, granny night gowns, hair nets or shower caps. Stuff for the little guys too. The older kids help the younger kids. The younger kids just laugh and laugh at a boy in a dress and most of my school boys love it.

[cheerfuldom]

you ladies are a life saver! I am so excited for the kids night now!! I was previously really unsure about it but this all sounds super fun.

[cheerfuldom]

bumping.....