Slightly OT--activities for the almost-going-to-school crowd

[cheerfuldom]

My 4.5 year old is getting terribly bored here and really needs to be in school now. This is my bio child, not a DC kid. Unfortunately, I don't have the money or time (transportation wise) to get her involved in summer camps, clubs or lessons of any kind. She is extremely bright and advanced and far ahead of any of the other kids in care and frankly, the other kids her age in general. She is bored and doing attention seeking behavior and asking over and over again for me to do projects with her. The problem is that she has clearly outgrown my program with the DC kids and needs an update for more challenging activities during and outside of daycare. I need advice from those of you that have school age kids or care for school aged kids.

I'd like to get her some beginning puzzles (like 50+) and games/board games.
I really hate screen time but have even considered a handheld game with educational games to be played in small doses.....are their good options that don't fry their brain and turn them into screen-zombies?

What other suggestions do you have?

Its a tricky situation because her sister want to do EVERY THING that she is doing but there is a huge gap in their capabilities. Also, I have little ones in care so its not like she has a ton of one-on-one time or can spread out huge projects without the babies and toddlers wanting to get in the way.

[Blackcat31]

Ah, that is kind of a tough one.....do you have anyone in the area that you could hire to maybe do some fun field trip things with her....like a teen babysitter during the summer months? How about grandparents in the area?

We have a summer camp here put on by the Girl Scouts and it is usually available to 4+ kids and up....we also have the local YMCA that does a summer daycamp type program as well as our local ECFE that offers special fun clubs in the summer for kids that are in the year before Kindy so they get used to structured activities away from mom and dad.

I know you said, you don't have the time or transportation to do these things but I was thinking maybe grandparents or a summer teen sitter who could be your wheels and person in charge.....kwim?

As far as the electronics stuff.... I have heard really good things about the Leap Pad and not only how fun it is but how eduactional it can be too.

Otherwise, I remember spending time with my grandma when my cousins and I were young and she always bought us a box of fun things to keep us occupied. She always had puzzles, paint by number, beads, and little projects like crocheting pot holders and stuff like that. All things we could do by ourselves but kept us plenty busy.

That's all I got....it is hard to integrate your own children into daycare and keep them happy and entertained as they get older. Hang in there....

[cheerfuldom]

Ah, that is kind of a tough one.....do you have anyone in the area that you could hire to maybe do some fun field trip things with her....like a teen babysitter during the summer months? How about grandparents in the area?

We have a summer camp here put on by the Girl Scouts and it is usually available to 4+ kids and up....we also have the local YMCA that does a summer daycamp type program as well as our local ECFE that offers special fun clubs in the summer for kids that are in the year before Kindy so they get used to structured activities away from mom and dad.

I know you said, you don't have the time or transportation to do these things but I was thinking maybe grandparents or a summer teen sitter who could be your wheels and person in charge.....kwim?

As far as the electronics stuff.... I have heard really good things about the Leap Pad and not only how fun it is but how eduactional it can be too.

Otherwise, I remember spending time with my grandma when my cousins and I were young and she always bought us a box of fun things to keep us occupied. She always had puzzles, paint by number, beads, and little projects like crocheting pot holders and stuff like that. All things we could do by ourselves but kept us plenty busy.

That's all I got....it is hard to integrate your own children into daycare and keep them happy and entertained as they get older. Hang in there....

thanks for the thoughts however the teens that I know (and trust) all have summer jobs or live too far away. We don't have any family within a 30 minute drive so if she goes with them, she usually has to spend the night, which we do sometimes.

[youretooloud]

What about Vacation Bible school? If you can find a stay at home mom who wants to trade transportation for you you watching her younger child, while she drives her older child and yours to VBS, that's half a day for a week or more depending on how many you can sign them up for.

You can set up a homeschool for her only. Tell the younger one "This is for sister only... next year, you can join". Have a basket full of lessons to do each day. Find lessons online, and follow a theme if she has anything she's interested in.

Make up games like "So you want to be a millionaire". Buy a set of those brain quest cards and ask her questions. For every one she gets right, hand her a play dollar... then let her "buy" her snacks.

Build a slip n slide in the yard using a giant painting tarp. If you have a natural dip in the yard, put the tarp in there, and put a plastic slide on the high end. Then it's a water park.

Give her a space that's only hers, and leave crafts out for her only. Maybe in the laundry room or some other space that's close by, yet, the younger kids can't get to. If she intentionally makes a mess, tell her it's gone now.

I don't know where you live, but, can you find tadpoles and raise them into frogs? I haven't seen a tadpole in 30 years, so I don't really know if that's even possible.