Favorite Activities of Your DCKs

[Josiegirl]

Of all the things you wonderful providers do with and for your dcks, what do they seem to love doing the most?

I need to change up my choice of activity offerings but not sure what to change. Right now, their favorite things are the arts and crafts we've been doing for Halloween. Between that and playing outside(and potty training/changing diapers) that seems to be pretty much the bulk of our days. Oh and they're all loving baby dolls.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I'd build on that. Offer lots and lots of art supplies. Add to the dolls: maybe they'd like to dress them? bathe them? make them playdough food? doctor them? Spend ages outside. Sounds like a good, rich day.

[Maggie]

Right now I have 2 and 3 year olds so their favorite activity changes pretty often. Last week we made a new batch of kool aid
Play doh (orange for Halloween) and they have asked to play with it every day. Normally when we use play doh we take out the usual cookie cutters, rolling pins and plastic knives, but this week I gave them some dried pasta (ziti), a few sea shells and some beads. They loved it and it kept them busy for almost an hour each time I took it out. Lots of clean up but it was worth it.

[Thriftylady]

My only two kiddos right now are 6 and 7, but I swear all they want is for me to read to them.

[Unregistered]

Favorite activity .um does talking my ear off for hours count

[childcaremom]

Playdough - with added accessories. We are making orange, green and white playdough and I'm adding in little items so we can make ghosts, goblins and pumpkins. My group can sit for an hour easily with playdough. They love it. And they ask for it every day.

Blocks. Lego. Throw in some cars and they are set for free play.

Magna tiles. Played with every single day.

Being outside. Hands down favourite thing to do is to be outside.

[Blackcat31]

Blocks. Blocks, blocks and more blocks!!

Blocks are THE best investment ever!

They occupy my kids solo or in a group (both large and small)
They are great for transition
They pick up easily, even for the really young kids
They meet the needs of all age groups in many different areas

I have a LARGE collection of blocks:

• wood blocks
• Lego blocks (small, Duplo and giant sized)
• waffle blocks (regular and giant)
• bristle blocks
• cubes
• clear see-through blocks
• rubber/chewy blocks
• cardboard brick blocks
• foam blocks

My kids love art too (I am 90% open/free art....I don't do many crafts) and being outside but blocks (all types) are hands down the most played with and fought over toy/activity for ALL ages.

[Febby]

Mine also love blocks. Lately they've been using them to build garages and tunnels for the toy cars.

The play kitchen is huge with my girls. We have both plastic play food and "real" food (aka empty food boxes taped shut).

They also like potatoes heads, puzzles, and reading books.

[Josiegirl]

For some reason my group hardly plays with my nice set of wooden blocks. They will use the tree blocks, magnetic blocks, Wedgit blocks. I finally had to put my cardboard blocks away cause a couple of the dcgs like to take them apart instead of playing with them. I need to offer different things with the blocks, it has all become too routine lately.

Same with playdoh. Pasta, beads and shells are all good ideas.

The babies do get lots of TLC, we have picnics and such with them.

I'm kind of wondering if my dcgs actually know how to play without my help. If I don't set something up to get them started, they'll either just grab the dolls and sit on the couch :confused: and walk back and forth through the house. Or fight. I've got 13 dolls and they still need to fight over what another dcg has. You all know the toddler creed, well they're prime examples.....'if I had it this morning it's mine'

Thanks!

[Baby Beluga]

Mine have been into movement activities lately. I have a very very very active group though

Lately we have done a lot of freeze dance (they ask for it every chance they get!) and parachute play.

For the freeze dance I mix it up. This last week we played "pumpkin shape freeze dance" where I taped paper pumpkins each with a different shape on them to the floor. We then danced to Halloween music, when I tuned the music off everyone ran and stood on a pumpkin and called out their shape. Rinse and repeat.

For the parachute, they just like to shake it. Especially if I add something to the middle like play spiders.

Their favorite toy hands down though are the pipe builders. They LOVE those.

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[Unregistered]

Yes, kool-aid playdoh

Painting with dryy kool-aid sprinkled on paper and then paint with water.

Pushing grocery carts around

Blocks and dollar store people-construction workers and fire fighters. There not as easy to find any more. They are like those little army men.

Stampers and washable ink

Helping me bake

Sitting at the flannel board and putting those pre-printed figures on...I have fruit/veggies, Three Bears, house, furniture, people, etc.

Drawing at the wal-sized chalkboard

Oatmeal table that has fall/Halloween items in it. They love peeling the kernels off of fall corn.

[Unregistered]

Oh, and Duplo sets like farm, hospital, playground, etc

[Pepperth]

Right now...raking and jumping in leaves. Every day. Every time we go outside. If we are inside, they love sensory play or playing with figurines. I recently found an exercise video for kids on You Tube that saved my sanity on a rainy day last week.

[midaycare]

Blocks. Blocks, blocks and more blocks!!

Blocks are THE best investment ever!

They occupy my kids solo or in a group (both large and small)
They are great for transition
They pick up easily, even for the really young kids
They meet the needs of all age groups in many different areas

I have a LARGE collection of blocks:

• wood blocks
• Lego blocks (small, Duplo and giant sized)
• waffle blocks (regular and giant)
• bristle blocks
• cubes
• clear see-through blocks
• rubber/chewy blocks
• cardboard brick blocks
• foam blocks

My kids love art too (I am 90% open/free art....I don't do many crafts) and being outside but blocks (all types) are hands down the most played with and fought over toy/activity for ALL ages.

Ugh, I wish my dck's liked blocks. I have almost all the types listed above. Mine want crafts, both free art and directed, books, puzzles, baby dolls, musical instruments, and "people". I don't know what the people are called ... They are kind of a mix of both professional dolls and people around the world. Kind of like Barbie, but you can't move their limbs or dress them.

[Hunni Bee]

Blocks, plastic manipulatives, art, play money, kitchen.

Thursday I put out a tray of pony beads and pipe cleaners to make bracelets, you would have thought I brought them a tray of diamonds and gold. They were SO happy, several parents had to wait