ThoughtRockets

How about a good old-fashioned deck of playing cards? It might take up a little more room than you think you have, but even if you stash one away in your glove box, you are never far from hours (or moments) of fun! This works especially well with the middle ages, say 8 to 12.

There are so many games to play with whatever number of players you have. And if you are not in the mood to play, hand the deck over to your kids and let them practice shuffling! They always seem amazed at how you can make the cards whirr!

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Here’s a great game to play in the car (best without tinted windows!). While on a long car trip, wave at people in other cars. If they wave back at you, you earn one ”Friend Point”. If they honk increase your “Friend Points” by two. If they don’t wave or honk back, that’s a “Foe Point.”

Play for a set amount of time, or until you reach your destination. Subtract your total “Foe Points” from your total “Friend Points” to determine your final score. You can play alone, with others in the car as teammates, or against others in the car. BONUS: If you get two honk-backs in a row, score it as normal (4 “Friend Points”) AND add one additional “Friend Point.”

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This game was invented by a clever 8 year-old who was looking for a “non-chore” way to supplement his weekly allowance! Take out a $1 bill and two dice. Have your child roll the dice and add up the total. The total on the dice is the amount the child “wins” (in cents, of course!). Continue until the child “wins” the entire dollar.

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Here’s a great one for the younger kids to stay busy and practice sorting skills. Hand a deck of cards to your youngster and tell him or her that you need help getting them sorted into piles of like numbers. You could also ask them to stack the cards in number order, match suits, etc.

This game won’t fill hours of idle time, but it just might allow you to catch up with a friend over coffee for a bit!

Bonus Tip: Tiny decks of cards are available just about anywhere and fit nicely into a purse or backpack! They are great for smaller hands, too.

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This game is especially entertaining for preschool aged kids. Remember the Shell Game? Here’s an easy way to adapt it for on-the-go fun. Stash 3 twist-off bottle caps (like the ones from plastic water or soda bottles, only don’t choose clear ones!) in your purse, backpack, or diaper bag. While waiting with your child, slip a dime or penny under one, move them around and have your child guess where it is!

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Cut out small mazes, crossword puzzles, word searches and the like found on the kids page of newspapers, on the back of cereal boxes, and in children’s magazines. Stash one or two in your wallet for a quick on-the-go activity.

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Always carry a set of dice in your purse, pocket or backpack. When you have a few minutes “waiting” time, pick a number between 2 and 12, have your child roll the dice and add them up. See how many times that number comes up in one minute. Waiting time passes quickly, you enjoy quality time interacting with your child, and a little addition practice never hurt anyone!

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I was preparing for a presentation to a local mothers’ group on the topic of Creative Ways to Keep Your Children Entertained and thought I’d try to see just how creative I could get. I stopped into a nearby dollar store to see how many great Take OFF! Tips I could find. In just a few minutes, I found five items that fit my criteria for activities that are creative, inexpensive, keep kids entertained, and fit into a purse, backpack, or diaper bag:

Tiny Tape Measure-there are myriad items to measure anywhere you find yourself waiting. How long is a napkin? Straw? Which utensil is longest?

Strawberry Huller-you know, the little metal tweezer-like gadget used to pull the green part off a strawberry? Great tool for helping with kids’ fine motor skills! Wad up a few pieces of paper and have them move the paper balls from one part of the table to another, then back.

Magnets-maybe now is the time for a little discovery about what is magnetic and what is not. Chair? Spoon? Doorknob?

Kitchen Timer-this one might get a waitress a little anxious, but your little one could time how long it takes you to sing the alphabet or you could see how many times he can say “I love you” in one minute.

Set of Alphabet Rubber Stamps-you don’t even need the ink. Put them in ABC order, pick out the letter their name begins with, spell simple words (this would work equally well with letter tiles from a school supply store or a Scrabble game, but the dollar store had rubber stamps.)

Send me a note and let me know what you come up with next time you are in a dollar store.

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