Busy Little Hands

Quarantining: Quiet activities for busy toddlers during these days stuck at home.

These are strange times for everyone. They are also confusing times for our littles. A week ago, you took your little one on walks, or to visit Grandpa and Grandma, or to the park. And now you are stuck at home all day long!! Some littles are even separated from a parent who is a doctor or nurse during this situation.

Our littles need our affection, creativity and they need to see in us patience, peace and calm. Little guys are super good and noticing when we are stressed or agitated, even if they are unable to express what they sense, we may notice it in their behavior or emotions.

So today, I would like to suggest a few quiet activities for your little guys. They are “quiet games”, so they are also activities that may allow you to squeeze in a phone call or do something around the house or work for 10 minutes.

Activity 1:

Pasta Strainer: To do this activity you will need a pasta strainer, pipe cleaners (chenille sticks) or spaghetti noodles. Show your little one how to push the pipe cleaner (or spaghetti) through the holes of the strainer. It is an excellent exercise for hand eye coordination and keeps little hands busy for several minutes!

Activity 2:

COLOR Sorting: To do this activity you will need a muffin tin, colored paper, and pom poms. If you do not have pom poms or a muffin tin on hand, then you can use a large piece of paper to sort onto, and small squares of colored paper to sort.

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Place a colored circle of paper at the base of each of spaces. Place all of your pom poms or colored squares of paper into a small bowl for your child

If you don’t have a muffin tin divide up a large piece of white paper into several colored squares: red, blue, green etc. Cut up several small pieces of colored paper to sort onto each of the large squares on your sheet of paper.

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BEGIN SORTING! Show your little one how to do it first. Go over the colors together once or twice repeating the names of each color and showing them which pom pom matches which color. Then allow them to begin sorting on their own. Help correct them the first couple times and then let them have a go of finishing sorting their entire bowl of pom poms. Come back when they are done and help them see if they missed one or two.

Activity 3:

A Color Tunnel: To do this activity you will need paper rolls, preferably paper towel roll, painter’s tape or masking tape, and pom poms or cotton balls, and two plastic bowls.

Build your tunnel. Make it about the height of your child so they are not frustrated in trying to reach the top. Use painter’s tape to hold the tubes in place. Put all of the pom poms (or cotton balls) into one bowl for your little to hold on his lap or sit next to him, place the other bowl under your tunnel. Your little one can watch as they drop the pom pom through the tube into the bowl below! It is quiet and lots of fun.

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For big kids: you can create together, or allow them to create a more complex tunnel using as many paper tubes as they would like and allow them to run it up the door or wall (you choose the space carefully). They can try with marbles or pom poms or cotton balls and see if their pom pom can make it through their extensive tunnel maze!

Activity 4:

Fishing Boat: Get a large laundry basket (empty it if you are like me and have it full of laundry), pom poms or cotton balls and kitchen tongs.

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Have your little guy sit inside the laundry basket. Hand him the tongs and show them how they work. Place the cotton balls or pom poms within his reach all around the laundry basket boat. Allow him to go fishing!!

This is a super easy and fun game for little guys! If you don’t have pom poms or a large laundry basket adapt the activity to suit the items you already have at home… like a large box, and plastic balls. Be creative and have fun!

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He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11, The Holy Bible

*For big kids: Instead of color sorting have them draw an object for each color. A red apple, a yellow sun, and blue ball, etc. If you are learning a new language you can practice it here. Write the name of the color or the object in the language you are learning underneath the object!

Have fun and give extra hugs and cuddles! They need to know that everything will be alright.

For any question just let me know in the comments!

WANT TO LEARN A FEW WORDS IN ITALIAN?! Here you go… I will write the colors for you!

• Red: Rosso
• Orange: Arancione
• Yellow: Giallo
• Green: Verde
• Blue: Blu
• Purple: Viola
• Pink: Rosa
• Black: Nero
• Brown: Marone
• White: Bianco