Hellobee Boards

Do you have a spot where you could keep things like paint and play dough out?

I have a bin in the kitchen, it's got play dough/tools and paints/brushes/old coloring books that my son can use when he's seated at the kitchen table. I don't mind if he plays in there, because I can clean it up easily. When my son was smaller, maybe around 18 months, one of his favorite things to do was to stick pasta pieces into flattened out play dough rounds.

Another idea you can do is to add some food coloring to foaming soap, my son loves to pump colors in the bath tub!

I also converted an old shoe box into a shape sorter, I just cut out different sized circles in the lid and my son had a blast putting his play food in there.

I wouldn't call these things challenging but things that are put away:

Play dough/moon dough

Colored rice - with lots of spoons and cups to play with

Shaving cream - best to do right before bath time - I also let them add some finger paints for color

Air Dry Clay - build something today and then paint it tomorrow after its dried!

Making collages - use whatever you have on hand - glue, feathers, glitter, buttons, etc

@Bao: painting rocks is fun too!

@Bao: He doesn't get bored with it, largely because he doesn't really have access to it all of the time...we're not in the kitchen that much, to be honest. And I rotate what is in that box, some times it is watercolors in a paint palette, other times it is finger paints in squeeze tubes, etc.

@Mamaof2: @Bao: that is a fun idea! my LO loves rocks. what is it with kids and rocks?

she mainly free plays all day long. I take out "containable" activities (markers, crayons, etc) and seat her in her booster at the table as something different to do. if I let her have access, there would be coloring all over my walls and furniture

she's not even 2 yet though. I'm sure as she gets older I'll have some things out for her. I'd like to get her a small table and chair set for Christmas!

@Bao: I wonder if you can use a 20% off coupon on the table and chairs I showed you..that would be awesome.

@Mamaof2: that sounds fun! What kind of paint do you use for that? just regular finger paint?

@hilsy85: finger paint works but I prefer acrylic