Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Learning Activity Kits

You’re running errands with your children and suddenly you’re stuck—in traffic, at the clinic, in the checkout line. Homemade learning activity kits can engage a child during wait times.

All Learning Activity Kits

These kits slip easily into a purse, glove compartment, backpack, or diaper bag. The kits are for ages 3 and up. Cost depends on what parents include. Every kit needs:

a zipper pouch or resealable plastic bag big enough to hold everything
smaller bags to organize the parts of the kit
pencils or pens
a notebook or paper for notes, counting, games, lists, drawings.

Math Kits

A math kit lets your child play with numbers and problem solving. You might include:

a lightweight tape measure
an assortment of items to count and sort—coins, beans, buttons, coupons, checkers, game pieces, playing cards, dice, dreidels, etc.
a list of favorite fingerplays and action rhymes that involve numbers
puzzles made from cut-up postcards or magazine photos glued to thin cardboard

Art and Literacy Kits

An art and literacy kit encourages creative expression. A child can practice making letters, write and illustrate a book, cut out paper dolls, or play games like Tic-Tac-Toe. You might include:

colored pencils, washable fine-point markers, or crayons; don’t leave crayons in a hot car
transparent tape or washi tape
stickers, stencils, or stamps with washable ink
colorful paper, such as bright magazine pages, for folding or cutting
child-sized scissors