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It’s happening again! 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 who hates to wait.
All of 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 memo tablet for notes, counting, games, lists, drawings (NOTE: To make your own tablets: Cut pieces of blank scrap paper the same size. Staple them together across the top. Add a piece of stiff cardboard to the kit to support the tablet while in use.)
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
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:
- gel pens, washable fine-point markers, or crayons (Don’t leave crayons in a hot car.)
- transparent tape or washi tape
- stickers, stencils, or stamps
- colorful paper (such as bright magazine pages) for folding or cutting
- scissors—safe but not frustrating to use
A science kit
encourages children to look at the wider world. You might include:
- a small, inexpensive magnifier
- paper and a marker or pencil for sketching specimens
- pipe cleaners
- sandwich bags for collecting specimens
- an assortment of items to study—keys, pebbles, seeds, nuts and bolts, etc. (NOTE: You can change the assortment from time to time.)
A music and sound kit
helps you and your child investigate sound. You might include:
- small plastic containers with seeds or buttons inside for shaking
- a variety of rubber bands
- small scarves or 24-inch ribbons to wave
- a paper towel roll (for a mini-drum or a “voice changer”)
- a list of favorite songs and poems