It won't be very long before hurricane season is upon us, and Tallahasseeans can expect a thunder shower almost every afternoon. And when parents aren't trying to keep their kids dry, they'll be protecting them from the heat of the day. Having an arsenal of indoor fun activities can come in handy. Carol Stock Kranowitz' book, The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, suggests the following:
Go Fish
"Go Fish" starts with drawing and cutting out fish from construction paper or card stock. (For a fish template, click here.) Decorate the fish with markers or aluminum foil, and attach a paper clip to the head of each fish. Create a "fishing pole" from a dowel or twig with a length of string or yarn tied to it. Connect a magnet to the end of the line. Scatter the fish on a table or the floor and have the child practice "catching" them by aiming the magnet for the paper clip. This is an excellent activity to practice hand-eye coordination.
Box Sweet Box
Every parent who has ever had a large appliance box in the house knows the fascination that it holds for children. Next time, store it somewhere in anticipation of a rainy day. When kids help decorate the box, it feels even more like home. Opening the ends and attaching several boxes together to make a tunnel, or use a flashlight to explore and decorate the inside of the box. Depending upon your confidence in your art skills, turn the box into a puppet theater, store, castle or rocket ship to encourage make-believe play. Pre-writing and writing skills can be practiced on the surface of the box, as vertical surfaces (like easels) are often easier writing surfaces for kids. Crawling in and through the box works gross motor coordination.
Hammer and Nails
Have some leftover firewood from the abrupt end of Tallahassee's super-cold winter? Grab a log, start a few nails, and let kids hammer their little hearts out. This activity is excellent for expending pent-up energy caused by long afternoons indoors. For those parents uncomfortable with the idea of handing their children a hammer and nails, a safe alternative utilizes a toy hammer, golf tees and an inverted egg carton or a pumpkin into which to pound them.
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