Top Ten Things to Do with Children w/o TV.

True, this top ten list has been reenforced in a true ski lodge during snowy conditions and without television. Yet, it seems like children do have more fun with their parents when "active" engagement of the mind versus "passive" doing occurs. Remember: a little effort and a small amount of creativity goes along way here. This Top 10 List is merely a starting point. Feel free to make it your own.



1. Make balloon toys. If you've got a small balloon pump and a computer/book to locate designs, this is actually a lot less difficult than one imagines. My 4-year-old now knows how to use the hand pump. This one activity can last a good 30-45 minutes. Think fairy wings, swords, sword belts and lot of hats! Toy balloons do come in a biodegradeable option. Did I mention the balloon hats?



2. Put on some childrens' music and dance. This is one of my little ones' favorite after dinner activities. They burn a lot of steam with this one and are then ready for a bedtime book. Put on some classic childrens' songs with different singers and musical styles. Look for the singers that your kids like best and let them learn how to put a CD in a small portable player or even learn how to use the I-Pod.* Both are great options. Just Dance.

Mine love their purple portable old school style CD player that they can pop CDs into. CDs we like: Cowboy Jared; Miss Kitty; Vienna Boys Choir, soundtrack from the film Amelie and all the Music Together CDs. Don't do CDs anymore? Download the same from I-Tunes.*

3. Put on your own music (provided it has child friendly lyrics) and hum along or even sing your favorite tunes. They love this! Your child/dren wants to know your favorite songs and learn the words. The song could be a favorite for them as well. Note: this is not instantaneous. It could be a really bad song that your child just doesn't get. Or, it could just take a while. Happy singing is infectious, though.

4. March. Marched lately? My daughter is really into marching. marching frontwards; marchings sidewards and marching backwards. So pick up your feet and march already. Pretend you guys a part of a marching band with the jackets and the brass buttons.

5. Bake something. When it is cold outside, it is fun to bake. Bake a cake; bake some cupcakes or a batch of cookies. Let your kids put the frosting on the cake. Throw some shredded coconut on top; a handful of dried cranberries or even make a monogram out of the frosting.

Don't like baking? Not a baker? How about just making your favorite something in the kitchen. Involve your child/ren in the process. Have them perform a small task in your overall cooking/food preparation process. Isn't it funny how children love to be offered the chance to help? When given it, they will actually fight over the chance to help. Sound unbelievable?

6. Fingerpaint or face painting. Not for the faint at heart because there is clean-up involved. But, how the face painting really gets the creative energy going. Pretty soon they are painting their arms and bellies. Think non-toxic and washable paint. Very easy to find. The childrens' toy company Melissa & Doug** springs to mind. Infinite possibilities here. Need some butcher paper, tape and some rags handy.

7. Making tiaras/crowns. Paper tiaras. Colors, stickers, glue and colorful gems. Patterns, seashells, shapes, fuzzy balls; the list goes on. The hat project can also be fashioned out of sparkly pipe cleaners and beads. Just twist around these little pipe cleaners and voila! Little prince and princesses delight.

8. Tell a story. Remember that time you first went caneoing with your grandparents? Had a pirate party aboard a large steamboat down the Mississippi? Last took a family bike ride with amazing view? Rode your first pony? Threw your first snowball at your parent/s? The point is, there are countless stories only you can tell your child/children. It doesn't have to be long or even fanciful. Just make it a true and pleasant memory to share.

9. Play cards. The one that works the best? It was a gift from a friend brought from an art museum in the States...probably the Met. It is a matching game with variations on the matching theme. Think Renaissance art & architecture. You'd be surprised who is the continuous victor at this memory game. I will give you a hint: our 4-year-old beats her parents all the time. Make it age appropriate. It is actually fun.

10. Decorate the refrigerator. Refresh the photos, artwork, baby announcements and even move around the magnets. Make your own magnets. (Get a pack of magnets at a craft store and glue a small magnet on back of whatever you like.) Sit with your child and have them help you create an emergency contact (as in you type) list to print and hang on refrigerator.

Cell phone towers/computers go down in times of natural disasters. So, make this a fun and fruitful effort. After all, how many times a day do you open the refrigerator? Make it memorable.

*Author's note: neither a paid advertisement for Apple nor any special affinity toward these products or company. Yet, I do admit to their user-friendliness and esp. to someone who is not so tech-savvy.
**Author's note: Again, not a paid advertisement for Melissa & Doug. Yet, able to find products at reasonable price points, eco-friendly and great for children.