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The most challenging task for parents with young children is to keep their little ones entertained while they attend to personal matters. For working parents, getting childcare services is a lifesaver, but keeping kids entertained is an equally daunting task.
Luckily, there are a million and one ways to engage children of different ages and interests. Listed below are 5 creative ways to keep children entertained in childcare.
1. Sensory Stations
Children love sensory activities which involve touch, smell, sight, sound, and even taste. Ensure that the children are involved in engaging and harmless sensory play that meets their individual needs. Sensory stations can vary depending on the resources and materials available in the childcare, but slime making, play dough, make-believe kitchens or sensory bins with cereals or sand can keep little hands very busy.
2. Arts and Crafts Time
Arts and craft sessions will always provide endless hours of creative and imaginative fun for children. Items such as boxes, colored paper, crayons, scissors, or stickers are necessary gear for making paper collages, masks, or bookmarks for new books. Encourage little artists to make a masterpiece that can be displayed in the childcare, and parents and other kids can praise and admire their creativity.
3. Scavenger Hunts
A tried and true method of occupying children in childcare is crafting age-appropriate scavenger hunts. Sensory scavenger hunts good for children ages 1 – 3 years involves the search for specific items with various textures or colors, such as red fluffy balls or uncooked spaghetti. For the older ones, participate in treasure hunts that will unlock puzzles and clues with mysterious adventures, such as Indiana Jones escapades that excite and will keep them on their toes.
4. Cooking Mini Chef Pizzazz
Cooking sessions during childcare hours is another simple yet creative way to keep children engaged. Setting up a cooking activity to create a meal or snack craft for them under adult supervision such as sandwiches or biscuit pizzas provides valuable kitchen skills while keeping them entertained as they work on their gourmet meals.
5. Memory and Board Games
Simple card games matching pictures or letter sequencing games can keep young brains entertained and exercised. Preschoolers gifted with advanced literacy and science and little siblings can always find a board game that will revolve around their interests like pond play games
Entertaining children is not always an easy job, but children always appreciate even the littlest efforts done towards keeping them occupied in childcare facilities. Remember, safety comes first, and be creative! Keeping children participating in engaging play improves memory, increases brain power, and their mental agility. Keeping learning moments as fun as leisure strengthens the trend of learning through leisure for children all the way into adulthood.
