Sunday, September 16, 2012

Activities For Little Boys

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes."  ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

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       If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I talk an awful lot about my son. It isn't that I love him more than my daughters, but considering he's 3, I am around him a lot more. While the girls are in school, Adrian and I find things to constantly get into. I have taught him how to waltz (he calls it "One-Two-Three) and how to open doors for ladies. I think it's safe to say that we are ALWAYS together. And since he's such an active little guy, not many people are excited about babysitting him! Now don't get me wrong. Adrian is an amazing little boy. He's super polite, he knows all of his colors and ABC's and can even count to twenty. He has some of the funniest facial expressions that you have ever seen and sometimes you may even forget that you're talking to a 3 year old. He's got the vocabulary and communication skills of a wise adult. But he is a boy, ALL boy in fact. And he has his father's hyperactive gene. 

He's sister are making sure I have plenty of blackmail pics for when he starts dating... Tehe


       As close as he and I are, sometimes I need a break. Not necessarily from him, but for cleaning, cooking, that sort of thing. Usually, I can give him my iPhone and he will navigate through the Netflix movies in my queue, usually searching for Spongebob Squarepants or Scooby Doo ("It's always loading", he says.... seriously the kid is too cute to even describe). But sometimes, after watching nearly every episode for the twentieth time, he gets bored. So, I decided to get creative with the kid. I needed to find some things to keep him occupied when my mommy duties are screaming at me and he's no longer interested in pink stars and yellow sponges...

1. SENSORY DINOSAUR EGGS (Source: atkinsondrive.com)

To make these "eggs", all you will need are some plastic dinosaur figures, water and water balloons. This is a good idea if your little guy can operate the kitchen or bathroom sink without supervision and there's no danger of him putting the dinos in his mouth. This is probably best for boys 3 and older. Click on the link below for the full instructions:



2.  MAKE A FORT

Not exactly what I do, but you get the idea of how it keeps them entertained. (Source: http://www.allfortheboys.com/)
This is one of the more fun things for me to do. I like to stretch a clothesline across the bedroom, drape a queen or king sized sheet across it and tack the corners onto the floor. I make sure I have the "back" of the sheet tent flush with the wall so it's partially enclosed. Then I lay pillows and blankets on the floor inside the "Fort" and throw in a bunch of those board books. Adrian loves Hot Wheels cars so for him, I put in a bucket of cars. As long as they don't pull it down, this is a great way to keep the little guys occupied.

3.  MARSHMALLOW SHOOTER (Source: http://www.cometogetherkids.com)

Source: http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/09/mini-marshmallow-shooters-or-pom-pom.html


This one is geared towards the older boys, I'd say 5 and up. But if your baby boy is wise beyond his years like mine, then he may just LOVE this! Click the link for directions and materials needed:


And to make this even more engaging, you can set up "Target Practice" with some stand up army men or leftover plastic dinosaurs from your "Dino Egg" project! Just line 'em up and he can shoot 'em down!

4. BLOCKS

MegaBloks Bag Classic, 24
Keeps kids busy for hours...


You can never go wrong with blocks! Whether it's those HUGE  plastic ones (Mega Bloks) for toddler's or Legos and Lincoln Logs for the older crowd,  this can entertain boys for HOURS. I also kill two birds with one stone by teaching Adrian how to sort those big plastic ones by color. So he learns about categorizing, colors, AND construction all in one fabulously fun sitting. Buy them online!

       So this wasn't the most abundant post on activities for boys, but in this case, a little goes a long way. These activities can keep the curious little men in your life busy for awhile. Atleast, long enough to allow for cooking that ol' time family favorite of Hamburger Helper!

       And to make sure you never miss one of my oh-so-exciting posts, please be sure to subscribe via RSS (in the ride side bar) or enter your email to receive posts straight to your inbox! As always, thank you so much for visiting and your comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

~XoXo Jess






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