Baby-Sitting Games and Activity Ideas
- Have an indoor picnic.
· Be sure that you get the parents permission and only use “clean” finger snacks like Cheetoes, sandwiches, fruit snacks, for example- don’t use anything that can spill or stain like milk, yogurt, or ice cream. Lay out a blanket and use a basket or a backpack to “tote” all the snacks in. Use your imagination to pretend you have to hike in the mountains, on the beach, or in a park.
- Build a fort out of blankets, or sheets (use chairs, couches, clothes pins, yarn- anything to hold up the blankets!).
- Have a picnic inside the fort you just made, or read books together in it or color in the fort.
- Make sock puppets, paper bag puppets, or even bring some of your own, then write a play using your puppets – do not make it too complicated- children like easy things so they don’t become frustrated or bored.
- Water colors, painting- use aprons to cover clothes- do not allow children to use water colors or other paints without aprons- children will always get their clothes dirty with paints especially when you don’t want them too.
- Play hide and seek.
- Color with crayons. Take off the wrapper and see the different ways you can color with them.
- Go on a treasure hunt.
- Play dress-up.
- Make paper hats.
- Make your own indoor hopscotch, tic-tac-toe or bulls-eye with masking tape on carpet, and use bean-bags or small stuffed animals to toss or use as X’s and O’s.
- Make a letter book. Let the kids draw a picture of something that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
- Play board games- some they already have or bring something new (remember to make it one that everyone can play).
- Have a talent show.
- Cut paper snowflakes.
- Make your own puzzle
· Using poster board or cardstock, color a picture from a coloring book or the Children’s Friend, or find a good clean picture from a magazine, cut it out, glue it on a piece of construction paper or cardstock, using a glue stick, then cut it our in random shapes.
- Make your own matching game
· Use 3×5 index cards, then make your own matching pictures- have one child draw 2 pictures of a triangle (one on each card), 2 squares, 2 circles, or with older children you can have them draw, 2 houses, 2 trees, etc.
- Matching game with stickers-
· Find stickers (with 2 or more of the same picture or object) place them on the 3×5 index cards.
- Matching game with ribbons- cut two ribbons of the same pattern or color. Mix them up in a bowl, baggie, or basket.
- Make a necklace with yarn, beads or Fruit Loops.
- Play with Play-dough- use rolling pins and cookie cutters. Sculpt clay, let it dry, and then paint.
- Play Dance PARTY or choreograph a dance number.
- Play “house” with a mommy, daddy, and grandparents… use dollies for babies and children.
- Play school–have the child be the teacher.
- Play Hot and cold.
· Have one child go out of the room while all the rest hide a small stuffed animal, or object in the room, bring the child back in- every time the child gets closer to the hidden object say warmer, every time the child gets further away say colder.
- Read nursery rhymes, teach them actions to them.
- Ball toss.
· Have a few different sized buckets (bowls, garbage cans, or even create cirlcles/line on the floor with masking tape) and have kids throw balls, small stuffed animals, or bean bags.
- Read a book then act out the story.
- Make a paper countdown chain to Valentine’s Day or an upcoming birthday by cutting strips of paper and stapling them together.
- Hard noodles, beans, dried rice, Elmer’s glue, and paper … need I say more?
- Marble racing.
· Take 2 of your swimming pool water noodles and prop them on the stairs.
- Play Barbies, Littlest Petshop, Polly pockets, or other toys that they have- sometimes it is fun for the children to play with their own toys with someone new.
- Play with matchbox cars- Make a car track all around your house with masking tape.
- Make paper princess/king crowns, rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc.
- Play red-light, green-light, what time is it Mr. Fox; duck, duck goose, Simon Says, or My doggie won’t bite you.
- Make a story book out of paper. Have them make it up and draw the pictures.
- Make paper airplanes.
- Read their favorite book to them.
- Make flash cards (letters, sounds, addition, etc.).
- Indoor bowling.
· Stuff socks into toilet paper rolls and line them up. Roll a ball into them and you have your own bowling alley!
- Play grocery store with toys. Let them check out with plastic bags.
- Make Marshmallow towers.
· Jab the ends of the toothpicks into the marshmallows and make cool stuff.
- Origami
- Play Jump the River
· have two ropes (like jump ropes) on the ground 1 foot apart and have them try to jump over them. Every time they make it move the ropes farther and farther apart.
- Play the Hokey Pokey
- Play Restaurant –
· Play some restaurant role play with the older kids when you are trying to get them to eat. Babysitters can be waitresses and the younger kids are their customers.
- Play Job-
· The kids get to pick their occupation and everyone acts it out.
- Play Farm-
· Every kid is told to make the sound of an animal and the others have to guess the animal.
- Read the kids books!
· Bring your favorite childhood books and share them with them!
- Play with blocks
- Sing Songs with them.
· Kids love to sing…sometimes the same songs over and over. These don’t need to be new songs. In fact, the kid standards might be the best because there’s no teaching required. Examples: LondonBridgeis Falling Down, Ring around the Rosie, and Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round are all great starters.
Suggested actions: roll arms, nod head, clap,
Head, Sholders, Knees and Toes
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
Sing song and point to parts of the body. Or, sing slowly and move parts of the body as they are mentioned. For example, nod head, shrug shoulders, bend knees, stand tiptoe, and so forth.
Hinges
I’m all made of hinges, ’cause ev’rything bends
From the top of my neck way down to my ends.
I’m hinges in front, and I’m hinges in back;
But I have to be hinges, or else I would crack!
I have two little hands, folded snugly and tight.
They are tiny and weak, yet they know what is
During all the long hours till daylight is through,
There is plenty indeed for my two hands to do.
Kind Father, I thank thee for two little hands
And ask thee to bless them till each understands
That children can only be happy all day
When two little hands have learned how to obey.
Here We Are Together
Here we are together, together, together;
Oh, here we are together in our family.
There’s (name) and (name) and (name) and
Oh, here we are together in our family.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
Once there was a snowman, snowman,
Once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall.
In the sun he melted, melted, melted.
In the sun he melted, small, small, small.
Roll your hands, roll your hands,
As slowly, as slowly as slow can be.
Then fold your arms like me, like me,
Then fold your arms like me.
Roll your hands, roll your hands,
As swiftly, as swiftly as swift can be.
I looked out the window, and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!
Spring had brought me such a nice surprise,
Blossoms popping right before my eyes.
I could take an armful and make a treat,
A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.
It wasn’t really so, but it seemed to be
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.
If you chance to meet a frown,
Quickly turn it upside down
And smile that frown away.
No one likes a frowning face.
Make the world a better place
By smiling all the while.
- Blowing Cotton Balls
- Give each child a cotton ball. Use a piece of yarn as the finish line. Have the children get behind the line on their hands and knees and blow their cotton balls across the floor. Whose ever crosses the finish line first wins!
Sock Guessing game:
· Put an object in a sock. Let each child hold the sock and feel the object inside of it. Then have the children try to guess what the object is. Give them clues or show them parts of the object until they guess what it is. Repeat with other objects. Remember to keep the age of the children in mind when finding the objects to put in the socks. If the children are 4 and younger, you can even have them help pick out small objects of their own toys- this way they are more familiar with them and can be successful with their guessing- remember when the children succeed they are happiest. (But older children can tolerate more of a challenge.)
- Sink or Float? Game
· Gather several small waterproof objects from around the house, like spoon, a toothpick, a plastic toy, a key, a comb, and so on. Fill a large bowl with water. Using one item at a time, ask the children if they think it will sink or float, then place it in the water and see who guessed right.
- Laundry Basket Basketball
· Set out a laundry basket or tow. Give the kids socks that have been rolled up into ball shapes. Let them throw the socks in the baskets.
· Variation: For each basket that the child makes, move the basket farther away to see how far they can stand back and still make a basket.
- Marching Band (Help the children make instruments out of household)
