Boredom Busters for Toddlers/Preschoolers!

Your child, the same child that has 21,849,874 toys in their room just came to you, wanting something to do. Again. Legoes? 'I already did that' Hotwheels 'Don't want to do that' Super-heroes? 'No ma'am!' 'I just want to do something' Is this just my kid? Instead of instantly grabbing their favorite dvd, or heading over to Netflix to let them watch Moana for the millionth time, here are a few things to do instead!

I have picked things that my preschooler enjoys, and that occupied him for at least 20 min. Also, I know parenting is not all about entertaining your kids. It's one of the reasons that the things you'll see listed here, are helping your youngster develop motor skills. I will say that there are days and times that you need to let your child figure out what to do on their own and play on their own, but if you are wanting something fun and yet educational, I hope this helps!

Next-Level Playdoh

This is not your normal playdoh! My son has an entire box full of playdoh cut outs and supplies, and yet he pushed those aside to play this, and it occupied him for a long, long time. He has since asked to play this again, several times. While looking for activities for our bug unit, I found this pinterest post. On the scheduled day, I brought out googly eyes (my son loves these so much!) pipe cleaners,  as well as the playdoh, and Little Man not only made bugs with it, but all sorts of creatures. This is now our boredom buster activity, when he is not 'feeling' his 100 playdoh accessories (insert rolling eyes emoji).

Paint With Water Sets

I've talked about these before on this blog, and can say it again? These are amazing! If you are traveling, need something for church, or just for an extra grab and go activity, this is it! It's mess free, and it has provided my child with long periods of entertainment. Need I say more?


There are also, many other types of paint with water books. These are great as well, and my son loves watching the colors blend together as he paints. He also soaks the whole table with those kinds of projects too, so proceed with caution! ;)

Water Beads

I will admit that this take a turn for the worse in mess department, and you'll also have to plan at least 6hrs ahead and make these up, but I believe it will be well worth it! Follow instructions, throw in some measuring spoons and cups, and watch the fun! 

The Cat's Pajamas Game

You will definetly have to join in on this one (or if you have older kids, you can rope them into playing), but this is the cutest.game.ever! My son loves it, and he quickly learned the colors and patterns that were on the game. It doesn't take long to win the game, but if your kid is like mine, you will have to beg them to play something else! This is fun, educational, and keeps their attention for a long time. 

Hopefully here is some inspiration for your next indoor play day! What are some of your favorite 'boredom busters' for little ones? 

Sharing Christ With Your Children

Satan wants your child. Scary, isn't it?! Thinking about how that the whole world is telling my kid what is right/wrong, how to think, how to act, it is important that my son knows where the real truth can be found. He is only 3 years old, so how do you start? How do you teach a young child to love and appreciate God's Word, so that as they get older, they have a solid foundation? How do you introduce them to the Creator, so that they will want a personal relationship with Him one day? I am sharing what my husband and I have been doing with our little boy, with the hopes that it will help you!

It Starts With You

As with most things that you want to teach your children, it begins with your example. Want your child to be kind? Be kind. Want your child to be respectful? Be respectful. So it is with starting a love for the Lord in your child's life. Want your child to love the Lord and read His Word? Love the Lord and read His Word. It can't be something you do sporadically or on a whim. Your kid knows when what you do is prioritized and genuine. A few practical ways to start this in your life:

• Read the Bible daily. Let your child see you pick up the Bible in the morning with your usual cup of coffee.  Show your child that you take time out of your busy day and put God first. I saw this done in my mom's life, and it impacted me in a big way. I knew my mom's love for the Lord was genuine, and a priority. 
• Listen to uplifting and worshipful music. Just like reading the Bible, this is something that won't just benefit your child's life, but yours as well! I can't tell you how many bad days became ones of joy because of the worshipful music I was listening to. I'm not saying that to sound spiritual, but to be open about how much music can change an attitude. 
• Make going to church, reading the Bible, and praying a joy and not a chore. Again, your child will always be able to tell when something is genuine. If going to church is just something you 'do' and not something you 'get to do' then it will be a chore and a bother for them as well. This is the tip I fall short of most often. I sometimes behave as if doing spiritual things is a check list, not a joyful pleasure. 

Read the Bible with your Child

For Little Man, we have a couple of Bible Story books we read with him each day. One is longer and more detailed that we do during preschool, and one is more simple that we do at night. Not much reasoning, besides I'm lazy to bring the book back and forth from room to room each day, but when we are done with preschool for the year, I want to graduate our night time reading to something a little more detailed. What you use, and when you use it is up to you, but it's good to get the basics down. The stories like David and Goliath, and Jonah and the Whale are great at this point. Once your child starts to get older, it's good to start on a plan that takes you through the Bible, so he/she gets a good understanding of the overarching story that God has written (if you decide to skip parts of Leviticus and the whole of Song of Solomon, I'm not judging at all! Even a few chapters in Judges can get interesting for little ones!). If you are a family with mixed littles and bigger kids, just be sure that you explain what you've read (good for big kids too!) so that way everyone understands.
We use the 1990's version of this Beginner Bible:

Teach Your Child to Memorize Scripture

It's never too early to start memorizing God's Word. Just think about the impact God's Word had on Timothy:

 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14-15

What he knew from childhood impacted him as an adult. Because I was taught to memorize Scripture (to my mother's credit) when dark times, temptation, and even times of jubilation come,
I can worship God through recalling Scripture that I have learned. 

For young Children you can:

• Start Small: One sentence verses are great for ages 2-4
• Make up motions: This helps them remember
• Make it go to music: Another help with remembering
• Talk about what the verse means: Maybe they will understand, maybe they won't right away, but they will eventually!

So my encouragement to you is to start today! Set aside time with your child, preferably as a family, to read God's Word, talk about it, pray about it, and memorize it. You, as a parent, are a missionary to your child. What they see you do will shape how they view faith in God. I pray that through your example and teaching, they will come to know Christ and have a personal relationship with Him!