Daytime Nanny Looking for Different Inside Fun

S.,

I found an awesome book that I can't live without! Its "The Playskool Toddler's busy play book" by Robin McClure.

This book is FULL of fun things to do with kids.

Hope that helps.

Sue

S.,

Try checking out a library adventure pass for free entrance to some of the local museums. Como Zoo is also a great winter destination, especially now with the tropics exhibit open. My boys (1 and 3) really like to do the Children's Museum, maybe the family you nanny for would be willing to purchase a membership? It is really pretty reasonable (I think $80 for a family) if you go more than 2 or 3 times it totally pays for itself.

Good luck,
J.

Hi S.,

I don't know if this would be any help, but when our children were small there father wasn't always around becasue he was driving semi and was over-the-road.

Friday nights we had dance nights. We would move all the furiture in the living room, pop popcorn, turn on our favorite radio station and dance to the music. They both had to come up with new moves.

Then we would pop a movie in a eat popcorn. But it was only on Fridays.
It was a blast and something they remember today! They are 18 & 21.
J.
You wouldn't believe how well they slept that night.

one of my son's favorite things to do is to build a fort over the kitchen table with blankets. maybe than reading a book in the fort of castles or a safari!! and have a pretend adventure!!!!!

I'm assuming you are looking for destinations, as those are the types of examples you mentioned in your request. One nice, comprehensive website is www.PlaytimePlanIt.com. I don't know how much flexibility you have with what you do, how often you have these kids, etc. As a stay-at-home-mom, we spend our mornings doing ECFE, classes at the nature centers, playdates via MOMS Club (you could do MeetUp or something similar), volunteering, and of course trips to the library, shopping, etc. For special outings we do the normal stuff like Children's Museum, Bakken Museum, MN Train Museum, Como Zoo, Toddler Tues at the Walker Art Museum or the Mall of America, etc, etc, etc. A friend of mine who has a nanny says her nanny checks out 30 books at a time from the library, brings one a day for the kids for a special "reading time" and also brings a bag of toys. If you do that kind of thing, you could even do themes that go with a cooking or art project.

Good luck!
T.

I take my children to st. Vincent de paul. I let them pick out a "new" toy or game, then we go home and pick out something to donate back. They get a different toy for next to nothing and learn how to give back. We also go to the library and take walks, i try to give them something to count to keep them motivated, such as " how many dogs can we see or hear on our walk" it is fun and they don't realize they are helping me get a short work out. We also make homemade cards for family members or holiday themes for the house. We are currently in the middle of making shamrocks for the windows and shamrock cookies are the next project. The love to help me cook. Check out a book in the library for tv less toddlers. Or something like that, there are hundreds of ideas in those. Hope this helps. J.

My children really enjoy it when I set up an obstacle course. I don't know if this is something your employers would agree with, though. We have a crawl through tunnel that we put down, pillows to jump over, ottoman to climb/crawl over, or whatever else we find.

We also take all the pillows in the house and some cushions and make a big pile then take turns jumping into it.

My children also really enjoy helping me bake - so maybe, depending on the boys' ages, they could help carry ingredients over to the counter (hopefully they won't spill all the brown sugar like my boy did today) and make cookies or banana bread (my two LOVE mashing the bananas). Of course, it takes longer with little ones helping, but it's a good way to pass some time, they learn about measurements and following directions, and they take great pride in it!

We also 'go fishing'. I take a jump rope or a belt from a robe and tie a clothes pin or some type of clip on the end. Then the kids put it over the stair railing (or you could use a couch or a bed) then I clip toy or book to it and they pull it up.

Just some idea that we enjoy. Hope it helps! S.

check with the library re: storytime. children's museum is an obvious. I took my grandson on the bus one day. Just for the experience. It's not the destination, but the trip that's fun. And the bus driver actually started singing, 'the wheels on the bus go round and round." LOL
as long as it's not rush hour, should be ok.

why indoor only? why not outdoors too?

What about taking them to an indoor water park--most hotels that have them have an all day pass....or a YMCA. Of course, you would want them all to wear life jackets...and maybe take a friend along to help with supervision--safety comes first.
Are you mainly set on taking them out? What about a public library when they have a reader that's presenting a story?

Just some suggestions...good luck!