5 Things to Do with Whining & Bored Kids + Easy Sensory Bins for Frugal Mamas

So it’s summer now.

However, contrary to all of our hopes and dreams, spring and warm weather did not, in fact, cure the whining, the boredom, or the misbehaving. Yup, I’m still as naughty as before. Oh, and the kids. Them too. Still naughty, still crazy:

In heat or in snow, the main object of motherhood remains the same:

How do I turn these crazy animals I’m raising into upstanding citizens, without losing my mind?

Well, here are five suggestions.

1. Give them a job. When I complain about my children’s wild behavior, my mom loves to remind me that long ago, these boys would be working. They would be (allegedly) so exhausted from their work in the fields, the mills, the home, that they’d have no energy to be so naughty. This crazy theory has actually worked in my home. It’s a win-win-win. Wear off energy, get work done, they’re proud of themselves. No child labor laws being broken here, (I think), but here are a few age-appropriate jobs for toddlers and preschoolers we do:
   • yard work (raking, shoveling, picking up sticks, weeding)
   • drying dishes
   • taking random objects random places (which is actually one of my favs, because I hate taking random objects random places)
   • dusting (give them a damp cloth and let ’em go to town)
   • folding small towels or washcloths
   • mating socks (which also hones their visual discrimination skills!)
   • clearing the table
   • putting the pillows back on the couch
   • cleaning windows (Sam was literally occupied for almost an hour one day doing this. He was so proud of himself!)

   

2. Play good kids music. We have been dining to the the Pandora station “Cedarmont Kids.” It is amazing how our dinnertime behavior has much improved! And, it has given us something to talk about over dinner.
3. Paint with water. As adult children, we gave my mom a hard time for entertaining us kids by making us paint the driveway with water. It seemed like such a lame, pathetic activity. Welp, guess who’s doing a class in Sidewalk Water Paint? Yup, it’s us. 
4. Take a nature walk. More on this later…For now, three rules: Go slow, notice everything, let the kids be in charge. Also, beware of snakes.
5. Use sensory bins. I am neither artsy nor creative. I am, however, desperate.
   I scoured Pinterest for a few do-able, cheap “sensory bins.” Then I visited the Dollar Tree and Target, and, viola, sensory bins. It took me three hours. It cost me $25. It was sooo worth it. Here are my bins.

Sand & Diggers (we already had these diggers…you could also use matchbox cars)

Colander & Pipe Cleaners (stick pipe cleaners through the holes)

“Ice Cream Scooper” – fuzzy balls, cups, scoop

Water Kit – funnel, boat (or something that floats), cups

“gardening” – fake flowers, beans, pots

Rice & Cups. The favorite.

Ziti to string on pipe-cleaners

A few notes about sensory bins:

• Whenever I  see things like this on blogs, I think: “I am the world’s worst mom. My kids never do anything educational. I could never do this. Boo.” I feel obligated to report that this “sensory bin adventure” is coming 48 months into my parenting, and only after four straight months of head-banging, couch-jumping, and chair-crashing. So it’s never too late. 🙂
• I made a bin for each day of the week, and two of each bin (one for each of my boys). I actually labeled them with the days, and we only use them on the day they are for.
• I strategically break out these bins at 8:47am everyday, when my boys have eaten breakfast and I am attempting to eat mine. This is the most stressful part of my day; use yours in your pre-determined stressful time.
• I liked this site, and this one on sensory bins.

Have you ever made sensory bins? What is your go-to when your kids are rowdy?

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