Hubby needs ideas for playtime!

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LynnieLew

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Come on creative parents, I need your help!

My hubby and I worked out a family schedule because I work 35 hours a week from home.We decided that after dinner he would be on “monkey patrol” while I work in my upstairs office.

While he would often take them to the YMCA to the indoor child play area we found we couldn’t manage that and had to cancel our membership.

So, he wants fun themed ideas for things to do with the kids.
He already is excellent at playing randomly with them, (trains, dolls, board games, etc.) but wants to included some set, structured activities during the week, so the kids have something to look forward to.

It needs to be:
  1. Preferable inside: Because the weather is yucky
  2. Free
This is one idea I came up with:

Camping night: Set up makeshift tents (ie-blankets on furniture) shut off the lights and bring out the flashlights, etc.

So, this is the kind of ideas he is looking for.
Our daughter is 5 and the little guy is 2.

HELP!

I welcome all ideas.
 
**Nothing in the parenting rule book that says husbands/dads can’t bake! Have a cookie night where he and the kids make their favorite cookies. Kids love to “help” in the kitchen and what kid doesn’t love to eat cookies? Especially ones they made with their beloved daddy:D They could even bring some to you as a treat for working so hard;) **

Also, not sure about the two year old, but I’m sure your daughter would love daddy to read to her. But pick a long book so that every tuesday night, for example, she can look forward to another chapter or two!

What about some type of simple craft? Maybe paper plate masks of different animals? Could have a different theme each week (like jungle, farm, water, etc). just get some dollar store paper plates and some crayons and you’re good to go!

And, to get a little more active, maybe a funny dance night? pick different styles of music and let loose.

And what about a favorite cartoon movie with popcorn. Dim the lights, sit on the floor or cuddle on the sofa and enjoy a snuggly quiet evening?

I am just throwing out random ideas as they occur to me. My only baby is just 5 months old, so I really have no idea if I am being age appropriate. But, as a girl who didn’t have very much daddy time, I am so glad your husband is willing to spend so much quality time with the kids. They won’t forget it.

malia
 
Don’t forget to ask the kids! If your dd is anything like my 4 yo she is FULL of ideas!! Your 2 yo can contribute too, depending on how verbal he is.

My dd LOVES dress up/re-enacting, so maybe they could do a play, either dressing up or with puppets. Making the puppets could be another activity.

Let them all wash the dishes together- 😃
 
They could lie on the floor and roll cars/balls to eachother.

Set up the video camera so the kids can see themselves on TV. My kids love this.

Turn on some music and DANCE!😃
 
I can tell you what DH did when ours were small and I was on shift work. They would spend hours building obstacle courses in the basement or backyard and have races. They learned every kind of card game and board game their is. They made up their own sports, like cricket (which we called stickball when I was a kid), smocker (think soccer and touch football), monkey (monkey in the middle, but all over the yard).

They took care of the yard and garden together, even the little ones learned to pick weeds – he had the 2 yr old edging the walk by hand. They get absorbed in playing with a bug or building castles with the pulled grass, but they are busy. and they “painted” the house or garage with water and brushes while he did other tasks.

Even when they were small, up through HS age, Sat. was my sleep-in or study day, they played Games For Penalties. Mostly card games, all the jobs were in a jar, they played on teams, losers picked a job, winners got a snack and break while losers finished the job. Secret was breaks were also jobs, but fun ones like baking ice box slice n bake cookies, making sandwiches or pancakes for lunch in funny shapes etc.
 
How about art time? My 3 yo son loves to finger paint (who doesn’t?), play with play-dough (which we made ourselves), cut out pictures from magazines and glue them down, etc. When it comes to coloring/painting/gluing, the bigger the surface the better. Use old cardboard boxes, large pieces of shelving paper (not free, but inexpensive), even old/stained sheets work well. Try hanging the paper on the wall, or laying it on the floor for different experiences.

Cardboard boxes also work well as “construction blocks.” The boxes that hold ten reams of paper each are sturdy and a good size. You could probably pick some up at your local copy center, office supply store, library, or public school (although most teachers also like to use them for storage). They could “decorate” the outside of the boxes as well. If space is an issue, shoe boxes work equally well on a smaller scale.

Even in yucky weather, why not bundle up the kids and do a nighttime nature exploration? Take flashlights and a box for “finds.” Sing songs as you explore your neighborhood and nature at night. If you have snow, put food coloring and water into a spray bottle and “paint” outside. This works really well in our back yard on the patio - easy access to the house, level terrain, and not as much snow.

Thanks to everyone who posted here. I intend to borrow your ideas for my family as well! 😃

Gertie (not my real name, but I like it)
 
how about building a fort under your dining room or kitchen table? Drape a big blanket over the table and pretend it’s your fort or hide out. My 10 yr old loves doing this with his buddies.
 
When I was a little kid, I got YEARS worth of fun from a large cardboard box that a refrigerator came in. Initially, it became a hideout, and I cut doors and windows and peepholes.

Eventually, it became a workbench … just like dad’s. My grandfather gave me a small tiny vise and I found some way of attaching it to the cardboard box.

If you all drink coffee, save the coffee cans. They are fabulous for storing and keeping stuff in. Wonderful for all kinds of projects.
 
Dacinom said:
You have been given some great suggestions!

I would like to offer an opinion/observation from my own life and lessons I have learned. My children are ages 7, 5 and 3. I would like to share my experience, hope that is okay.

If your husband just wants to kick back and let the kids play with toys on the floor while he reads a book or whatever that is okay too. Maybe you already do this…I am offering this suggestion because it took me a while to really beleive this was okay, sad to say.

For a long time I tried structured activities, fun, games, stories, baking, libraries, parks on a regular basis with my kids. I felt strangely guilty at times when I just told them to “go play by yourself.” It seemed like I had pressure to seize every opportunity to play with them, bond with them, educate them etc…My kids got over-stimulated and over-entertained. They got so used to having games and activities that they sometimes just fell apart when it was quiet and they had to entertain themselves!

I know this is not what you asked, and I hope I am not giving you pushy or unwanted advice. You are obviously caring parents because you asked for suggestions. I am just letting you know that many parents (like myself) have a lot of pressure to entertain their kids often and I hope you are smarter than I and don’t fall into the trap that I did. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts.
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Thank you so much for your advice Monicad!
Don’t ever feel concerned about sharing your advice because I truly believe that all (charitable) advice given here, in even a small way, is God’s opportunity to speak to us. That is why I post here.

I completely agree with you! My husband just wanted a few ideas for a couple of days a week, something for the kids (mostly my daughter) to look forward to. I suggested the same thing about relaxation because he is at work all day and he DESERVES a break. 🙂 I even got him some crossword puzzle books (which he loves) and he got other books to to enjoy during the evening.

I think it is a delicate balance between overscheduling and free play. I have heard from a ton of parents that they wished they did more activities so they could feel “active” in their parenting. But, again, it is a balance.

Thanks again!
LynnieLew
 
I am a stay-at-home dad while in grad school. I have found going on short trips to the still life zoo a blast for the kiddos. Or course, the still life zoo is the local hunting store. We have a Bass Pro Shop very close and they have tons of stuffed animals and a huge aquarium. It is educational and they kids hunt in the basket.
 
Rubber band shooting galleries have entertained me and my kids for hours. We tilt a big cardboard box on it’s side to act as a backstop so we don’t spend our entire evening searching for wayward rubberbands. Then we set up various action figures, block walls, or anything we think would be fun to shoot (tin cans ring like a little bell). Then we step back and start shooting rubber bands until every last block is knocked down. Reset and repeat.

I’ll take my kids to the shooting range with me. I realize that does cost money for ammo, but with a .22 you can get a box of 500 rounds for under $10. And if you don’t have a semi-automatic, you probably won’t shoot up the entire box before the younguns’ want to go home. Hollow point bullets will make a pop can full of water explode. The kids like that. Your hubby would have to use his judgement in terms of how much the kids can participate. Personally, when my kids were 2 yrs-old they were learning the range rules (stay behind the shooter, keep the blasted earmuffs ON). Oh, and a 2 yr-old can pull the string on a clay-pigeon thrower - and then heckle Dad when he misses! At 5 I will let them start shooting. Of course I am in control of the weapon at all times, but they can line up the sights and pull the trigger. Again, use personal judgement - you have to know your own kids and how obedient they are etc.

Fishing. Take 'em fishing. My 3 yr-old was upset come the Monday after his first weekend fishing with me and I had to go to work. My wife made arrangements for a quick supper so that I could take him out again that evening. We were having excellent luck on the crappie. The tackle and license are a bit of an investment, but a rod and reel last a long time. Minnows are $1/dozen.

We also would enjoy setting up blocks like dominoes. Then the kids would knock the first one down and set off the chain reaction. Some of them get quite elaborate. We use a big serving spoon from the kitchen as a catapult. We’ll set up the blocks so that the last (and tallest block) will fall on the end of the spoon. The spoon is balanced on a fulcrum with another tiny block in the spoon. When the big tall block drops on the spoon’s handle the spoon flips up launching the small block across the room. We’ve gotten pretty accurate too, being able to launch the small block into a waste paper basket.

I’d buy some good foul weather gear and teach the kids to play outside in all sorts of weather. Nothing lifts the spirits better than just getting out of the house no matter what the weather. Since early on I’ve learned how to stay dry in wet weather, and how to stay warm in cold weather. Nowadays, the weather seldom gets me down. In rainy weather we will play with the streams of water flowing along the curb. Build dams, race little boats (sticks), or just stomp in the water.

A campfire in the backyard is always awesome. Get one of those campfire popcorn poppers and some long fire forks (old coat hangers and broomsticks work). Pretty soon you’ll be out of your office with your hubby and kids scarfing down popcorn, roasting hotdogs, and making s’mores.
 
We have a Bass Pro Shop very close and they have tons of stuffed animals and a huge aquarium.
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Now if I were to take the kids on such an outting it would likely turn into something rather expensive.:o
 
I would suggest that after trying some ideas that he decide on one or more that will become “traditions”–activities that will become associated with “daddy time” and will become important memories of who dad was and what the kids kid in their childhoods. My husband was never a stay-at-home dad but he routinely put the kids to bed which included reading different books, reciting poems or songs from his childhood (or from Monty Python), and various other tuck-in rituals. He regularly took them on walks along the same route which ended up at the local ice cream store. My teens still talk about those long-ago memories and laugh at dad. But they also still get tucked in every night!
 
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