Once the days start getting shorter and there is a chill in the air the kids will be spending more time inside. It only takes a day or two for them to get bored of their toys and TV and start saying they are bored. It’s time to find some ways to entertain them.
As a single mother I’m always looking for inexpensive things to do with Hailey, things that will keep her busy and allow us to spend time together doing something besides watch television.
Fall really does lend itself to all sorts of inexpensive craft ideas. Just grab a bag and your kids and go for a walk. On your walk you will find lots of things they can use to make cute crafts that will keep them entertained and decorate your home. Leaves, sticks, rocks, pinecones, look at the ground there is a treasure trove out there. With these things and a few things from the kitchen you can make lots of fun things with very little money.
• Make placemats with leaves, shaved crayons and wax paper. They can put the leaves in there randomly or use them to create designs.
• After you carve your pumpkins save the seeds, you can either toast them or let the kids paint them and string them on necklaces and bracelets.
• Take paper and crayons and either go outside and make rubbings on tree bark or inside over a leaf. You can then make frames using construction paper and hang them on the walls.
• Make a wreath out of sturdy cardboard and leaves.
• Cover pinecones with peanut butter and roll in birdseed. Hang in a tree by a window so you can watch the birds.
• Make apple prints. If your kids cover their books with paper bags you can print right on the bags for unique book covers.
• Gather up old clothes and make a scarecrow to decorate your porch for fall.
• Make a pumpkin out of an empty toilet paper roll and construction paper.
• Use construction paper and make a tree trunk and branches. Then cut leaves out of construction paper and have your family write what they are thankful for on the leaves, by Thanksgiving you will have a lovely tree full of the reasons your family is blessed.
There are so many fun things you can do to fill those hours between dinner and bedtime. Use Google, there is a wealth of information and instructions on the web. Some require more of your help than others but either way it’s a wonderful way for a single parent to spend some quality time with her child without spending a lot of money.