Need ideas on how to entertain your preschooler? Here are 40 simple boredom-busting play ideas
1. Card-matchingCut some old Christmas or birthday cards in half. Give your child one half of each card and spread the others around the room. See if she can put them back together.
2. KaraokeGive her a ‘microphone' and let her sing along to all her favourite songs.
3. Hat-makingCut a strip of card to fit round your child’s head, and then get her to decorate it.
4. Greeting cardsMake a card for someone in your family and get your child to draw her own picture.
5. Rocket makingGet her to cover a loo roll in foil. Stick a cone shape on one end and add orange streamers to the other.
6. SkittlesMake some building block towers outside on the patio, and then get your child to roll a ball to try to knock them down.
7. DustingKids really love to copy Mum - just mind those expensive knick-knacks.
8. SwimmingLots of leisure centres run special children’s sessions when they have extra equipment such as floats, balls and little watering cans.
9 Sweet shop.Use play dough in different colours and shapes to make ‘sweets’, ‘lollies’ and ‘chocolate bars’.
10 Sleeping lions.Your child must lie still for as long as possible!
11. Invite a playdateAt this age, children love to have a companion and are easier to entertain when they have someone to play with.
12. Musical statuesWhen the music stops, they must freeze.
13. Puppet-makingEasy to make from a paper bag with buttons for eyes, wool hair and other felt-tipped features.
14. Play match the socksEmpty out your sock drawer
15. Hide-and-seekBut pretend to be a bit short sighted when it’s your turn to do the seeking!
16. Hunt the teddyTake it in turns to hide it in the house.
17. Matchbox contestSee how many small objects your preschooler can fit into a matchbox.
18. Noisy hide-and-seekHide toys that make a noise behind the sofa. See if your child can guess which one she’s hearing.
19. Bus ridingIt doesn’t matter where to, it’s the adventure of the journey that counts.
20. Hand-drawingPaint or draw designs on to each other’s hand using watercolours.
21. Pasta jewelleryThread tubes of pasta on to lengths of string.
22. Toy hospitalProvide loo-paper bandages and a few plasters, and then line up dolls and toys as patients.
23. Alphabet scrapbookCut out photos from magazines for each letter of the alphabet.
24. Toilet roll roadsRoll out some toilet roll to create a road system for toy cars and trucks
25. Board gameSnakes and Ladders and Ludo are always favourites.
26. Biscuit-decoratingUse plain biscuits with icing and little sweets.
27. Peg boards or ‘Hama’ bead.A great way to keep little fingers occupied for ages.
28. Obstacle courseUse chairs to crawl under, ropes to jump over, balls to dribble or throw into a bucket. Use your imagination, indoors or outdoors.
29. Fan makingAsk your child to cover a piece of paper with colour patterns, and then help her fold it into a fan.
30. Fish raceCut out a fish shape from a sheet of newspaper, about 30cm (1ft) long. Make a tube out of the rest of the newspaper. Move the fish along by beating the tube behind its tail.
31. Dressing-upOld hats, scarves, shoes, beads, shirts and any other cast-offs will do.
32. Comic playTake your child to buy a comic from your local newsagent. She can cut stories up afterwards and then try putting strip cartoon sections back in sequence.
33. Seed tray gardenFill it with soil and add plant cut-offs and flowers. Your toddler can line a small container with foil and fill with water to make a pond.
34. Magic potionsFill plastic bottles and pots with water, food colouring, bubble bath, glitter, petals and stir.
35. Tidy-up timePut on some lively music and tidy her bedroom together.
36. ChalkingLet your child draw with chalk on your patio or drive. Fat pavement chalks are best.
37. Beach playHelp her find her swimsuit, sun hat, bucket and spade and play-act going on holiday.
38. Memory gamePut 10 household objects on a tray, show them to your child for two minutes, and then hide them. See how many she can remember.
39. Cinema timePut dolls and teddies on a row of chairs and draw the curtains. Take money for tickets, then show a DVD. Have an interval with a chance to ‘buy’ a snack.
40. Visit the libraryAn unending supply of books – for free!
