Home again? Us too. Here is your five-day kid’s activity play plan. Things are humming along until, boom, someone needs a sick day or there is a week off from school. This is your five-day activity play plan when your predictable routine shifts to unplanned chaos. Think of these like emergency sub plans for parents. We all need them.
RELATED: I put together a more extensive collection of play ideas for kids and this list includes sensory play, messy play, at-home learning games, and much more!
Five Kid Activities, Five Supplies
Yep. We are going to keep things simple. You don’t need to search the house for different daily supplies when you are in a pinch. As a busy mom of three, I get this.
To make our life easier (yours and mine), let’s have an emergency play plan using items we already own and enjoy.
The best news? You can PRINT OUT THE PLANS to put on the fridge when needed.
Five activity supplies
Being able to use the same supplies all week is a great thing. Here we will gather a few simple items to use this week and many weeks to come. These are on high rotation here and I know they will also be for you.
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Washable Markers
Share these markers with your kids, or keep them for yourself. I am not one to judge; I like my own pack too.
White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
Counting Bears
Sort them by color, separate them by size, or integrate them into imaginary play. WE LOVE THESE BEARS!
Painter’s Tape
Prefer blue? We use this for many activities here at Days with Grey. Safe to say it is a lifeline.
Sensory Bin
This 40 QT bin is a simple way to inspire more sensory play at home with kids. Here is why sensory play is important.
What your child learns through play activities
So what activities are on the download? Some of our favorites, of course! We should repeat good ideas.
Want to know why?
Every time your child approaches an activity, they will meet it with new background knowledge based on experiences.
The first time your child sees a graph, they may stop when all the bears are graphed.
Now give it a few months and jump back in. You may notice a bear graph and discuss how many more and how many less of each color.
Remember, Good ideas are worth repeating. – Yelling that from the rooftops.
RELATED: Sometimes, we just need a simple list of the best indoor activities for kids. I took the time to put them all in one place.
Day One – Bear Soup
Bear Soup imaginary play for kids at the water table is a blast!
Call it what you will, but this Bear Soup imaginary play for kids idea will allow your preschooler to take the lead.
Play in a large under-the-bed storage bin, or toss them in the bathtub. A fan favorite! Read more about Bear Soup imaginary play here.
RELATED: New to sensory play? Read this parent’s guide to setting up sensory play.
Day Two – Resuce the Bears
The best activity for cutting practice is this idea right here!
No joke, this scissor practice is repeated with my toddler and preschooler.
Let’s skip the dull printouts and get business with this epic cutting activity for kids. Simple to set up and guaranteed to be a success! Read more about this cutting activity here.
RELATED: New to using scissors? Read this list of cutting activities for preschoolers for step-by-step instructions how to introduce scissors.
Day Three – Matching Bear Pairs
Ready for a game of matching pairs? Let’s play Bear Pairs.
Yep! This idea is much like its sister activity, Sticker Pairs – only this time, played with bears.
See that? We can take ideas we have used in the past, switch up the supplies, and BOOM, use them again. Isn’t that great?
We don’t have time to work harder than it needs to be! I set this up in 98 seconds. Crazy fast, right? Read more about Bear Pairs here.
RELATED: Color activities are fun for kids and easy for us parents to set up.
Day Four – Graph the Bears
Graph the counting bears could not come at a better time! We are somewhere between holidays and looking for a bit of balance by mixing in old faithful preschool activities.
Well, here it is! Graphing the counting bears is a classic math activity many stages and ages enjoy. The best part of this easy idea is the bears. You know the ones I am talking about – that bin of colorful bears you had no idea would bring you so much joy. Read more about Bear Graphs here.
RELATED: Looking for math activities for kids? You’ve found the right place! These are the best play prompts to encourage math skills in early learners.
Day Five – Measure the Lines
Let’s measure the lines – with bears!
Do you have set one of our activity cards? If so, this nonstandard measurement activity probably looks familiar! If not, you can check them out below—another set of grab-and-go ideas you can have at your fingertips.
Here, we take a familiar idea and swap out the supplies.
There you go! Your five-day activity play plan! Will you do them in order or skip around?
Who has time to search for ideas?
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FAQ
You can do all kinds of sick day activities with your toddler. Snuggling, watching movies, puzzles, sensory play, reading, and coloring are easy and low-key ideas to keep your sick kid happy when they don’t feel good.
Keep learning intentional (know WHY your actions are important), and be playful. Think about what your child enjoys and create fun math games using your favorite toys. If your child loves race cars, use them to color, sort, and count. If your child enjoys blocks, use the blocks to measure, sort, stack, and graph. Here is a list of my favorite preschool math activities.
Preschool should be a time to create and explore new ideas. We want our early learners to transport objects, discover color combinations, sort, classify, design, connect, and investigate new ideas. We can do this with hands-on preschool activities – NOT worksheets. Use these preschool activity cards with your child.
