Invite children over and have them bake batches of cookies. Take these cookies to a seniors’ home. Have the children sit down and visit with the seniors as they share their baked goods.
Obviously, this visit should be pre-arranged with the senior’s centre.
Pick up unpainted pottery (available at pottery studios, craft stores, and dollar stores) and have children paint their own pottery. An even more exciting option is to take the children to a ceramics studio.
Alternatively, if there is a holiday approaching, have the children make a craft relevant to that holiday. Here are a few ideas:
Invite children over for an evening of fine dining. Set the table with the fancy plates, cutlery, and wine glasses. Ask all guests to come in their best attire. Parents serve the children their meal with the flair offered by high-class restaurants. Serve juice in the wine glasses. Offer cloth napkins to help catch those inevitable spills. Possibly add candles to the table. Turn the lights off. Have soft music playing in the background.
To satisfy all palates, the food does not necessarily have to be what adults would prefer. Begin with appetizers (hotdogs cut up with a toothpick in them – ketchup provided in glass bowls), salad (a few veggies cut up in shapes), main course (perhaps sliders, slices of pizza, kraft dinner, etc.), and end with a dessert (ice-cream bowls).
Host a charity party where guests are asked to bring a gift for a needy child or a donation for a local charity. The party could also turn into a field trip of sorts where children clean up the neighborhood park or go a senior citizen’s home for a visit.
My children once had a gift card party. Each child was asked to bring along a $5.00 Tim Horton’s gift card. After the children played outside for a bit, we walked over the local mall and handed out the gift cards to mall patrons.
Provide each child with a paper plate with the eyes and nose holes already cut out. Lay out a barrage of craft supplies (yarn, paint, stickers, pipe-cleaners, etc.). Have each child decorate a mask. Have them create a play with all characters (masks) included. Video record the performance and send this to all parents.
Let the children create and design their own pizzas. A more expensive, yet fun alternative, is to go to a pizza parlor to make pizza.
Have a snowman building contest for the silliest, most original, strangest, etc.
Allow students to make their own sundae creations. Better yet, find an ice-cream parlor willing to host a party.
Pick up some cheap white t-shirts, t-shirt markers, and a tie-dye kit. Have the children decorate their t-shirts. Have them write a message on the t-shirts of others. Once the t-shirts have been decorated with the fabric markers, allow each child to wrap elastics around their shirts and tie-dye them. Send the wet, tie-dyed shirts home with them in a plastic bag …. with instructions for the parents regarding next steps.
Send out invitations that are shaped like gold medals. Activities/games can include throwing snowballs at a target and sled pulling.
Mommas – are you looking for more ideas about life with little ones?
Be sure to check out the Littles page for tips, tricks, and strategies on a wide range of topics.
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