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| 101 Things to Do Instead of Watching TV
"101 Things to Do Instead of Watching TV"
1. Visit the Library. Borrow a book.
2. Write (dictate) a story.
3. Paint a picture.
4. Go fishing.
5. Plant something.
6. Go swimming.
7. Read a book to someone else.
8. Plan a picnic.
9. Go bird watching. Keep a list of the kinds of birds you see.
10. Wash the dog.
11. Take a bath.
12. Write (dictate) a letter to a friend or relative.
13. Bake cookies or bread.
14. Play a game like Candyland or Memory.
15. Visit a zoo.
16. Build a fort in the living room. Camp out for the night.
17. Build a fort outdoors.
18. Fly a kite.
19. Make a collage out of pictures from old magazines. (favorite
things, places to visit...)
20. Have an "Unbirthday" party.
21. Adopt a neighbor.
22. Name Game (H appy, E xciting, L oving, E ntertaining, N ice)
23. Story Starter Game: "It was a dark night..." (second person adds to it...)
24. Blow bubbles.
25. Use a big cardboard box to make a pretend TV. Make up your own show.
26. Make a bowling game with empty soda bottles.
27. Create a hat out of old newspapers.
28. Paint the house with a can of water and a clean paintbrush.
29. Act out a favorite story.
30. Take a nap.
31. Make a necklace with yarn and Cheerios.
32. Use shaving cream like fingerpaint (on a tray or cookie sheet)
33. Create your own book. Cut out magazine pictures, glue on pages.
Child can write or dictate the story.
34. "Read" a story to a favorite stuffed animal.
35. Organize a junk drawer.
36. Explore an attic or cellar.
37. Alphabetize books by their author.
38. Or...organize your books by size.
39. Go outside and pick up 10 pieces of litter.
40. Take a nature walk.
41. Make a collage with things you found on your walk.
42. Make or buy a card to send to someone.
43. Find each letter of your name in the newspaper; then glue them to
paper strip.
44. Set up a pretend library.
45. Take a collection of things (Matchbox cars, seashells, milk caps)
Sort by color, size, shape. Count.
46. Sort laundry. How many pairs of pajamas can you find?
47. Talk about "pairs". How many things in your house come in pairs?
(pair of pants, pair of eyeglasses...)
48. Make a puppet out of a paper plate and popsicle stick.
49. Make a puppet out of an old sock and markers or scraps of
material and glue.
50. Have a puppet show.
51. Hide objects in a pan of sand. Can you find them without looking?
52. Make "silver" bracelets by squeezing tin foil around cardboard
circles cut from paper towel tubes.
53. Tape a masking tape line on the floor or sidewalk. Pretend it is
a balance beam
54. Build a block tower. Copy a house of blocks built by someone else.
55. Play flashlight tag.
56. Play Simon Says. Try it without words...just watch.
57. Turn on the sprinkler. Try to run under it without getting wet.
58. Paste a picture on cardboard. Cut into pieces to make a puzzle.
59. Make an obstacle course with things to go over, under, through, and around.
60. Play balloon volleyball.
61. Hide several familiar objects in a bag. Identify by feeling with
hands...no eyes!
62. Make angels in the grass. Try to move arms and legs together.
63. Smell different spices, flowers. Match with another that is the same.
64. "Crabwalk" in the grass. (all 4's, stomach facing up)
65. Make 2 flavors of Jello. (lemon and cherry?) Mix them together
before chilling. What happens?
66. Make shape cookies and decorate them.
67. Make a list of "Family Quotations" . Can relatives guess who
usually says what?
68. Look at clouds. Talk about shape, size, color, movement. What
animal does one cloud remind you of?
69. Play "Name the Picture". One player describes object in
picture. Others guess.
70. Use plastic eyedroppers to experiment mixing colors using water,
food coloring and margarine tubs.
71. Count the number of seeds when you eat an apple.
72. Make up a silly story... "If Animals Wore Shoes, a monkey would wear...?"
73. Play Zoo Charades. One player pretends to be an animal, others
guess what kind.
74. Cut the first letter of your child's name out of sandpaper. Make
a rubbing with a crayon and paper.
75. Look for footprints outdoors. What kind of "tracks" does a bird
make? a dog? a cat? people?...
76. Make a bird feeder with a pinecone spread with peanut butter and
rolled in birdseed.
77. Make lists of shapes in your house: What shape is the clock,
window, rug, mirror, TV, lamp...???
78. Make a Number Book by writing one numeral on each page and
letting the child draw, or glue on, the correct number of objects.
79. Create "Counting Problems" such as, "How many zippers are there
in your house?"
80. Go out for breakfast.
81. Make lemonade from real lemons.
82. Look at an old family photo album.
83. Eat something "yellow" for lunch.
84. Interview friends and relatives to learn their middle name. Are
any the same?
85. Try a different flavor fruit juice.
86. Make a graph of favorite juice flavors of relatives and friends.
87. Make "Beanie Baby" clothes with scraps of fabric. Add some glue
and glitter.
88. Go for a Bike Ride.
89. Make home-made playdough.
90. Listen to music.
91. Visit a playground.
92. Find a rock in a shape you like. Paint it to make a paperweight.
93. Follow a butterfly.
94. Make a pretend pet store with your stuffed animals.
95. Write a letter to your favorite author.
96. Pretend to bring your stuffed animals to the vet.
97. Count how many times in a row you can jump rope. Then try to beat
your record.
98. Make up a song and sing it.
99. Play Hide and Go Seek.
100.Play "I Spy with My Little Eye" something...red. Others must
guess what you are seeing.
101.Play with FELT from Story Time Felts! :-)
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