The Gangs All Here

More Ideas Give children water paints or washable chalks and let them draw on pavement (or on old paper bags or large sheets of paper). Let each child choose a variety of old clothes to make a complete outfit and then parade through the house. Don't include shoes with high heels or clothes so long that children could trip. Make tents by draping blankets or sheets over tables. Add items like plastic dishes and metal pots, a few sticks for a pretend campfire and a flashlight or two.

You're suddenly in charge of a small group of preschoolers and have nothing planned. Not to worry. Using household items, imagination and gentle encouragement, you can organize activities that involve children, give them choices, make them think and develop their skills.

Choose activities that allow all the children to do the same thing at the same time, but in their own way. "All" means three to five children. Groups larger than that are unmanageable for one adult. Avoid games with elaborate rules or scores to keep.

Go Outside
There they can play ball games or just do activities that are too messy for inside.
-- Have kids grab the sides of an old blanket, table cloth or sheet and try to keep a ball bouncing or moving along the surface. Play music or sing to keep it lively.
-- Make soft balls out of rolled up socks and let children toss the balls to each other or try to hit a target or toss into an empty bucket.
-- Provide buckets of soapy water for washing dolls and toy cars, clean water (or a hose) for rinsing, and large towels for drying.

Safe Indoor Activities
Inside, you'll naturally want to discourage running, throwing and water fun. Reading a story is usually a good choice, but other activities can more actively involve the children.
-- Start a story, preferably a silly one, and then let the children embellish. For example, you might start, with: "A bear named Fred was riding a bike and he bumped into a . . . " Encourage children to use their imagination to build a story by adding a sentence in turns. This is a wonderful activity for long car rides as well.
-- Put dried beans or popcorn on a table and let children try picking up the pieces individually, using different implements, such as tongs, tweezers and a turkey baster.
-- Arrange tables, chairs and other items to make a maze and ask children to go through the maze on their hands and knees without touching anything.
Nancy Olsen-Harbich is a human development specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Suffolk County.