BrandonMommy Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I need some activities for my independent 5-year old. Some things I'm looking into . . . kinetic sand Color Code Inchimals a magnet kit rock kit Magformers (we have some magnatiles) Crayola Model Magic class pack Lincoln Logs Any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegs Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Mine spends many hours a day playing with Lego, and comes up with all sorts of convoluted, solitary games with an abacus and some dice. I'm starting to look into audio books, too. Would your child listen to stories whilst playing, perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Legos. Put some random bricks with characters and off they go. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Things my 5 year old likes and can do by himself include the miniLuk hidden picture books(with a picture key-he can't read) Starfall insta snow a "chemistry" tray with baking soda, vinegar, water, food coloring and pipettes(my 5 year old is mess averse and is great at following directions-I could leave him alone with this stuff at 3. I can't do that with my dd!) water beads an magna doodle or etch a sketch maze book an actual tape measure a shovel and our dirt pile of a backyard puzzles a digital camera and instructions to find certain things(cool bugs, different colors, portraits of the dog, whatever) Wedgits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 magnifying glass camera marble run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Things my 5 year old likes and can do by himself include the miniLuk hidden picture books(with a picture key-he can't read) Starfall insta snow a "chemistry" tray with baking soda, vinegar, water, food coloring and pipettes(my 5 year old is mess averse and is great at following directions-I could leave him alone with this stuff at 3. I can't do that with my dd!) water beads an magna doodle or etch a sketch maze book an actual tape measure a shovel and our dirt pile of a backyard puzzles a digital camera and instructions to find certain things(cool bugs, different colors, portraits of the dog, whatever) Wedgits Would you share what puzzles you've found to be good for this age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 My son is not that great at puzzles, so I don't know how helpful this will be. He likes those large Melissa and Doug floor puzzles. He really loves the ocean and outer space ones, but there's several of them. He also likes the Lauri foam puzzles with a lot of pieces but an outline on the tray, but the floor ones are a clear preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 A light box (DIY or a light panel) would be wonderful for a fiver. You can use anything translucent on it--magnatiles work well, as do those glass chips you find at the Dollar Store, and sand in a clear box you set on top is particularly beautiful and inviting. Pinterest has a ton of great ideas. I also like lots of natural items to build with, do small world play with, etc.(AKA "loose parts play"). Shells, pinecones (mini ones or bigger), glass chips, short sticks, tree blocks, tree cookies, etc--Pinterest under Reggio Emilia activities is your friend for great ideas. A nice shelf of baskets full of those types of materials, with a small rug or groundcloth can really promote math/science/literacy/art skills and is fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Snap circuits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 A sketchbook. My son will build on previous drawings. He loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandonMommy Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Thanks everyone for the ideas. MrsBasil, my son loves baking soda and vinegar too! I should stock up. I happened upon one Reggio Emilia pin last week actually. Didn't think to search that. So thanks for that idea. We're actually going to be collecting and working on setting up a science center soon now too. Can you recommend where to get a light table online or a good brand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKWAcademy Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Legos! I can't tear my DS5 away from his lego table. He also listens to audiobooks for quiet time most days. He likes to tinker with math manipulatives, puzzles, dominoes, and that sort of thing. But, he also has a twin sister, so they have their fair share of tea parties and other games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 This thread mentions some of our favorite toys! I'm late to this thread, but I wanted to add that somewhere in the assortment of education toys should be characters (dolls, action figures, little plastic or wood people, fairies, etc.) for a child to practice language skills. Playmobil has some great sets that my five year old enjoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharisma Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 My five year old enjoys Inchimals and Linkin Logs. We also have a few small Lego sets and a marble run and he adores those too. I am also thinking about MiniLuk as I need more independent quiet activities for toddlers nap time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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