Activity Centers. Done and Done.

Travelin'Oma, Week 9, Day 2.

Activity centers. Done and Done.

With two VERY active young boys, this summer I began to look ahead to this winter, when they would be cooped up and inevitably have cabin fever. I was fairly concerned about what on earth I would do to keep them occupied. Then this project hatched in my brain. It took so much logistical figuring and refiguring and more refiguring to make it all work, but I am very pleased with the results. In addition to making one for each of my boys, I also made one for my niece, Madeleine.

These activity centers house alphabet and number magnets, washable crayons, washable markers, colored pencils, notebooks, and a magnet clip to attach artwork to the working surface while in use. The working surface is a magnetic whiteboard and can be used on top of the container, like a table, or with the pad attached and placed on a lap.

I have concocted all sorts of activities for the boys to do at their activity centers, in addition to typical art activities. Sorting objects by color, working on identifying letters and numbers, spelling, math facts, checkers, tic-tac-toe, etc. I am still making the activities - and some won't be age-appropriate for a little while still - but the ideas are flowing and I am writing them all down. Please comment (or email me) if you have any ideas you would like to share for activities to add to my collection.

Now, when a rainy, or snowy, day comes, I have these in my arsenal. And by creating new activities to use with them, there will always be something fresh and exciting to capture their attention, right? I guess we'll see about that...

In my boys' kits they have two boxes with letter/number magnets and one each of crayons and markers. The fifth box is waiting for specific pieces for activities I'll make.

The pad used to cushion the board on their laps can be stored inside the lid of the box:

Then, on the back of the magnetic white board, there is a removable handle for easy transport:

The board positioned as a "table" or desk:

Oh, and the bottom of the small boxes have magnets on them so the items inside are easily accessible without falling off (if they are in the car or something):