Tips for Keeping Kids Entertained

I also have a 3 year old who needs constant entertainment.

There are always tons of things she could do with them. Some more common than others:

1. Coloring, finger painting, & water colors. Even the 1 year old could do all of these. There are finger paints out there that are washable when they get it on their clothing. Now that it's getting warmer, you could just strip them down to their undies and let them at it.

2. Forts in the house. We make the indoor fort together and I give her a flashlight and she plays in there for hours.

3. Play dough. If she's feeling up to it she could make her own. Which is always a fun project for any kid to be involved in the making and cooking of something. There are tons of recipes for homemade playdough online.

4. Let them play in the sink. Anything to do with water is very entertaining for them.

Most all of these that I mentioned she could do with her kids. She could paint, color, play with playdough, make forts.

Hope this helps her!
A.

Playing games or singing with them is usually lots of fun. I found that kids like to sing or dance or listen to stories that they can be a part of. Try making up a story about a little girl or boy and let your child use her name or a special name and when you come to taht part in the story she can say her name and it becomesfun. The thumbkin song is lots of fun for kids.Do you remember it? Or "I'm a Little Teapot" My kids loved that one. When they participate they'll ask you to play one of the games or songs with them. GOOD LUCK!

A membership to the children's museum and the zoo are great things to have. I used that a lot when my kids were that age. Other suggestions I have:
-early on it's great to teach children to make believe. Make their dolls, stuffed animals, cars, guys, whatever, talk and make up little story lines. Let them help. Once they learn this they can entertain themselves for hours on end!! My 5 and 7 year olds can play for hours together with just a few stuffed animals.
-also make use of the library. Whether it's for their story time, or just to spend quality time finding books to read.

My son just turned 3!
Everyone posted great ideas---we do these too, playdough, pretend kitchen & cooking, dinosaur figurines and cars, blocks, coloring & painting---

some that he came up on his own that he loves are---a large tupperware container filled with water that he dives his toy cars & figures into (he loves it!), a plate piled high with sugar that he drives his toy cars into like it's snow or sand (sand would work too)

I inherited a HUGE bag of toy cars and animal figures that he spends alot of time with arranging and acting out with. It's been a blessing.