Posterboard Car Mat

Here is a very simple idea that for some reason has entertained my boys for hours! All you need is a posterboard. Decorate it with roads, train tracks, parking spaces, etc., and you have an instant play mat for small cars! We have made several of these over the last few years of parenting boys. The boys don't usually last long with coloring/drawing, so we usually add to our mat over the course of a few days.


The mat we made today has a McDonald's drive-thru and a lake for our Hot Wheels boats. It's fun to have something on it that encourages imaginative play. And, I love having an activity that involves the boys sitting on the floor totally engrossed in something rather than wearing costumes and running through the house!!!! (We do actually have time for costumes most days, but at times the noise level has just got to come down!)

Digging... one of the things we do best!

This idea is pretty basic, but my boys have literally spent hours digging in pinto beans! When my oldest son was 2, we began our search for something to dig in. He spent a lot of time digging in a pan full of uncooked rice. Now that we have more kids, I like pinto beans better because the clean-up is easier. We have also used un-popped popcorn. This baking pan was one that always burnt things, so now it has become a construction site. If you're willing to sweep up the aftermath, this is a great way to keep preschoolers busy!

Preschooler hands are so adorable!



When we're feeling a little more domestic, we have also used measuring cups and spoons to play in the beans!