Need an hour?

Seriously, who doesn't need an hour? Want to find a way to entertian your kids for an hour while you shower, clean, watch a show, or *gasp* go to the bathroom without company?

Try this...
a box of cheerios
old plastic spoons/forks/servings spoons
measuring cups
brightly colored clean toys
a large contianer

Mix it all together and you have a sensory box for younger kids and a game for older ones. Have the older ones use tongs or spoons to dig the toys out and put them into a different container (we used a recycled egg carton). They can sort the toys by color, shape, or into numbered groups.

Or they could be like my kids...eat the cherrios and dig around the toys....all while playing quietly together, eating a healthy snack (these are the non flavored whole wheat cheerios a friend passed along), and I get to shower, eat, read, watch TV, make phone calls and DO FINANCES!!!

Warning though, this can cause a bit of a mess, but it's totally worth the 3 minute sweep that it costs for your free hours (use what you have in the house, don't have cheerios, try beans, no beans, try those crafty pom pom things)

My floor after five minutes of play!