Finding activities for keeping little ones amused all the time is no easy feat. The following article aims to offer some useful suggestions in the local area and beyond for days when you are stuck for ideas. It is designed as a list for quick reference, with links to further information.

Local Outings

• Window shopping
• Cinema
• Library - many have preschool children's storytime, click on the links to view calendar of activities for Baulkham Hills libraries and Blacktown area libraries
• Playgroup - join a local group in your area or start your own - see Playgroup section
• Visit friends and family, or invite a friend over to play
• Swimming pool
• Take a course in Gymbaroo, Kindermusik or similar in your area - see childrens websites/magazines & local papers for details
• Visit a park
  • Picnic in the park (for a list of parks see Parks)
  • Play ball, swings, slipperydip etc
  • Feed the ducks
  • Go for a bush walk

Home Indoor activities

• Hide and seek - people or objects around the house or garden
• Making cookies - child friendly recipes
• Home made or shop bought Play dough - use cookie cutters and dough to make "food " or cars etc.
• Craft activities
• Paper plate craft - monsters, tiger, butterfly
• Building craft using egg boxes, cereal boxes etc - Trains, robots, faces
• Potato stamp painting
• Painting eggs (boiled)
• Painting - face painting, finger painting
• Drawing & crayoning, colouring in (search the web for drawings as templates, or buy a cheap colouring book)
• DVDs - cartoons of Hi-5, Wiggles, Dora the Explorer, Baby Einstein are useful to have on hand. Borrow from the library, or lend amongst friends
• Dance and Sing-a-long to CDs - nursery rhymes and Hi-5, Wiggles, Hooley Dooleys
• Puzzles - easy jigsaws - buy, borrow from library or make your own by gluing magazine picture to card and cutting in 2 or more pieces for small children
• Coloured pegs - find the matching colours, find a specific number of pegs etc
• Collages of magazine cuttings, stickers - make a place mat
• Necklace/bracelet of coloured pasta shapes
• Build a cubby house using sheets, cardboard box etc
• Have a tea party using a child's tea set
• Build a tower with blocks or "lego (Duplo)" and enjoy knocking it down again!
• Build a car/house/train using Duplo/lego
• Play chase
• Play catch with ball
• Play percussion instruments - make a shaker out of loo rolls taped at the ends with lentils inside, or an old water bottle with the lid on and beans, dried peas or lentils inside. Make a drum from a formula tin with the rubber lid taped down. Use sticks. Buy cheap instruments from Parklea markets - eg bells, maracas and play along to music - loud & soft, march along forwards, backwards, slow & fast, start & stop, etc.

Baulkham Hills library has a Kidzone area with list of fun websites containing art, fun, games and stories.