Pumpkin Pound

Take a pumpkin and a handful of golf tees and a play hammer. And let your child go at it pounding those tees into that pumpkin! More real than some of the toy hammers and nails but not unsafe like a real hammer and nails. Multi colored tees are even more fun ...trace a letter on the pumpkin and have your child poke the tees in making the letter to add an educational spin to the activity.

Pumpkins

Cut out some orange pumpkins...use construction paper.
Cut out a bunch of face pieces. then let your child glue them onto the pumpkins making scary, happy, sad, etc. faces. Then post them up in a patch and there you go. Halloween decorations that also filled some time.

Older kids can cut their own face pieces.

Count Down

If you have something you are counting down until...looking forward...here is a easy activity. My son's birthday is in 16 days. Cut the strips and make a paper chain. Hang it up and let them tear one off each morning. Great counting activity too.

I used elmer's glue and a q-tip to apply the glue.

Make a Mask

Take a paper plate and cut out two circles for the eyes. Then have them decorate a funny, scary or whatever type of face. Glue a popcicle stick to the plate for them to use as a handle. Then use them!

Be a Bus Driver

Get outside and have your child ride their big wheel, bike, or tricycle. Have them pretend they are a bus driver and stop at houses to pick up kids. You will get a slow walk in..but hey, you are outside and not on your hands and knees digging in the dirt or playing with chalk.

Search for Pennies

If you have a babysized pool and a few friends over, then grab a handful of pennies. Have the kids look away while you toss some pennies into the pool. Say go...and let them hunt for pennies. Then have them count them to see who gets to hide them next.

Challenge:
If you have older kids you could use other coins and have them practice counting their money.

Car Wash

It might be getting a little cool for this now, but a friend of mine says this keeps her girls busy for hours. Bring out the kiddy vehicles in your garage..the push car, bigwheels, bikes etc. Get out the chalk and a bucket with some bubbly water and the hose, if you are brave. Let the kids drive the cars around, color on them with chalk...or the chalk paint mentioned in a prior blog post. Then they get to wash them off.