A while ago I started leaving out things for my kids to do when they got home from school. To get from our back door – our main entry point to the house – to the TV they have to go past the dining room table. If I leave out something that looks inviting then I can often tempt them to stop on the way.
After a few times I’d done this, I was setting up the table before I left for the school run and I saw my eldest’s favourite toy on one of the dining room chairs. I set it up so that it looked like his toy had left him something for them to do together. This was an instant hit.
Soon I was getting requests from my eldest that his toy leave him something to do after school. And my youngest had adopted a new favourite soft toy and wanted in on the action.
Not knowing what days these would be most popular I thought I’d put together a box of slips with loads of suggestions on it as to what the kids could do. That way the box was there whenever we needed it, not just after school, and we could pick out something and give it a try.
I put slips in the box for activities and reading. I included ones for reading as I felt like we’d got to a stage where we have a lot of books but tend to stick to the old favourites. By getting them to look for a book with a character or colour in it, I thought this would encourage them to browse a bit more.
I posted a couple of pics of the box and an activity on Instagram this weekend and friend suggested that I make her one. I thought, that’s a good idea. And then thought, actually, why don’t I make a download of it?
So here you have it. My first free printable, download and kids activity right here on the blog! I’ve typed out all the slips that I wrote, which is just over 2 pages, and then left the rest of the 3rd page blank for you to add more slips of your own. Enjoy!
Download the pdf here: Free Printable – Activities and Reading Ideas for Kids
