Favorite things to do with my kids!

I love finding new ways to entertain my kids. As a parent you know that kids can be easily entertained, but there are also days that it can be very difficult to think of how to entertain them when they are bored of doing the same things. So here are a few of my favorite things to do with my kids.

1) Educational TV

I love to watch educational TV with my kids, it's amazing how much they can learn when they watch others. We have a few favorites like; Cocomelon, Blippi, Pocoyo, Octonauts, Number Blocks and Alpha Blocks. There are a lot more but those happen to be my kids top favorites. I feel like educational TV is a great way to help your kids learn and have fun while in front of the tv. Kids need someone to teach them but we aren't all teachers and it can sometimes become a little frustrating when we cant help them understand something. But thats why there are shows and games that can help them learn. I also bought ABC Mouse for my daughter Leela who is 2. With the help of ABC Mouse and the educational TV my daughter Leela has made so much progress with talking and counting. She also has fun while doing these activities too which is really important, because if something isn't entertaining enough it won't hold you child's attention.

2) Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts are a fun way to help your children have fun and express themselves. Personally my favorite art project to do with my children is painting. Of course it can be messy so I try to do it in the garage. I give them each their own canvas and I let them use washable paint so help with the clean up. But painting isn't the only artsy thing you can do witch your kids you can also draw or color, build with Legos, make homemade crafts. Art is a great way to help your children with their cognitive skills. According to Art – an opportunity to develop children's skills - Penn Statehttp://bkc-od-media.vmhost.psu.edu › documents "Art engages children's senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional and multi-sensory skills. As children progress into elementary school and beyond, art continues to provide opportunities for brain development, mastery, self-esteem and creativity.". Another thing I do with my kids is go outside and play with chalk. Kids live to color and draw. In my opinion doing these activities like playing with chalk, coloring, painting, and really any other art activity is better when you are doing it with your children because it engages them more. Kids are copy cats if mom and dad are having fun they will likely have fin too!

3) outdoor activities

There are plenty of things you can do with your kids outside. Kids love to be outdoor and the sun is good for them. I definitely encourage outside time! I love taking my kids in the pool. It's a great way to cool your kids off on those hot summer days and there are lots of ways to make the pool fun for your kids. My daughter loves counting to three and jumping in at you. We play with pool floats and toys. Loves to lounge in the pool.

Another great activity to do outside with your kids is ride a bike. Not all kids know how to ride a bike but it is fun to teach them. I bought my daughter a push bike for toddlers when she was 6 months. She absolutely loved it. It was a 3 in one bike that she could push with her legs, use as a tricycle, and when she was ready for it, it could turn into a regular bike. Now she is 2 and riding a regular bike like a pro! Riding her bike is definitely her number one favorite thing to do.

There are many other things you can do outside like go for a walk, hike, play with balls, or go to the park. Kids love the outdoors so why not let them play?

4) Reading to your kids!

Reading to your kids is a great way to spend time with them and keep them entertained. Kids love looking at the pictures and learning new words. There are several reasons reading to kids, and teaching them to read is important. Reading to your kids can improve their cognitive function helping them think and understand things. It is a fantastic bonding activity that helps your children increase concentration and improve imagination and creativity in your kids. I try to read to my kids everyday for about to minutes. Sometimes if they are enjoying it I will read to them longer.

Spending time with your kids is very important and will improve their mood and attitude. Anyway thank you for reading! I hope this helped some of you. I know children can be difficuly but doing more with them will help make your day easier.