At the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, my cousins and I will have our kids there. 2 3 yo boys, a 3 yo girl, 5 yo girl, 6 yo girl and a 7 yo girl. My aunt has a very non kid friendly house, and definitely cannot give them messy activities. Suggestions for easy, not messy but not involving grown up help activities the kiddos can do?
My first thought: hire a couple of good, reliable sitters to take all the children to a nearby indoor play area and let them have some fun there. Sorry - that's the best I can do.
New coloring books and crayons, sticker books, wikki stix (google if you don't know what I'm talking about) small hand held/travel games without too many loose pieces.
I also used to keep a small plastic container filled with small toys and action figures (like happy meal toys) and we'd take that with us when we went out to eat.
Will there be a room with a TV and DVD player? Probably a good idea to have a movie if possible.
With three 3 year olds, you will need a supervising adult. Why not just hire a sitter to watch/entertain them.
Hire a teen to play with them. Three year olds will not stay in one place and not do something stupid. I could see them taking crayons to the wall or harassing the dog or accidentally knocking something over. If this isn't going to be a really good place for kids, it might be better for the families to hire a sitter and not bring them at all.
From what you have posted, you are suggesting that there would be 6 kids ages 7 and under without guidance from a teen/adult. I am not a constant engagement kind of parent, however I see no way that this plan is going to work well. I can't see them going more than 10 minutes at a stretch without one kid or another coming to his/her parents needing something. Now, if those interruptions are fine with you parents, okay. But if you want to focus on the dinner/other adults, you will need someone (a teen or two, for example) supervising the kids and working with them, even if it's in the same house. It would be best, however, if the sitters could take them out to play somewhere, since the house does not sound conducive to kids being there for more than a half-hour visit. Good luck!
Well, with kids that young (age 3) you will really have to have an adult supervising. That's just my opinion. Non messy activities...balloons to play with, a gift bag with kiddie toys, watch a movie, play video games, decorate boxes (3 year olds need supervision though so they don't start using markers on something other than the box), games like candy land, shoots and ladders, hiho cherry-o. coloring books with those magic color safe markers that only work on the book itself. Although a 3 year old won't last long with any activity except maybe just running around with the other kids! How about doing bubbles outside? Some sporty things to play with outside? Is there a big backyard?
Glitter? Kidding.
For crafts:
How about getting pipe cleaners & big beads for the older kids.
For the younger kids, popsicle sticks, glue sticks & construction paper.
Crayons, coloring books, stickers w/sticker book
Good things to have on hand:
DVD players w/diff age movies
Blocks (the big ones)
Matchbox cars
Dolls, plastic tea set
Chutes & Ladders game,
If they can play outside:
balls
bubbles
sidewalk chalk
How about those little scratch art kits, a deck of cards, a balloon, a video, a game of tag.
Best,
F. B.
Movies or video games. Honestly, those are the only no-mess activities I think that will keep that many young kids quietly occupied indoors without adult direction for any length of time.
Maybe just set up a table with crayons and markers and paper, get them to make a card for the couple.
