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Engaging Children While Running Errands (No Phones)
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items Errands can already feel like a chore, but with children they can feel daunting. This list will give you ideas how to intentionally teach/engage your child through mundane outings without handing them your phone or tablet.
Sections
4
Grocery Store/Shopping
Traveling in the Car
On Walks
Waiting Rooms
Grocery Store/Shopping
Grocery Shopping presents many opportunities to teach your child on a wide variety of subjects in fun ways! Include them in the errand easily with these ideas.
Have your child bring along their own basket so they can feel apart of the shopping experience. Tell them the items that they need to put in their basket (i.e. veggies, fruits, family snacks, etc.)
TOYANDONA 2pcs Kids Grocery Shopping Baskets
Print off an picture list of the groceries you need to buy beforehand and attach it to a clipboard for your child. They can be in charge of crossing off the items as they are put in the cart. (Bonus storage for any coloring pages or activity sheets)
Sooez Clipboard with Storage, High Capacity
Bring colored bins with you and place them in the cart. As you buy items, your child can sort them into bins that match their color.
Humble Crew Toy Storage Bins, Set of 4
Bring along a wooden magnet puzzle for you child to work on while you shop.
Kids Montessori Magnetic Wooden Toys 3-7Y
Have your child work on tracing and identifying their name. Bonus Activity: Have your child point out letters of their name on products (ex: J like in apple Juice!)
Name Tracing Practice - Original - CreatePrintables
Does your child have tantrums about toys/snacks at the store? Have them bring along their camera and take pictures of things they like so they can be remembered as presents for birthdays, Christmas, etc.
Goopow Kids Camera for Ages 3-8
Traveling in the Car
Instead of listening to “are we there yet?” on repeat, engage your child with these travel games/activities.
Create a play area in the car to keep your kiddo engaged while you travel.
COOLBEBE Kids Travel Tray for Car
Screenless fun that will occupy your child for the duration of the car ride. You could even print off your own sheet with Environmental Print (McDonalds, Publix, etc.) to build your child's letter recognition.
Road Trip Essentials: Kids Car Activities
See who can be the first one to find all letters in alphabetical order from road signs. This and more games found on a ring.
Games on the Go - Portable Roadtrip
Communicate! It's so important that we talk to our children often. Make fun and silly conversation with this game.
Would You Rather: Summer Edition Game
Your child will have so much fun with these search and find cards. They'll be engaged for a long time, and if they get frustrated with a certain hard to find picture, they can simply switch it.
Preschool Learning Activities: Search & Find
On Walks
Children can love walks for the first couple minutes, but can get bored fast. Here are some games, activities, and ideas to lengthen the fun on walks--whether they are for exercise or travel.
Have your child collect leaves, small flowers, flower petals, etc. to bring home and make a collage with either on poster board or in a laminating sheet!
Buyounger 4 in 1 Laminator Machine
Bring a clipboard and pen so your child can cross off nature they see on their Bingo cards!
Nature Bingo
Collect smooth/interesting on your walk to color when you get home, or decorate rocks beforehand and find places to hide them for others on your walk!
Betem 24 Colors Dual Tip Acrylic Paint Pens
Take a Kaleidoscope Walk! Maybe buy a few different ones so your child can experiment with the different visuals and colors.
Xeehwb 2 Pack Classic Kaleidoscope Toy
Collect samples to bring home and view under your child's microscope, or bring the microscope with you--this one is portable!
Kids Microscope, 2'' LCD, 100-1000X
Waiting Rooms
Waiting rooms, especially in places of business not designed for children, can be frustrating. Take away the frustration with these games and activities.
Light-up doodle board that keeps your child engaged without the mess of crayons and markers.
TEKFUN 10" LCD Writing Tablet Doodle Board
Handheld memory game that has multiple different item layouts. You kid will stay happily entertained in the backseat and improve their cognitive skills!
Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Memory Game
Make silly faces with this sticker play kit.
JOYIN 36 PCS Make a Face Stickers 9"x6"
Bring back an old school toy that will challenge your child's mind and also build fine motor skills!
YoYa Toys Miniature Aqua Arcade Set
Wikki Stix are waxy manipulatives that you can use to create all sorts of things. I used to have my students build their names with them!
Wikki Stix for Doodlers - Travel Essential