Your preschoolers are probably tired of winter and being penned up in the house. On days that are rainy and they cannot go out, you wonder how to keep them occupied. I tried to remember how I used to occupy my preschoolers. I know when I had three babies and two preschooler, I was very busy and just keeping everyone happy was a big job.

If I was working in the kitchen and the babies were fussy, I would just open up my kettle drawer and let them take out the kettles. If they still weren’t occupied then I would show them how to bang them together and make noise. That usually brought the preschooler running and then we had lots of noise.  I am not fond of lots of noise but if it meant that I could get a meal prepared and they were happy then mamma was happy too.

A large box was sure to occupy the little ones for awhile. A banana box was just the right size for the smaller ones to climb in and a bigger box made a great boat for the older ones. Or turn the sturdy banana box upside down and have the preschooler hold a flashlight and pretend that he is the statute of liberty!

Line up your kitchen chairs and have them take a train ride. Let them take their dolls along. Give them small bags or suitcases to pack for their trip.

Get a large blanket and throw it over the table. This makes a great hideout or house for them to play in. Get them pillows and blankets and they can pretend that they are sleeping in a tent.

Sofa cushions were always so much fun to play with. Our children were not allowed to take them off the sofa without permission so it was a treat for them to play with them. They would prop them up and make houses or stack them up and sit in them.

Some days we would make a trail to follow. First it might be a pillow to step on, then a chair, then a stool, then a small rug, then a towel, and then whatever you wanted next. Then the next step was to see how fast you could go. Lots of fun for little folks.

Let your preschoolers wash dishes or play with boats in the sink. It is amazing how long they can play with water. Give them funnels, bottles, and small bowls for extra fun. Then when they are done give them a mop to clean up the wet floor. Then you will have happy children and a clean floor!

Pour rice into a large cookie sheet and have them find their small dump trucks and loaders. Boys (and girls) will have lots of fun loading rice into their trucks.

A tea party was always a hit with my preschoolers. Even the boys enjoyed it. Let them set their little table for a tea party. We always just used water because somehow some always got spilled. Then you alway needed to have a cookie, crackers, or carrots to complete the party.

So you see it doesn’t take lots of expensive toys to keep your children happy. Put the electronics away and let them use their imagination. A boat ride in a box may just be what it takes to keep them occupied for a while. (and giving them a fishing rod might help!)