Activities For Kids When Babysitting

Add as a preferred source on Google

There will be times when you are made to baby sit your own kid when your wife is out for girl's night out or your nephew when your sister makes an offer you just can't say no to. Looking after kids without their mother around is not everyone's cup of tea. As simple and innocent as their mind will be, they are still a handful to look after. They could drive you crazy if you are not upto it.

Buying chocolates, ice creams and other such treats won't help much as they get over too soon and so do their influence in keeping them occupied. They would come back for more and there is no way you can feed them treats for hours. Kids are usually hyper active, making your run after them or ask for something new every few minutes. They need things that are interesting and new. Gone are the days when you could just hand them a key doll and forget for hours.

When you know you will be babysitting a kid, you have to make some prior preparations with activities and stuff that can keep the child occupied. You may need to collect few PG rated DVD's, games for kids on PS3 / XBOX, few candies, download a few games on your smart phone like subway surfers etc. just to be on safe side. You may even consider having a story book for kids handy.

Here are few activities that can keep kids occupied

Drawing

Kids love drawing, colouring and painting. They can have loads of fun and be occupied for a long time with it. Download and print a few sketches for colouring and give them some wax crayons and relax for a few hours.

Hide and seek

This is one universal game that kids love to play. Only flip side is you've got to be up for it with patience and loads of energy to run and hide!

Cartoons

There is always an option to switch on their favourite cartoon channel or play one of those PG rated cartoon movies in case things go out of control with other stuff.

Building blocks

This is one way to keep them occupied in a fun way for a while. Give the kid a box of LEGO and a mat to get them start building some crazy architecture.

Books

No, kids don't read books! You have to read it for them. Buy an interesting kids book with colourful pictures and start narrating the story to keep them interested and silent.

Parks and playgrounds

If time is feasible and you have a park nearby, your day is saved! Kids just love to run around, climb and slide in a park or a playground.

Shooting

Buy a couple of Nerf foam bullet guns and play some war games with the kid. If the kid turns out to be a boy, this fun game will kill loads of time for both.

Video games

You could download a cool kid's game on your mobile or start a simple children game on your console and let the kid be occupied in their favourite genre of gaming.

Role-playing

If the kid turns to be a girl, you are in for luck as you can kill at least a few hours by playing role-play. You could choose to give her a Barbie. It works!

Nap time

After keeping the kid occupied in a couple of things, read a story and put the kid to bed. Kids are best occupied through nap! You get at least another couple of hours before you start over again.