at walmart and target they sell under-$1 flashlights in the impulse buy areas. They’re just small sized ones that take 2 AA’s.. I bought a ton of them one day, and I give them out as needed (and then collect when they are distracted with other things.)

I’ve also done the same with those snap’n'glow necklaces/bracelets etc.

I won’t give them a bowl but sometimes I give them something to stand on and tell them to wash their hands, that’s always good for a good long while.

“and his little brain caught on fire” - Now I must clean up the coffee I just spewed all over my keyboard.

There is NOTHING that is sure-fire for my 2yo. But as long as I switch it up occasionally, a few things work more often than others.

-A blank piece of paper and a few crayons. I ponied up the extra few bucks for triangular shaped crayons because they don’t roll off the table and cause a freak out.

-Sticks, twigs, and acorns outside, piled into a toy dumptruck.

-An odd kitchen utensil or two used to bang on things around the house (oldest trick in the book, I know, but it still works sometimes even 2 years later).

-Emptying out the bottom two shelves of the pantry. PAIN IN THE ASS but totally worth the 30 minutes of peace.

-Bubbles.

I’m really interested in these magna tiles. I’m going to check them out next time I’m in a toy store.

sidewalk chalk + bubbles.

When we were moving and I NEEDED them not underfoot while furniture came in through the front door, I put the kids (3 1/2 and 2) in my fancy new soaking tub with a box full of matchbox cars. (No water, just cars) The slope was big fun. It would probably only work once, though.

There’s a website called One More Story (www.onemorestory.com) that has a library of books it reads to your kids. Membership isn’t free ($44 a year), but there’s one sample book that is and so far my kids are satisfied with it.

With my 3 1/2 year old girl, I need only suggest that one doll or another needs something and she’s off (’I think Baby Rachel is hungry — would you like to make her some lunch?’)

Sometimes I fill up the kitchen sinks with warm water and dish soap and give them measuring cups, spoon, scrubbers, etc.

My kids will play in the bath until they’ve turned into little shivering raisins. If I just want to read or knit or something portable, I’ll do that sometimes and just sit on the toilet making sure nobody drowns each other while they play.

We have a circular path through our living room, dining room, kitchen and hall. Sometimes I’ll ‘open’ this area for bikes.

This one’s even useful: I’ll take and empty laundry basket upstairs and set it in the hall and ask the kids to fill it with dirty laundry out of the hampers. Or, if I’m feeling particularly ‘fun’, I’ll put the basket at the bottom of the stairs and let them throw the dirty laundry over the stair rail and try to hit the basket.

Honestly, my basic technique is to keep a lot of the really neat stuff in closed plastic bins. That way when I do get it out it’s fun and new and exciting and keeps them occupied for awhile.

If, like me, you live in a snowy climate then this:

- Fill kitchen sink with snow
- Find some sort of squeegie bottle , fill with water and a couple drops of food coloring
- Let child squirt away!

Watercolors, stickers, playdough, spray bottle of water and paper towel (careful around electronics!), baby wipe, a “job” like feeding the dog or finding something I know she’ll never find, a dead cellphone and who to call.

Patrick…

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