I’m a Red Cross certified summer nanny. I usually babysit children younger than five, but this summer I will be taking care of two kids, ages 2 and 11. The two-year-old naps roughly 3-4 hours a day, but like any two-year-old, they are a handful. I want to keep the eleven-year-old entertained, but I’ll need to keep an eye on the younger one. With it being so hot, and no access to a pool, I’ve got to keep these kids safe and happy and free from any feelings of “cabin fever.” Any ideas?
Chosen Answer:
Hey there!
I babysit 2, 4, 8 and 12 year old kids.
These are some games that the 2 year old can play with you and have fun, and the 11 year old can play and have fun too! If the 11 year old starts getting bored, say something like, “It’s ok, you don’t have to play, but if you want, you can go play a computer game or watch something good on TV.” Something like this should work!
~Toy Chest Games: Hide 3 of the 2 year old’s favorite toys in one room, then she/he will have to find them. The 11 year old will probably want to hide them, and the you can help the 2 year old look. Move on to different rooms, too!
~Beading: Get a bag of big beads and string and tell them that your gonna make necklaces with them. When theyre done making the necklaces, wrap them up and tell them to give it to their mom and dad when they come home, or they can make 2 (the 11 yr old might like this) and keep one for themselves!
~Popsicle stick Puppetts: Draw a few people, but like simple, fat, cartoons, not very detailed, and so she can color them. You can draw maybe a princess, a prince, a queen, a kind, a dragon, a fair, and maybe a witch, too (for the little one). The 11 year old will pobably want to draw her own. Shen, they’ll color them all and you will cut them out, and tape them to popsicle sticks, and then you can make a puppet show! Then theyll probbaly want to make one for you, lol.
~Read the 2 year old some books while the 11 year old watches TV or plays on the computer or reads a book for her age group: That’s always easy and fun!
~Daycare Game: If she has a little puppy stuffed animal or baby, you can play daycare, where you make a little bed, some food, toys, and just take care of the dog or baby. If it’s a baby you can even make a diaper for it out of toilette paper. You can ask the 11 year old to be the big sister/brother .The 2 year old will like that.
Ride bikes: The 2 and 11 year old probably have bikes. Make sure they wear helmets and any other safety gear the parents want them to wear. Then, while you push the 2 year old on her tricycle, the 11 year odl will probably want to show off to you and she/he will go either really fast or will ask you to watch them. You can comment on the 11 year olds riding while saying things like, “Wow. That was really fast. I could never ride that fast when I was your age.” It won’t be kiddy or dumb, and the 11 year old will feel proud.
Clay fun: Wheather is play doh or sculpey, almost every kid loves clay. You can help the 2 year old make something, while the 11 year old will probably want to make something on their own. The 11 year old will take time on his/her work and will probably try and impress you, and when he/she shows you their creation. Say, “That’s amazing! Where’d you learn to make something like that?”
People Portrait’s: Roll out some big freezer paper or just some huge paper big enough to fit one child. Then, tell the kids to lie down, and trace their body with a black marker.
Then, tell them to color it in! You can help the 2 year old darw eyes, nose, a mouth, etc. The 11 year will probably color in the person themselves!
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by: -:-vInTaGe PaSsIon-:-
on: 13th July 07
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I would suggest playing outside. Or perhaps playing board games. Or reading books, hunting insects, making projects, etc….
Don’t get too caught up in “age appropriate”. All ages enjoy many different things.
I THINK THAT U SHOULD JUST TELL THEM TO WATCH TV AND LIKE LET THE 11 YEAR OLD PLAY GAMES ON THE COMPUTER AND THINGS LIKE THAT
I have a 2 year old and an 11 year so I know you have your hands full. It will depend on the 11 year old, but mine older one is great @ playing and helping with the 2 year old. Give the older one praise for helping with the younger one. Play together silly games(ring around the rosies,hide-n-seek,etc.), read books and simple craft projects. When the 2 is napping, you and the older one can spend time together playing board games, building crafts or whatever else you two find fun. Good luck!
Set things up that the 11 year old can do by himself, like movies, games, etc., and check up on him every once in a while. Then you have a lot of time you can spend with the 2 year old. Though then, when the 2 yr old is napping, you have more time to spend with him. Also, go outside, do activities, things like that so they can get out of the house. Maybe take them to the park, out to lunch… there’s a lot you can do that will keep them both occupied and happy.
Hope this helps, good luck.
Do you have access to a sprinkler or a water hose? You can let the eleven year old run through the sprinkler and the two year old can also run through. A hose can make for fun as well, get a spray nozzle that has different settings and let the 2 year old get sprayed on the gentle, light mist setting while the 11 year old can use the more powerful setting. You can also involve both in scavenger hunt types of games the 11 year old can find the items that you and the younger one hide. While the younger one naps, you can have more one on one time with the older one. Find out what they like (board games, reading, trivia…) then you will be able to tailor activities to what they like. Also, are friends readily available to for the 11 year old to play with. Can you have one friend over for the older child and you then occupy the time of the toddler. Take them to the park. The older one can play independantly while you swing the younger one.
Have fun.
La
mom to 2
get the 11 year old to “help ” you. you don’t have to ask him/her to do anything serious, but just ask him/her to do little things that might keep them busy.
11 years kid can do his homework. For the rest of the time If you can develop love upon 11years old kid, so he also develops love upon you and he will be around you and your small kids. He may help you also and develop love upon kids. He will not get bored. This is my idea.
I would suggest a nice family movie that they both would like.
It will keep them occupied for a few hours and the you could play a board game or read them a story.
Hey there!
I babysit 2, 4, 8 and 12 year old kids.
These are some games that the 2 year old can play with you and have fun, and the 11 year old can play and have fun too! If the 11 year old starts getting bored, say something like, “It’s ok, you don’t have to play, but if you want, you can go play a computer game or watch something good on TV.” Something like this should work!
~Toy Chest Games: Hide 3 of the 2 year old’s favorite toys in one room, then she/he will have to find them. The 11 year old will probably want to hide them, and the you can help the 2 year old look. Move on to different rooms, too!
~Beading: Get a bag of big beads and string and tell them that your gonna make necklaces with them. When theyre done making the necklaces, wrap them up and tell them to give it to their mom and dad when they come home, or they can make 2 (the 11 yr old might like this) and keep one for themselves!
~Popsicle stick Puppetts: Draw a few people, but like simple, fat, cartoons, not very detailed, and so she can color them. You can draw maybe a princess, a prince, a queen, a kind, a dragon, a fair, and maybe a witch, too (for the little one). The 11 year old will pobably want to draw her own. Shen, they’ll color them all and you will cut them out, and tape them to popsicle sticks, and then you can make a puppet show! Then theyll probbaly want to make one for you, lol.
~Read the 2 year old some books while the 11 year old watches TV or plays on the computer or reads a book for her age group: That’s always easy and fun!
~Daycare Game: If she has a little puppy stuffed animal or baby, you can play daycare, where you make a little bed, some food, toys, and just take care of the dog or baby. If it’s a baby you can even make a diaper for it out of toilette paper. You can ask the 11 year old to be the big sister/brother .The 2 year old will like that.
Ride bikes: The 2 and 11 year old probably have bikes. Make sure they wear helmets and any other safety gear the parents want them to wear. Then, while you push the 2 year old on her tricycle, the 11 year odl will probably want to show off to you and she/he will go either really fast or will ask you to watch them. You can comment on the 11 year olds riding while saying things like, “Wow. That was really fast. I could never ride that fast when I was your age.” It won’t be kiddy or dumb, and the 11 year old will feel proud.
Clay fun: Wheather is play doh or sculpey, almost every kid loves clay. You can help the 2 year old make something, while the 11 year old will probably want to make something on their own. The 11 year old will take time on his/her work and will probably try and impress you, and when he/she shows you their creation. Say, “That’s amazing! Where’d you learn to make something like that?”
People Portrait’s: Roll out some big freezer paper or just some huge paper big enough to fit one child. Then, tell the kids to lie down, and trace their body with a black marker.
Then, tell them to color it in! You can help the 2 year old darw eyes, nose, a mouth, etc. The 11 year will probably color in the person themselves!
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!