Our daughter is five years old and anytime someone mentions a nap, she indignantly says "I NEVER take naps!" However, her little brother still does and I think she can still benefit from some quiet time in the middle of the day. I decided to create some quiet time boxes to entertain her quietly without screen time. It's been great for her and for me, because I have a chunk of time mid-day to get housework or blogging done. Check out our quiet boxes below!
Quiet Time Boxes for Kids
When I started looking for boxes to store our quiet time activities, I came across these clear Rubbermaid tubs at Target. While they fit my needs, I'd even consider something like this 5-Drawer Storage Organizer which is a little wider. Either one would work, though! I wanted to have a good variety of items in each box but tried not to duplicate things. Nothing's worse than going to all the work and then hearing "I'm boredddd"!
I included things that she can mostly do on her own without my help, and that aren't too messy. Some of the items will wear out over time so I'll replace them with new ones, but everything should last awhile! I'll provide links for each item, though some will be comparable items if Amazon doesn't carry exactly what I bought.
Monday
For Monday, I included the following:
- Knights & Castles Activity Book
- Subtraction Flash Cards
- Sesame Street Memory Match Cards
- Play-Doh (I always buy a larger pack and then replace them as needed)
Tuesday
Tuesday's box includes the following:
Wednesday
Here's Wednesday's box:
Thursday
Check out Thursday's quiet time box (probably my favorite!):
- Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Dress-Ups (there are SO many of these and we love all of them!)
- Puzzle Cards
- Crayola Markers (of course add paper along with these-tell the kids to draw and color a photo!)
Friday
Finally, here's Fridays contents:
- Melissa & Doug Water WOW! Book
- Addition Flash Cards
- Mini Paper Punch Set (Great for working on hand-eye coordination and fine motor strength-just add paper!)
We've been using these quiet time boxes for a few weeks now and they're a big hit! Our daughter stays occupied so I can get a few things done mid-day, plus she's learning AND having fun. It's nice to have a quiet time activity for her so she rests a little even if she's not napping.
Will you make quiet time boxes?
What else would you include in yours? Let me know in the comments!
If you're looking for more quiet time activities, these 21 Awesome Quiet Book Patterns will be right up your alley!
Miranda says
This is a great idea! I'm going to have to pick up some things and make them for my kids. I think I'll include some folder games too!
Sapana V says
Fabulous ideas for kids!I will surely try this with my kids...