I’m bumping this to the top to answer questions. I heard from some websites about a box to keep your younger kids busy while working with older kids – it’s not a specific site or book, and I grabbed ideas from everywhere and combined them with activities our many therapists have suggested to help with gross and fine motor skills.

There are lots of small pieces so it’s not safe for kids prone to putting things in their mouths and it covers skills for Bennett up through Christopher. The deal is it can only be pulled out during “lessons” with the hope that it will buy us some time to work one on one with Christopher. Most of the activities are self guided, if we explain then Bennett and Moira can do them with just indirect supervision. I can hand them one bag, explain how it works and let them go.

I included the activities with a brief idea card/instruction sheet (in case Kit or someone else is doing this or just to remind myself of ideas) and put them in the zipper bags with tabs so the kids can open them without my help. It’s the ziploc type bags with the little tab to zip open and closed. Emy can’t work it yet but Bennett can so it gives me a little time to intervene. We did a math, ABC, art, & motor bag then a few mixed things.

Besides this bag we’ve set up those blue IKEA bins with toys – one with puzzles, one with blocks, another with the train set, a dress up box. I can grab a bin and set it on the living room floor for the little kids while I work with the older kids.

Math Bag – dice (for adding up numbers or just playing), foam number flashcards, laminated number flashcards w/corresponding dot cards, the clothespin fish game (to fish for certain number or to do +/- problem and fish for answer), counting bears, and the mini-clothespins with numbers written on them and a piece of cardstock with numbers (fine motor and matching)

ABC bag – letter tiles, foam letters, and various flashcards

Art bag – felt circles with various felt shapes cut out to make faces, foam bookmarks with stickers and letters to decorate, sticker sheet and sticker book (for fine motor work, I did SMALL stickers) and other little art activities (crayons, paper, etc) Chalk & black paper to color, black paper & toothpicks, put paper on towel and let kids poke picture then tape paper to window, toothpicks & marshmallows for building things

Motor bag – paper with dark lines on it and scissors to practice cutting, pipe cleaner and cut up straw for threading, cotton balls and straws to practice blowing (good for Mo’s motor mouth stuff), beads and string, beads & tweezers to practice putting in cups, jars & beads to practice sorting, screwing & unscrewing, shaving cream (I’ll supervise that!) for playing in.

Pom poms and colored popsicle sticks with cups that have colors written on them for sorting, counting, spelling.

Dry erase board & marker.

I also have a box for Christopher & Moira to do when Bennett is asleep, smaller things like magnets, popsicle sticks wedged for building, straw & connector sets, etc. We also have finger paint, playdoh, paintbrushes & paint, etc – but that’s going to be closely supervised. This box is to provide 15 to 30 minutes of independent play for younger kids… I hope. And hopefully the novelty of only getting it during lessons will buy me more time. Bennett does great playing outside and playing alone, but I thought he was old enough to try some more structured play activities. And just when Bennett learns to play well and entertain himself during lessons, Emy’s going to become the resident tornado… 🙂

Here’s the box – just an old plastic bin with lid.

The various bags.

Our “sorting” bag with cups labeled with colors, bag of pom poms, bag of popsicle sticks in variety of colors, and instruction card. You can see the paper with dark lines in the box, that’s for practicing cutting.

Let me know if that helps! The list is vague so if you want details for something in particular (like the fish game) let me know and I can send you a picture and specifics.