Entertaining Children for $2 or Less

Do you have nieces and nephews coming over to play? Are you stuck inside with your kids on a snow day? Entertaining the little troops indoors takes some creativity, indeed, but it doesn’t have to cost a bundle. The next time you need something to entertain little ones, try out these ideas, all of which cost $2 or less.
 
Construction Paper Hands
 
Trace little hands and cut out a few of the outlines. There are a surprising number of things you can do with construction paper hands. Children can color each of the fingers on them to make peacocks. They also can put stickers on them and glue little jewels from craft sets on them. Construction paper hands also make great turkeys for Thanksgiving, or you can put many of them together to make a wreath at Christmas.
 

Sugar Cookie Dough
 
Most children love making cookies, and these delicious treats are simple and inexpensive to make. Plus you get a treat at the end!
 
Combine a cup of sugar with three cups of flour. Add in ½ teaspoon of salt and 1½ teaspoons of baking powder along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons of cream (for softer cookies). Then use a mixer to add in a cup of butter.
 
Children can help measure and pour the ingredients, which they will enjoy. Then you can work on rolling them out and baking them together, all for only a couple of dollars.
 
Water Play
 
There’s nothing more exciting than being permitted to splash around! Cover the floor with towels and put water in several large bowls. For extra fun, you can add drops of food coloring to make the water different colors. Hand over measuring cups and spoons and let the little ones have at it. Clean up’s easy, too. Just pour out the water, rinse everything, and toss the towels in the dryer.
 
Nature’s Shadows
 
During the summer months, get outside and pick up grass, flowers, and even dead bugs. Let your little one pick out whatever strikes her fancy. Bring it inside and tell her what it is. Then arrange the pieces on construction paper and leave them in a windowsill or outside if it’s not windy. The sun will fade the areas around the items you placed on the construction paper to make a pretty picture to share.
 
Macaroni Necklaces
 
Don’t discount the “oldies but goodies” when it comes to inexpensive children’s entertainment. Get a long piece of sturdy string and let your children string pasta onto the string to make a necklace. Try different shapes of pasta to make for a more interesting necklace. For older children, you can mix a bit of food coloring with water and let them paint the noodles before they make their jewelry.
 
Magic Wands
 
Who doesn’t like a little magic to brighten up a fall day? Spend some time outdoors gathering up sticks between 12 and 24 inches long. You will need to sand down the sticks to make them reasonably smooth. Then let your children paint the sticks, or you can allow older children to use spray paint. Glitter glue also works really well for a spiffy magic wand. Once the wand dries, decorate it with stickers, gems, or other fun craft items. Then spend some time making up your own magic spells!
 
These fun ways to entertain children are just a few of the ways you can have a good time when you’re being frugal. So the next time you’re tempting to head out to spend money, consider staying in and having fun instead.