Quiet Box #1

C no longer naps and there are times when I need to get stuff done - without the "help" of a 2 year old. After seeing the idea on several other blogs, I came up with 7 quiet boxes, enough for every day of the week.  I usually save shoe boxes and had enough that were big to store the items in.

Every afternoon while J naps, I get out a box for C and she sits in her room (or our room) and plays with the contents of the box for that day. We have been doing the boxes for about 2 weeks now and she loves them. So far she hasn't grown bored with them and even asks to play with the boxes, even when it isn't "quiet time". 

This is Monday's box

 Name matching - I put letter stickers on flat marbles. C has to match the letters to her's and J's first, middle and our last name

 Small foam puzzles. I thought it would be to overwhelming to include the entire alphabet, so only the letters of her name are included.

Felt shapes to sort and create with on the felt board

Lacing beads

 Picture matching/puzzles - I got this a few years ago, probably at the dollar store. On one side you match things that go together. On the other side is a puzzle with those 2 items.

 Barrel of monkeys

Puzzle

Color sort (I made this game several years ago for my preschool class - items are plastic bottle lids, small toys, pom poms, marker lids, colored clothes pins, Legos, foam pieces, etc)

I give C about 30-45 minutes to do the activities on her own. Sometimes she wants to do them longer and sometimes I sit with her and play along. I love seeing the creative ways she comes up with playing with the items.

I am always on the look out for more activities to include in the boxes and things in each box change as I find new things. I will try my best to post the other boxes soon.

***I trust C to not put any of this stuff in her mouth.
Please use caution when choosing items for your own child***