Tuesday Tips!

Tuesday Tips!

Shopping with the Kids!

How to keep your kids entertained while shopping!

Making your life a bit easier!

Bingo Cards:

• Supplies Needed: Contact Paper, Pictures of things found in stores and while driving, erase marker with eraser or napkin

1. Cut out pictures of things that are found in stores that you will be at or things that you will see on the way.
2. Glue them onto a piece of paper.  I wouldn't make it too big, just big enough for your child to hold in their hands,  like a 5 x 7 piece of paper.
3. Cover with contact paper or laminates it.
4. Give it too your child in the car or while shopping and tell them to place an x on all the items they see.
5. You can have them cover the whole card to win.  
6. I would have different multiple cards for them.
7. If you want make one for each store you're going in and glue the stuff you're looking for on the cards so it helps you remember the great deals. Instead of putting BINGO on top put the name of the store on top.

Coloring Pages:

• Supplies Needed: Printouts of coloring pages or books

1. Print out different coloring pages and activity sheets that they have never seen before and place them into a 3 ring binder. Or use a hole puncher and punch 3 holes and use yarn to tie them together but not too tight because they need to turn the pages.
2. Place the crayons and pencil into a ziploc bag.
3. Printable for Nick Jr Click Here  They have dora, max and ruby, diego, wow wow, etc.
4. Plain paper to have them draw on.

• Make sure to have snacks along like gummies, nuts, cereal, animal crackers, goldfish, pop tarts, apple, carrots.  Sometimes kids are fussy because they are hungry or thirsty. Try to stay away from candy just gives them more sugar and not very filling.

• Also make sure to have throw away juice boxes or water bottle.

• Check your local YMCA's and other places like it and some of them have entertainment for the day for kids.  Ours is showing movies, food and swimming for free all day.  Check on ages they will take too.  It's a great place for the kids to have fun while you get your shopping done.

•  Some stores are having Black Friday deals online starting Wednesday to Friday.  Some are having Cyber Monday deals.  You maybe able to stay at home and do all your shopping.  Click onto www.black-friday.net to check all the Black Friday Deals today!

• If your child has a handheld game system pick up a new game for them to play while they are sitting in the cart.  

• Find a babysitter for your kids, it will makes things run smoother for you and your child.

• Make sure to bring extra clothes with for your younger children in case they spill or make a mess.

• Play I spy while shopping

• Have your child help unload the cart.

• Bring a portable DVD player with you for your child to watch cartoons on while you're traveling from one store to the next.  If your brave bring it into the store with you and let them watch it in there too. Some stores have carts that have built in movies into their kids carts, which is a great idea!  Bring movies your child has never seen before or hasn't seen for awhile.

• Tell your child you will bring them to the park afterwards to play in the playground.  

• Bring a small blanket to place in the back of the cart for them to lay down on. 

• Have new little toys with you to give to your child in each new store to keep them entertained.

• Make sure to tell your child where you are going, what you are looking for and whats going to happen next.  Kids love to know what is going on.  

• Take your child to a fast food place with an indoor playground or take your food to a park to eat.  Your child can get rid of their energy and get full at the same time.   You can buy the toys that are in the happy meals for a buck or two, these are great stocking stuffers or toys to play with while shopping. Wendy's happy meal has a 5 dollar off coupon on it for leap frog tag system or books, plus comes with leap frog toys.  Burger King has Planet 51 toys and McDonalds has Strawberry Shortcake scented stamps and paper or Nerf toys.

• Have an index card and stickers.  Every store that they are good in they get to place a sticker on their card.  At the end they can get a special treat, prize or money for how many stickers they have on their card.

• Bring or print out books for your child to look at and read.  Some printable books they can color too.  Click Here for a great website with printable children's coloring books.

• Have your child sing songs while shopping.  Play children's music in the car and sing along with them too.  Download kids music to an MP3 player and let them listen to it.  Make sure it's not to loud them, so they don't hurt their eardrums.

• Please make sure to keep on eye on your children while shopping because there are so many people out there this time of year.  Also make sure to watch them in the parking lot.  People are in such a hurry to get to the next great deal at another store, they won't be watching as careful as they normally might.

• Remember to praise your kids like "You are being so good"; "You're being so helpful"; "Santa and I are so  proud of you"

• Before you start to shop each store make sure your child doesn't need to go to the bathroom.  That way while you're shopping you don't have to worry about stopping what you are doing or having to get out of line to take them.  

Tuesday Tips!