I'm a single father that just got laid off, money is short for now and I need to know, what are some cheap fun things I can do, at home, with my two year old daughter?

Oh, there are so many fun things you can do with kids that age!

1. Get some big empty cardboard boxes (look behind places like home depot), and use them to make a fort or playhouse for her. You could even let her paint and decorate them.

2. Bake a cake with her and let her help as much as possible, with the pouring, mixing, etc. Then, let her help decorate it, too!

3. Make your own bubbles! Mix a little dishwashing liquid with some water in a shallow bowl. You can use things like bent coat-hangers or paperclips to make bubble wands.

4. Make your own play-dough! This is a great activity because not only can you make it together, you can play with it afterwards. You can find homemade play dough recipes here: http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm

5. Play dress up. Get some cheap jewelery and maybe a little makeup set at a place like the dollar tree, and let her experiment with it (or if you're brave, let her try putting it on you!).

6. Go on a nature walk. Take her walking in your yard or in a park collecting things like small insects, different kinds of plants, leaves, etc. and teaching her about them as you go along. Then afterwards, let her draw pictures of some of the things she saw.

7. Make fingerprint art! Using finger paint or washable ink, you can make characters and shapes using your fingerprints. It sounds silly but they're really cute.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/handprint.htm

8. Take her to the library and let her pick out a few books that she likes, and read to her as much as possible. Reading to kids is so important. After reading, you can draw pictures or do crafts related to the stories.

Just be creative! Kids can have so much fun without things that cost money.

Play Make Believe :) She would love that.

Here is a recipe for playdough:

2 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. salt
1 tbsp. alum
2 c. water
3 tbsp. oil
10-15 drops food coloring

Mix together flour, salt, and alum. Boil together water, oil, and food coloring. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Will be a little tacky at first. Add more flour, if necessary. Will set up more as it cools.

Nothing can take the place of your attention, direct eye contact and input into conversations with her. This teaches her she is worth listening to, and worth the effort. Then, she'll grow up to marry someone who treats her well because she already knows what that looks like. That's what daddies are for :)

Coloring and crafts of any sort are always good, and you can use all sorts of stuff you find laying around the house. You just have to be more picky about the things that you choose since she is still little. I would suggest checking out sites like noggin.com, nickjr.com, that are geared toward children. A lot of times they will have crafts/activities that are cheap and fun for kids. Make musical instruments out of pots, pans, cereal in a water bottle....all kinds of things!

Being in a similar situation to you i always baked with my son. We would also play hide and seek. To get him to help clear up his toys we would make it into a game to see who could get the most things back in the right place..racing against an egg timer. We would also cut pictures out of free papers and magazine then using homemade glue (flour and water) we would make collages. Hope this helps and good luck in finding a new job soon.

Two years old???? EVERYTHING is new and exciting to a two year old. All you gotta do is pretend that it is new and exciting to you too. They copy your emotions. If you act happy and excited, she'll believe that she should be happy and excited too, because obviously exciting things are happening because look at you - and you know because you're dad and you know everything!

When you wash the dishes, give her a towel and a plastic cup (after you've washed it). When you do any house work, give the kid a broom and let her 'help'. Sure, she won't be productive but she'll be thrilled to bits that "she can do housework just like a grown-up", and more importantly, she is doing things with you and "getting in on the action", rather than being left out.

Get a sand pit outside so she can play in the sand, crayons and paper for scribbling on inside. Teach her nursery rhymes, or sing songs with the radio. Teach her to read - take it easy, no hurry. She's gonna learn at school anyway but if you've got nothing better to do then why not read her a story and point to the words, sound out one or two of them.

The other people here look like they've got good ideas too. Good luck and I hope it all goes well for you.

Collect magazines from friends and neighbours. Cut out all the photos of animals, cute kids, cars, food,furniture, airplanes or anything at all. Using old newspapers help her stick all these cutouts onto the newspaper (or plain paper if you have any). Make up a story together which brings all these photos into it....she will learn vocabulary; how to put together thoughts into a storyline; how to make a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
You both will have a lot of fune.
When it is finished, fold it up and she can bring it out to "read" when anyone visits...this will make her proud and you have just boosted her self-esteem and confidence.
Voila!

If your two year old daughter is anything like mine, she doesn't need much - just play with her. Maybe take her to a park.

Hi, i have a 2 year old, her attention span is short, but as soon as i get her outside in the garden or parkland/field, she is entertained for hours, we dig for worms and other bugs.
she likes to make a miniture garden in an old plastic tub for the bugs to live in.
collect leaves, feathers, flowers etc, to make pictures when you get home.
try growing some veg- an old plastic tray/tub, soil, seeds (from tomatoes, peppers-anything you eat with a seed in it) she'll be asking you every day "when can i eat it".
Make musical instruments- old yoghurt pots/tubs, rice, elastic bands.
Somedays i just go sit on the floor with her and ask her what she wants to do. its usually dancing and jumping about on the sofa.
Hope this gives you some ideas.

This is going to sound weird, but cornstarch and water mixed in a bowl make for a bit of fun! Or you could put some plastic or something down and let her pour it out... but it makes a strange consistency where it appears to be almost dry and stiff as you are scooping it, but once dropped it's completely liquified. Kids get quite a kick out of. Also, kids LOVE gluing things! You can cut out pics from a magazine or just shapes (Or blobs) from colored paper and let her glue it. The messier, the better ;-)

i have two little girls both around that age, they like to play hind the biscuit/choc bar!! make her stand outside the room and count to ten and hind some kind of little treat in a kiddy kind of place and then let her in the room to find it!!

Firstly, sorry to hear you got laid off. I look after a two year old, three and four year old (not all at once) and often the simple things (and not expensive) are the best. For quite some time I've brought, if i have some spare change, a toy car at the supermarket. There about $1.50 each. Over a time you have a lot of them, and that make great car parks etc. Bunnings have empty cardboard boxes that I've "borrowed" to make doll houses, whole towns, there great. Some sticky tape and colouring in textas. See if you can track down some butchers paper. They are great for so many things, craft activities, all kinds of things. The Op shop is always a great source of clothing for dress-ups. They are also good for spare clothes going to a local park and ponding. Sheets make great cubby houses during winter, pillows too. Sometimes on eBay you can pick up some really cheap toys. I let some close friends know that times where abit tough and I had these kids to look after, and hand-me-downs really help. I took my nephew to the museum the other week and got in for nothing. enquire, some government run public places are free. The beach is always a fun place if you live close enough. If you take public transport, the journey itself is an adventure. A simple picnic in the park is great fun. A ball and/or a balloon brings hours of fun for young children. (I'm amazed at how a stupid balloon can be so appealing) Walking around a shoppiing mall. The park is always a winner. Nature walks. When I took my nephew to the museum, we walked around the outside of the building first, and that was a long way, but he wanted to do it. Cooking is fun, I started with sandwiches and making simple drinks like milo or cordical. I think quality time with your daughter is the most important thing you can offer her. Playing silly games, dancing, singing, acting out TV shows, just being there. I wish you all the best, hope this has been of some help.

Some games I like to play with my 2 year invlolve things like crayons, playdough and activity books. Also if you get a few balloons and blow them up, they provide some entertainment. And bubbles..lots of bubbles. Kids love them, they're cheap and they last. And a hula-hoop, they work great! Hope this helps


sorry but did you not read"laid off" money is tight".


all of this useless crap costs a lot.trust me the best things in life are free. a kid needs a parent not a wallet, a guardian not a friend.

educate her. simple as this the earlier you start to educate her the better. now when you hear education you think agh thats boring she will get that in due time at school. a teacher is a stranger commanding you to listen to them(COMMANDING)what kid wants to obey a complete stranger.

your her dad not a stranger she will listen. start very simple if she can talk(aged 19months i could speak properly. so im guessing she has the basics down. mama dada helo etc.
everything is new to a child that age, so everything is also interesting. heres the simplest teaching method you can use. go around your house with her and name things. exaplpe(toaster,she repeats toater lol. dont laugh tho."very good" etc you see what im getting at. be inventive. and trust me this is fun for the child. and really helps early brain development. age 3-4 motor skills come into play so sports should also.

do this and when she starts school age 4-5 she will already be far more intelligent than her class mates.

and never skip breakfast, without it consontration slows.metabolism slows, etc you dont want a ralph wiggam on your hands. just joking.

there are may things. you can take a pack of jello instant pudding and you can "paint"on paper teh best thing is you get to eat waht is left
2. take empty tolitpaper rolls and cut out brown bags ro tape or glue over the end put a bit of rice or dried beans in it seal up teh othere end get some pots and spoons and have a band.
3 if you have a park near by you could walk there and get some sand seperate it put a few drops of food coloring in it and layer teh sand in a glas(wait for the sand to dry though)
4. make homeaide bubbles 1 part wated 2 parts dish washing liquid let it sit over nite and you ca nuse straws if you tie a long string to each end of a stick that can be a bubnle wand
5 play dress up kids love that at that age
6 my little girl loves to play tea party snd she started that Ast 2 .
there are so many things but, as long as you spend time with him or her then they will love just being with thier dady

play dress up with her
fingerpaint with shaving cream and food coloring
draw with chalk outside
cook some pasta and let her play in it
bang on pots and pans to music with her

Check out www.preschoolwhiz.com/oi/crafts

After reading a story make puppets out of old socks and put on a play. Summer is just around the corner, make a summer time fun bag and put things like a ball, bubbles and sidewalk chalk in the bag. You can keep it in the car and take it to the park or just play with out on the driveway. Let her help you make 2 bag lunches and have lunch under a tree in the park and then play for an hour before she has to go home and nap. This is a great time for you and your child to bond and a once in a life time opportunity.

read lots of books to her and do art projects with her

play 'hoops' as in basketball

watch cartoons,,draw,,color. all 2 yr olds like stuff like that

You could play board games, I spy, pretend to be the tickle monster, show her some simple magic tricks, hide and seek, and story telling.

I remember money always being tight when my son was two. He loved 'helping' me with housework. We would make beds, vacumn, dust. of course it all took me twice as long with the 'help'. In the afternoons, when the weather permitted, we'd walk to the park and play there. or games in the back yard. bad days we would stay in and do puzzles, or read, or hide and seek. it seemed stressful because of the money situation, but to tell you the truth..i'd give up all i have to be back there again. enjoy this time!

Some games I like to play with my 2 year invlolve things like crayons, playdough and activity books. Also if you get a few balloons and blow them up, they provide some entertainment. And bubbles..lots of bubbles. Kids love them, they're cheap and they last. And a hula-hoop, they work great! Hope this helps

My 19 month old son likes to be chased from room to room( i usually do it crawling on my hands and knees to be more "on his level") He also loves to play peekaboo. We play "catch" with one of those big plastic balls almost every day.

He likes to ride on my back like I am a horse and to be bent backwards so he is upside down for a couple seconds....that one gets tiring on my arms though, so I don't do it very much...once he starts it's hard to get him to stop. We also play educational type games like quizzing him on his body parts. "where's your eyes", "where's your belly", etc.

Dancing together is always fun too...io downloaded a few of the theme songs from his favorite cartoons (Mickey Mouse, Backyardicans, Diego, Dora, etc.) and I get silly and wiggle/shake to the music....it gets him excited and it is fun to watch him dance around.

There are zoos that are free in some cities. You could look into that. Plays at schools and/or colleges sometimes are free. She might enjoy seeing one of those, even if she is young.

Two year olds find everything fascinating. She'll be happy no matter what you do (unless you, i dunno, throw her at a wall :P).

The time you spend with her then while she's young is time she will be most nostalgic about in the future I guarantee you.

Here's best wishes to you and your daughter and good luck in finding a new job.

Read her a book
Play games
Start a garden
Go to the park
Find others who have 2 year olds for play time
Just enjoy being together.

The park is great. 2 year olds aren't that difficult to please. Invent games that include her. Read books with funny voices. Teach her how to tumble. Teach her how to double down when she has two Jacks.

Libraries always have lap-sit times for the smaller kids. Someone will read books for the kids.

I agree that 2 yr olds are easily entertained. My daughter is 21 months old and she LOVES playdough and she loves coloring. Give her tons of paper and crayons and let her have at it. Just makes sure the crayons are the washable kind. :)

2 year olds just want you to be with them. even when you're doing boring activities like folding laundry, let her do it with you, read to her, play lame games. she'll love it.

My 2 year old nephew comes to stay 2 days a week, we spend alot of time making cookies and cakes, he likes to make his own shapes.
Paints are good too as they last more than 1 play.
you can make home made play dough if you look online for the recipe.
he also loves looking at the animals in pet shops, its like a mini zoo lol

Thankfully a two year old isn't really picky about what is fun. They really enjoy the simple things in life. Just spending time with daddy can be fun. Coloring, playing at home, etc...
But if your looking for outings for the weekends, go for walks, hikes, collect bugs or flowers, pack a lunch and go to the park, there's so much you can do!

Also, playdough is cheap, and you can also make it at home. It is a big winner!

not exactly at home, but most local libraries have fun activities you can sign up for for free. if not then arts and crafts are always a good time, and there are lots of cool ideas online. You could make bird feeders, the kinds where you cover pine cones in peanutbutter, and roll them in bird seed, then hang them around the backyard. And dont be afraid to get a little messy, sometimes you have to for it to be "cool" Maybe you could do sponge painting, cut out shapes with a sponge to dip in paint like stamps, then press them to paper, or a paper plate, or whatever to leave the imprint. Make mommy or auntie or whoever some cards to let them know tou appreciate them, use markers with construction paper, glue and glitter. The possibilities never end.

oh, and planting something like a pepper plant or something in a nice big pot indoors to take care of together can be a bonding and learning experience.

Park
Swimming
Sprinkler
Fingerplay songs
TV - only if you play with her and move to the songs
dolls

Lots of sing songs!

And hanging out with other kids!

go to the park for a fun day

2 year old? She's not going to remember it anyway...just spend time and bond. The actual secular activity matters not. Bounce her on your knee or let her watch you play 52 pick up by yourself while making funny faces and making her laugh.

Balloons.

Homemade kites.

Drawing.

Telling stories or reading to her.

kids are very good at entertaining themselves.
just sepnd time with her.

Put a plastic tablecloth on the table and do fingerpainting or paly with playdough. Reading and playing "pretend" are also great acrivities for a two year old.

At home: Crafts, coloring, watch some Disney movies

If you have a park nearby, walk over to it and help her play on the equipment.

Edible Play dough:
Equal parts peanut butter, powdered sugar, and honey.YUM! Play time and snack!

My daughter always loved playing with things you would never think of. She had more fun with a plastic coat hanger and an empty milk jug than any of her toys.

Whenever I was short on cash - I would allow my daughter to create diner for us - some nights we ate marshmallows and fruit loops and other days we would have frosting and tater tots. LOL

It's been like a month since you asked this question. Did you ever get a job yet? How are your kids doing?

Read, read, read to her. Even if it's the same book over & over. It will pay off in big dividends when she starts school, and give her a lifetime of wonderful memories.

The park is free.

Paper and crayons, tic tack toe, start teaching her to compete...checkers, connect four...$1 in small travel size (dollar stores) make tents with blankets, believe it or not...cooking,(give her tools/utensils) from the kitchen to play with, teach her about reusing everyday prodcts to recycle and help the earth....toilet paper roll, paper towel roll, an empty box of tissues...I did it with my three children...I NEVER had money for any toys that all of the other children got...and my adult children are now better for it! Good luck to you in the job dept.

get a coloring book from your local dollar store and crayons and sit and color a picture.you can even get blank paper and make letters out of dots and ask her to connect them help her out and you will see her language skills develop rapidly ask what soynd the letter makes and if she get it wrong or right give her lots of praise for trying

Do you have any of those fastfood places that have the indoor playground? I am a single father of 4 yr old twins, lost my job in November. Sometimes after lunch we will go get an icecream or sundae at the fast food place with indoor playpark. The twins have a ball, I stay about an hour, and I take them to different ones so they dont get bored.

Also the local nature preserve is free.

Pack all the picnik stuff and take a day to hit as many outdoor parks that she can handle.... be prepared to play !!! good luck : )