Ideas for Waiting

I found these ideas in a random parenting magazine and thought they were helpful. They are ways to keep kids busy while waiting (maybe during a church business meeting?!). The starting points are things from your purse.

I've been thinking that if I post my favorite ideas here, I can throw away the little paper that I tore from the magazine that's been sitting on my counter for too long. I know, I should probably keep the paper in my purse, but that is already too full of junk. I could try to keep these ideas in my head, but that's full too. Maybe if I can get my kids to read and memorize these, they'll know what to do next time they are "so bored."

A tissue:
-Wrap a tissue around a small object from your purse and see if your child can guess what it is from the shape alone.
-Wad up a tissue and let your kid see how far she can blow it across a table. Then crumple up another one and make it a race.
-Use your tissue as a trampoline to launch smaller objects, like a mint or a penny, into the air and catch them again.

A pen:
-Draw smiling faces on two of your kid's fingers for instant dolls--perfect for singing "Where is Thumbkin?" If they get lonely, create a new friend on your own finger and join the song.
-Scribble a line on a piece of paper, then let your child use it as a starting point for a full-fledged drawing. Will your doodle become a dinosaur? A banana?
-Can your child make the pen stand upright on its end, even for a few seconds? Can she balance it on her hand?
-Draw something you can see nearby, like a clock or a mug. See how long it takes your child to name it, then find it.

A mirror:
-Breathe on a pocket mirror to steam it up, then use your finger to draw a shape or a letter. Once your child IDs it, give him a turn.
-If you're outside or near a window, show your child how to reflect sunlight onto a nearby tree or the ground. By wiggling his hand, he can make the light dance.
-Hold the mirror in front of your child, then pop up a toy over his shoulder and say, "Peekaboo!" Once he catches on that he's seeing a reflection of what's behind him, he'll want to hold the mirror himself to check out what's going on behind his back.

A lipstick:
-Let your kid make a lipstick mark on a piece of scratch paper, then fold the paper in half and press it together. When he opens it up, there's a matching lipstick mark on the opposite side.
-Putting makeup on a toddler isn't your normal MO, but with a dab of lipstick on, she'll have a ball making kiss marks on her arm, a piece of paper--and of course, your cheek.