DIY Fun Time Spinners

By MJ Jackson

Aug 10, 2020

15 min activity

It’s not always easy to entertain bored children. Throw in working from home, limited outdoor activities and social distancing to the mix adds another barrier to coming up with fun ways to entertain each other. Let’s also talk about getting children to have fun alone during quarantine. Has that been easy for your family? Sometimes we get a solid hour of play-alone time in our home but inevitably the “I’m bored” looks and words come back. This mama had to think quickly and come up with ideas to encourage playing alone while mom works. I added another element by thinking about fun family activities we can do together too. Once my list of ideas came together, I decided to create DIY Fun Time Spinners with each activity.

Fun Time Spinners are easy to create. Making two separate spinners has been key for times when I know I won’t be able to play with my children. The Play Alone Fun Time Spinner can help your child "Look Around and Find Something to Do" on their own. The Family Fun Time Spinner is a great way to bond with my children once my work day is over. As Daniel learns in the "It Doesn’t Matter What We Do" song, being together as a family during this challenging time is what’s important.

Materials

2 Paper plates
Pencils
Crayons
Markers

Directions

Draw a line across the middle of the plate. Make small angled lines above and below the center line to form as many individual spaces needed for each activity your spinner will include.

Help your child write down or draw activities in each space. Add as many activities as you want for even more fun. Make separate alone time and family spinners, or create a spinner that combines both types of activities.

Family Fun Time Spinner Ideas

Make homemade waffles
Pizza picnic
Pajama movie night
Family field day
Indoor camping
Talent Show

Play Alone Fun Time Spinner Ideas

Paint/Art
Play-Doh
Puzzles
Build A Fort
Hopscotch
Stuffed Animal School or Hospital

Make a hole in the center of the plate and insert a pencil. Hold the pencil in your hand with the Fun Time Spinner facing out towards your child. Ask your child to spin the plate on the pencil. The activity that stops at the top in front of them is the one they should try.

Help your child spin the plate to test how it works. When your child needs an activity, help make a plan together by spinning the Play Alone Fun Time Spinner wheel. Use the Family Fun Time Spinner on a special night each week to mix up downtime. Swap out activities with new ideas as they come up!

We hope you had fun together! Snap a photo of you and your child doing the activity and share it with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. We’d love to see how it turned out!

Want more “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” activities? Check out the Make a Silly Folded Picture craft and the Practice SUPER Morning and Bedtime Routines activity to continue the fun!