I love sharing activities that are super easy, really frugal, and perfect for different ages. Many of us have children in different ages and stages, so finding activities that they all can do together-for any length of time-is very helpful. It is so fun watching all four of my kids play together even though they are in very different developmental stages-school age, preschool, and infants.
You will have exactly what you need to try this simple and fun activity with your kids. I promise! It requires 1 item. The other “One Item Activity” series posts can be found here. It does not get any easier than one item for a fun activity!
My newest installment in this series is a simple snowball toss game. It has a winter theme, but it is great no matter the season. My kids created the games with a little guidance from me, and their imagination.
Ready to try it?
One Item Activity: Tissue Paper
All you need is tissue paper. The tissue paper is made into the snowballs.
Take a piece of white tissue paper-or save some scrap printer paper-and ask your child to scrunch it up into a ball. This is a simple activity all on its own.
When you have a bunch of tissue paper snowballs, you can put them in any container- laundry basket, shoe box, or even a hat. Whatever you have on hand will work. We had a fun winter-themed gift box that I had saved.
When they had tired of tossing, we counted all of the snowballs in the box taking one out at a time as we counted (one to one correspondence). Counting forwards and backwards gave my preschooler good practice learning number order. Even young toddlers absorb so much just by hearing you count.
These tissue paper snowballs are so light that they can be tossed in the house (if you choose) which can help get the kids moving on indoor days when the weather does not allow outdoor play. My older two enjoyed it and played much longer than I thought they would! (Win-win!)
For more indoor play ideas to get the kids moving, check out my board on Pinterest for some inspiration:
I would love to add your ideas of how to expand on this tissue paper ball toss activity!
Enjoy your time at home!
Nina says
December 14, 2014 at 8:42 pmSuch an awesome concept! Usually what deters a lot of moms from making at-home games is all the trouble it takes to get it going. I admit, my kids get a kick out of tissue paper too. Just yesterday the little ones had a grand time getting to throw bits of it into the trash can. They thought it was the most awesome activity ever lol.
Jaimi says
December 20, 2014 at 7:03 pmI know, Nina, it can be too much prep to carry out a lot of activities and crafts at home. I love simple to prepare ideas like this one and will be sharing quite a few more that I have saved up to share! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your children!
Melissa Matters says
December 10, 2014 at 10:59 pmFun! I've used heavy paper to bat around with paddles.
Jaimi says
December 20, 2014 at 7:02 pmThat sounds great! I have seen paper plates used as little tennis rackets/paddles which would be a great addition to these little "snow" balls. 🙂
Tarana Khan says
December 5, 2014 at 7:07 amI love simple activities like these, and children know how to have fun with anything you give them!
Jaimi says
December 5, 2014 at 6:29 pmSo true, Tarana! Children can have fun with anything open-ended. That is so encouraging as a parent. Thanks for stopping by!