DIY Musical Chairs Activity Center for Kids: An Easy Way for Parents to Get a Break by Tiffany Zook

Recently, I went to visit a dear friend whose husband is deployed. Watching her parent two very busy boys, on her own, was both inspiring and exhausting. She was so very organized with the boys’ activities and calendar. I was excited to try her tips at home with my busy 5-year-old.

One way she was able to grab a little quiet time was to build this cool activity for her preschooler, while her toddler caught a much-needed nap. If you find yourself single parenting, for the long or short term, try this quiet-time tip. Here's how to set up a "musical chairs" activity table:

• Using your dining room table with four to six chairs, place a fun quiet-time activity at each chair. Her activities included dot-to-dot, hidden pictures, letter tracing, mazes, dry erase board, sticker pages, coloring books, math problems, etc. Have a mix of silly games and educational worksheets.

• Have your child begin at one chair. After completing that station, they move to the next chair. Place two Skittles at each chair as an incentive to complete the task at hand.

While your preschooler is busy enjoying some quiet time, you can too! Make a cup of coffee or eat the rest of the Skittles while you enjoy a much-needed midday break.

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