In this blog I will give you 10 tips on what you can do with the kids you’re babysitting! So keep reading for great ideas and pick the most fun ones together. To choose an activity it is important to take into account the age of the kids. A child of 0-2 years old will like very different activities than a child of 8-10 years old. In this blog I’d love to explain to you which age group is appropriate for which activities and afterwards I’ll give 10 tips with things you can do. It is up to you as a babysitter to assess which activity fits well with the kids.
Easy tips for babysitters
The babysitting activity tips below are all ‘pretty simple’, it certainly doesn’t have to be complicated and expensive to have a fun afternoon together with the kids you’re babysitting! Are you curious about the activities? Make sure to keep reading:)
Developmental level of children by age group
Firstly, here is a brief summary of the developmental level of each age group, so you can judge for yourself which activity best suit your kids’ needs. A small note to make here is that every child develops differently and therefore the behavior and developmental stage of the child itself should always be considered. Not just the age.
Children aged 1-2 years
This is the youngest category of kids with whom you can do activities. This category of children are often not yet potty trained and therefore wear diapers. When you do an activity outdoors, it is important to bring diapers with you. Also, children of this age group are more quickly tired than older children. Therefore, they often still take an afternoon nap; communicate clearly with parents what the child’s daily routine is so that you can best fit in with the child’s regular schedule. Children in this age group develop very quickly. They will mainly play with adults because they cannot yet play together with peers.
Many children this age will learn by ‘imitation’. For example, you can demonstrate a simple wooden puzzle yourself and have the child imitate it later. Children of this age also seek affection; you can ‘teach’ them this by stroking a regular teddy-bear and taking it everywhere.
Examples of activities described below are:
- Going to the petting zoo
- Going to the playground
- Making your own music
- Dress up
- Going to a museum
Children with ages 3-5 years old
At this age group, children begin to understand more and more about the world around them. At this age, they will be able to express themselves more and more and make clear what they want or feel. They will also enter elementary school at four where they learn to play with other children and listen to a teacher. In this age group, children are also learning more and more about how their bodies work, for example, they are better at keeping their balance and running faster. This is often accompanied by a lot of energy that they need to let out. Also, the imagination of children in this age group is becoming richer, therefore dressing up is recommended as one of the activities, to let the child’s imagination run wild.
Examples
- To the petting zoo
- Going to the playground
- Baking cookies (good for fine motor skills)
- Crafts (good for fine motor skills)
- Making your own music
- Dressing up (good for development of imagination)
- Going to a museum
- Playing games
- Car washing
Children aged 6-7 years old
In this age group, children learn to read and write in school. They like to be challenged. Always pushing their limits and learning ‘new’ things. However, children often tire quickly when they have to make an effort for a new activity, it is your job as babysitter to find the right balance and not over-stimulate the child. Because the concentration of children in this age group is increasingly developed, they can also spend “longer” on the same task, such as reading a book or playing a board game. Since children of this age are learning to read and write, games with letters and numbers are a real challenge and they learn through play.
All of the activities listed below are appropriate for children of this age group. To make some activities more challenging, you can ask the child for targeted tasks to match the developmental level and provide a challenge.
Children aged 8-10 years old
Children in this age group are becoming increasingly independent. They like to maintain their own autonomy and make their own decisions. So the challenge for you as a babysitter here lies in maintaining control without the child losing his/her own autonomy. Decisions you make can be made in consultation with the child, thus giving him/her the feeling that he/she can help decide. In this age group, the preferences and differences between boys and girls will also become increasingly clear. Boys will increasingly choose rowdy activities, where girls prefer to color or play with dolls.
All of the activities listed below are appropriate for children of this age group. To make the activities challenging and appropriate to the developmental level, you can challenge a child. You can do this challenging by saying “Let’s see if you are faster than me” or “Can you go down the slide by yourself already, are you going faster than me”.
Tips
Outdoor activity 1: Going to the petting zoo (all ages)
Perhaps you can remember it from your own childhood, being with an adult for the first time watching the lambs or little chicks when spring has begun again. The petting zoo is a place that caters well to children of different ages.
First, it is important that you ask the parents of the kids you’re babysitting for permission. When the parents have given permission, it’s nice to think about transportation. How will you ensure that you can get to the petting zoo in a safe way? Most villages have a petting zoo, so the advice would be to walk with the children to the petting zoo, with a stroller if necessary. Once at the farm, there is often plenty to discover and see. For ages 0-3 it is fun to ask the child to imitate the animal sounds and make a game out of this.
With children a little older, like 8-10 years, it’s fun to climb and scramble together just like the goats at the petting zoo or to gently feed the animals. A useful tip is to have the children put on old clothes or boots, that way you can be sure that the clothes are allowed to get dirty.
Outdoor activity 2: Going to the playground (all ages)
Like the petting zoo, the playground is often a favorite of many children. You can find a playground in every neighborhood. Sometimes a village/city has a larger playground with several slides and climbing equipment.
When you go to a playground, it is important to know in advance what kind of climbing frames and other playground equipment the playground has. This is important in order to pick a playground that matches the children’s developmental level. For example, it is nice to have a large swing or a swing with a backrest for some ‘smaller’ children. For somewhat ‘older’ children, on the other hand, it is challenging to have a large climbing frame or cable car. The site www.kidsproof.nl lists the playgrounds for each city. This way you can select a playground that is close by and has equipment that matches the developmental level of the babysitting children.
Surely cookie baking belongs in this list. Baking cookies is the ideal activity when the weather is too bad to go outside. To make the activity a half-day activity, you can choose to make a shopping list with the kids and go to the supermarket together. Work with the children to find the right ingredients and have them help lift the basket or push the shopping cart. When baking the cookies, it is important that the children put on an apron or bib so that their clothes cannot get dirty. In doing so, it is also helpful to protect the table with a siding or tablecloth. Add all the ingredients together and let the children knead it well into a large ball. It is most convenient if you divide the ball among the children, after this the children can make a large slice of the dough. Now comes a part where children can learn through play. Collect different cut-out shapes, for the older children letters and numbers, and for the younger children animals. Try to have the children write their own name with letters or pick their favorite animal.
When using the oven, it is important to keep children away from the oven. Give the children clear and explicit instructions; when present, use a gate to close off the kitchen.
Set an alarm clock with the children so they know how long it will be before the cookies are ready.
When the cookies are done, they need to cool for a while. Now comes the fun part, decorating. Together with the children you can decorate the cookies with smarties, sprinkles and other toppings. Let the kids be creative to make their “own” cookies. And afterwards, don’t forget to eat the delicious cookies together!
Recipe for shortbread cookies: https://www.ah.nl/allerhande/recept/R-R231340/zandkoekjes
Creative activity: crafts (ages 2 and up)
Children often enjoy being busy with their hands. When they are engaged in crafts, they will develop their fine motor skills at the same time. Crafting is an activity that can be used well when the weather outside is not so good. Through crafts you can make children aware of the seasons. You can do this by getting materials for crafts from nature or making crafts that match the season. When doing crafts, it is important to protect clothing and the table by using an apron or something alike and a tablecloth. When “older” children use scissors, they should be kept out of reach of younger children. As a babysitter you should be alert to this as it can create dangerous situations. For inspiration, here is a small list of crafts per season:
Spring activities for children:
- Finding branches in nature and painting them as Easter branches
- Sticking yellow feathers on a leaf and painting a chick in the process
- Easter egg painting
Summer activities for children:
- Cutting out colored paper and making ice creams out of this
- Dipping a dish brush in paint, then stamping it on paper to make flowers
- Paint toilet rolls and make double-lick ice creams out of them
Autumn tips and activities for children:
- Pick leaves outside, let them dry on the heater. When dry, paint the leaves and use as a stamp
- Find pine cones and acorns in nature and start painting them (let them dry well before painting)
- Use a soft chestnut, insert skewers into this, wind a string (color of child’s choice) around the skewers, this way you get your own spider web
Winter activities for children:
- Sticking up cotton wool as snow on windows
- Using paper plates and making a snowman out of them with colored paper
- Cut the inside of an egg carton loose and paint it black and white (make penguins)
There are many simple craft ideas on pinterest that are explained step by step.
Active activity: Going to the pool (from 5 years of age)
This activity is suitable when the kids you’re babysitting are a little older. This activity is recommended when the children themselves are also in swimming lessons. Always ask the parents for permission first. Prior to swimming, it is helpful if the children wear comfortable clothing so that changing clothes does not take too long. Make sure you have already put on the children’s floaties before you actually enter the pool. This will prevent unsafe situations. Go down the slide with the kids or let the kids show off their swimming skills to you. Enough fun to keep you busy for a whole day!
Musical activity: Making your own music (all ages)
From a very young age, children develop through sound. For example, a baby starts moving its head toward sound and following the sound. Also, ‘older’ children sometimes learn to play a musical instrument.
Go around the house with the children to find materials that you can use to make music. For example, you can fill an empty bottle with beads; when you move it, it will make a sound. You can also put uncooked macaroni or rice in an old toilet roll and tape it shut. Let the children paint their musical instrument so they choose what it will look like. The homemade musical instruments can be used to give a concert for the parents/caregivers when they return home. This can include using household materials, such as old pans and wooden spoons as drums and drumsticks.
Creative activity: Playing dress up (all ages)
Especially children of a young age learn through role play. To fully play that role-play, you can use dress-up clothes. Many children have a princess dress, Mega Mindy suit, knight helmet or Spiderman suit. Let the child choose his/her own outfit and put on something yourself too, even if it is just a hat or necklace. Let the child’s imagination run wild and come up with a story together. Are you two knights going to the castle, or are you Elza in a snowy landscape? For you as the babysitter, the task is to go along in the fantasy world and let the child lead in this and invent his/her own fairy tale. If the parents allow it and the children have it, you can make dressing up extra fun by painting the children’s faces.
Cultural activity: Going to a museum (all ages)
A museum is set up for children to discover in a playful way. There are different museums for different ages. Museums can be found throughout the Netherlands and are the ideal day out!
Consult with parents/caregivers first about the price of admission and transportation to the museum.
Some examples of museums
Age 0-3 years:
- Miffy museum in Utrecht (https://nijntjemuseum.nl)
Ages 0-7:
- Children’s Book Museum in The Hague(https://www.kinderboekenmuseum.nl)
Age 4-10:
- Nemo in Amsterdam(https://www.nemosciencemuseum.nl/nl/)
- Railroad Museum in Utrecht(https://www.spoorwegmuseum.nl)
- Archeon in Alphen (https://www.archeon.nl/)
- Naturalis in Leiden(https://www.naturalis.nl)
Indoor activity: Playing games (ages 3 and up)
Organize a games tournament together with your babysitting children. Have each kid pick their own favorite game (they should all match the developmental level of the kids) and create a games tournament. On a large sheet of paper, write down the names of the games and come up with a prize that the winner gets. Play the games one at a time and write down the scores. In case the children are still small, devise a consolation prize. With a consolation prize you avoid arguments, after all, each child did his best while playing the games and therefore deserves a prize.
Outdoor activity: Washing the car (3 years and up)
This is a win-win situation for both the parents/caregivers and the children. Before starting this activity, it is important to ask the parents’ permission to wash the car. Be sure to provide materials for the children where they cannot damage the car such as soft sponges or wipes. Put on the children a raincoat and boots so they will not get completely wet and cold. As a first step, you can throw away all the junk from inside the car. After this, you and the children can soap the car using soft sponges. After soaping, it is time to rinse the car. Under your supervision, let the children rinse the car with a garden hose. The children will love this, just be careful that the children do not spray each other completely wet.
Finally, I want to wish you lots of fun choosing an activity and implementing it with the children!
About the blogger Julia!
Hi babysitters, parents and caregivers,
My name is Julia and I am 22 years old. In 2018 I graduated as a college nurse, after this I started to do the NICU nurse training. I enjoyed and loved working as a NICU nurse for 1.5 years. However, I stopped working in the NICU and am currently having a ‘gap year’. Because I love working with children I signed up with nanny Nina.
Meanwhile, I babysit weekly for a family with two very sweet babysitting children.
In my free time, I enjoy playing field hockey, running, baking with friends and writing stories. I enjoy using the blogs to help other babysitters, parents and caregivers with useful tips. Thus, I like to write from my own experiences that I go through as a babysitter. I have only been working for Nina.care for a few months now, however, I already have babysitting experience because I have been babysitting for 7 years. My nanny superpower is that I am super reliable, because of my nursing knowledge children are in safe hands with me.
I hope you enjoy reading my blogs!
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