Dollar Store Activities & Ideas for Kids

Table of Contents

1. Alphabet Countries
2. Shape Drawing Craft
3. Paper Cups
4. Spray Bottle
5. Masking Tape
6. Glass Gems
7. Dollar Store finger painting
8. Paper Plate planets
9. Sticker Sorting
10. Learning Boards
11. Giant Erasable Coloring Mat
12. Shark Attack Game
13. Make Ice Cream Bar
14. Doctor’s Kit
15. Indoor Hopscotch

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Why should the kids be kept all the time engaged? Well, a study shows that children who are engaged creatively from the early stages have a lower drop out rated and higher scores. It also helps them to be more successful in life. The more they are engaged in learning, the better it is for their mental and physical health. It helps them develop lifelong skills that will help them succeed academically.

One of the best ways to engage a kid in learning is through play time when they are young. Craft is one such thing that can help engage them and build creativity with variety of new ideas, that too, in a carefree manner. But then, you need to provide the kid all the requisite stuff to make it engage in doing something.

Question is, where do you get these things at cheap rate? This is when the thought of giving it a try at dollar store comes into your mind. Yes, you are very right. Dollar store is one such destination where you are certain to source all your needs within your budget. Besides, when you take stock the supplies on display at a dollar stores, you are bound hit news ideas and activities that can be passed to your child. We have listed here 15 ideas that may come handy for your purpose.

1. Alphabet Countries

   

   Buy a couple of foam alphabet letters and a world map from the dollar store. Spread out the map on the floor and ask your child to locate the countries based on the first letter of the country, place the first letter on each country thus located on the map. It will be a great way to teach the child the world geography in a playful manner. Help the child wherever necessary. Eventually, the child will be able to identify the countries own its own.

2. Shape Drawing Craft

   You need to source different shapes in different sizes, a poster sheet and color pencils. Ask the child to draw the outline of the shapes in different colors and in different sizes. Then place those shape over the outline. So easy, a lot of fun to the child! Plus, a learning opportunity.

3. Paper Cups

   Children with these paper cups every day in different ways. I have seen a child singing into it to hear its own voice resonate. A tower can be made out of them by taping a few together. If the bottom of each of each of them is cut, it shall be a pretend binocular. Fill with soil and plant a seed, it shall be flower pot.

4. Spray Bottle

   

   The spray bottle found in the dollar store can be a special attraction to the kids. Fill it with water colors and use them as “spray painter” Fill with vinegar to spray baking soda to make eruptions.

5. Masking Tape

   Use it make a sticky ball, to make a runway or roads, or make a huge graph for sorting are a few ideas to use the masking tape creatively.

6. Glass Gems

   Children are very fond of these gems. Filling them in jars and cups to make shakers, pushing them into a play dough, pairing them with water beads to explore the different textures, adding them into a wooden train track as cargo for hopper cars are a few new ideas for making the best use of glass beads to entertain kids.

7. Dollar Store finger painting

   

   Get some finger paint and finger painting sheets, and engage the child with it. See how the child enjoys this activity. Make sure you get some old clothes you don’t mind getting messy.

8. Paper Plate planets

   Make planets for your kid using crayon markers and paper plates, and the kid will play for at least a couple of months with them. You may design them to your choice and cut out the smaller planets.

9. Sticker Sorting

   Buy a poster board, markers and your choice of stickers. Write the name of the things or animals and ask the child to pick the appropriate stickers and stick at the space provided. This is a great learning tool.

10. Learning Boards

Give the alphabetical letters to the kid and ask it to stick the letters on the learning board, in the order of forming the names of the months or the week days or anything that you choose based on age and the knowledge level of your child. Children will enjoy a lot by this idea of activity.

11. Giant Erasable Coloring Mat

Your child can make much fun with a set of non-toxic washable markers and a white shower liner. Let the child harness its artistic aptitude by coloring the mat as it desires. If you are an artist, you may give some guidance on turning this activity an amazing learning experience.

12. Shark Attack Game

Reuse an old tissue box and you and your kid, both of you can recreate it into a shark. Add some magnets to it and start an entertaining game that encourages fine motor and cognitive skills.

13. Make Ice Cream Bar

This activity is great for the whole family. Simply buy dollar store sugar shakers and fill with your favorite candies and loose toppings. Let the kids help themselves and create their own edible masterpieces. The best part is you can reuse the shakers.

14. Doctor’s Kit

For the purpose of role play, you may use an old cereal box to turn into an inexpensive doctor’s kit. You may fill the kit with toys you already have, or pick child friendly medical supplies up from dollar store.

15. Indoor Hopscotch

Use electric tape to create numbers on any vinyl or tiled floor for some indoor fun. You can make your traditional bean bag out of nearly anything, but a re-sealable bag filled with beans, any soft weighed item or you can make one from the felt. This will be a very encouraging creative activity for your child.

Children are so lovable only they are playful. To keep them playful, they need to be engaged in a manner they find enthused. To do this, parents have to understand what kind of activity is loveable to the child. Likings of the child varies depending on several factors like age, sex, race, the environment it is surrounded with etc. If the child is not kept happy and cheerful, it will cause a lot of anxiety to the parents. Plus a lot of damage will be caused to the holistic growth of the child. Therefore, it is imperative to keep the child busy. At the same time, you need not be worried about the expense related to it. You can create fun, enriching activities for your kids with a few staple products sourced from your local dollar store.