I have had times where we had like 10 kids who needed a full 2.5 hour nap and then one or two who either napped very little or none at all. It can be very disruptive to have these older kids awake and ready to play if you don’t have projects ready and waiting. When we find ourselves in one of these seasons, we make sure to rotate some quiet toys into the kitchen so they can play quietly. I have used books and coloring materials, as well as advanced puzzles and some carefully timed and supervised screen time. But I loved the suggestions on the word document. I really should let them have a stash of art supplies. Maybe things they don’t usually get to have free access to (like fancy pattern scissors or scrapbooking paper maybe) so that they find this time to create exciting.

I also loved the pinterest board suggestions. One of the first images to jump out at me was of a stack of clear file boxes, each labeled with a day of the week. This works with my style of organization and ascetic appeal, while providing the kids with a variety of items to use. There is also still the flexibility to mix and match materials if they come up with an elaborate play scheme because the materials are already organized and accessible!