In which I brainstorm a list of things to occupy the three-year-old while I work with the six-year-old on school.

Yes, some of these things are messy, but at least it will be the mess I have chosen.  In parentheses:  the necessary supplies for each activity.

• Watercolor painting (paintbox, cup, water, cookie tray, several towels)
• Playdough (playdough, cookie cutters, rolling pin, knife, toothpicks)
• Practice with training chopsticks (cheerios or small candies, trainer chopsticks, tray, bowl)
• Lacing (lacing board, strings)
• New building toy that will hold interest more than old, familiar Duplos (gotta buy one)
• Making mayonnaise sandwiches  (loaf of cheap bread, butter knife, jar of cheap mayonnaise — yes, it’s wasteful of food, but it doesn’t cost any more than letting him cut up whole packs of construction paper.  Thanks to Melissa for the idea)
• Cutting construction paper (scissors, tray, paper)
• Sticking stickers to paper (one of those packs of a thousand stickers, paper)
• Water pouring (pitchers, cups, dish tub, tray, a whole lot of towels)
• Mixing his own play dough (a few no-cook recipes here).

More?