Invitation to play

I follow a blog called Play at home mom I get most of my project ideas from this blog, its amazing. They have given me so many ideas that really help get through day and keep the kids happy. One thing they do, is a Invitation to play. Its basically a project the child can choose a way to engage them in something besdies the same old toys. The invitations are so creative and amazing! During the hours of 4-6pm are pretty hard in my house! The boys want to watch TV and whine, and whine and whine, ask for snacks and whine!  While I love turning on the TV, the boys really act up if its on and its way more of a pain then its worth. So I have started trying to set up invitations to play when they get up from nap time. I don't do it every day, but I try to think of a little something to engage them that is new and different. It has made a huge behavioral difference for Logan.
Here are a few of our invitations:

Corn meal with a lot of bowls, cups, etc to scoop and play

Painting on a long piece of butcher paper, with cars and brushes

Chalk train tracks on paper