When my children were tiny I had a mental list of Ten Minute Tasks, things I could get done in the rare ten minutes when my children were napping or playing on their own. It was small household tasks like tidying the lounge, cleaning the sink or loading the washing machine. If you know me you will know I didn’t often get many free Ten Minutes.
The list has changed now, and the Ten Minute Tasks have become things my 3 year old son can do in the ten minutes before we are due to go out and I am otherwise occupied. His tasks, invented by himself quite often involve water and mud- or on a good day both.
In case you can’t tell his clothes are soaking and very muddy, this all happened in the 15 minute gap between coming home and having to go out again to school.
Other things on my 3 year old’s ten minute task list include: unrolling a toilet roll, creating a course to play Total Wipeout in the lounge and turning a piece of chocolate cake into crumbs.
He also took ten minutes to create this wonderful paper plate ladybird at toddlers today. This idea was taken from a book my (dear) sister gave me for Christmas. The paper plate is cut into 3 pieces and masking taped to a strip of card. It is then painted.
He very carefully painted the antennae and wings red with not too much going on the newspaper.
Isn’t it amazing what you can achieve in ten minutes?
Rubbish Craft for Toddlers 
You’re such a good Mum! I love the way you write – especially the bit about the chocolate cake!!!
Hmm, thanks, but think you might be slightly biased.