Constructive playtime

I have found, in the last year, that I really have to have some constructive activities for the younger crowd so that mass chaos does not break loose when I sit down and try to do school with the older ones. It used to just work out so that whomever was not schooling was playing with the others, and they never really felt "ignored." But no longer. So, I was working on this a lot over the summer, and though I am by no means finished, I at least have some things ready! Yesterday I broke out these reusable sticker boards when Gloria was finished with her brief bit of school. They had a blast, and the older girls even anxiously finished their morning school so they could have a turn too. Anastasia is the most difficult to keep busy, of course, so I still have more work to do finding activities for her. But at least I have a few for "emergencies"!