10 Ways to Keep Siblings Entertained

If you're a parent of multiples, you know the struggle of game day for the siblings watching. The whining. The boredom. The restless energy.

As a mom of four, ages 1-14, going to soccer games for our family can be quite the show…off the field. Our two oldest are in soccer season right now. When our daughter plays, my husband and I wisened up early in the season and now have our oldest son watch the youngest one at home. So while my husband coaches our daughter, I only have one kid. And one may say, "Wow! That must be great! Only one kid to keep entertained as you're watching the game." And I would laugh. A lot.

Because that one that stays with me- Theo - is nicknamed Theenado because of how much of a wild man he is. Now, this three-year-old is sweet and very kind, but his energy level and curiosity rival that of three kids his age. For example, at last Saturday’s game, he had to go to the bathroom, which was 200 yards away. And you may know, when three years old gotta go, they gotta go.

So imagine little blue-eyed blond-haired Thenado sprinting toward the bathrooms, away from me, when a sweet grandmother (shout out to grandparents!) stopped to chat with him for a moment. As I waved to her from a distance, she pointed to him and said, "He yours?" Still not quite to them yet, I said yes, and then he remembered he had to use the bathroom and started sprinting again.

As I passed this sweet grandmother, she said with a smile, "I tried to slow him down a bit." I thanked her, and it was at that exact moment I realized that I had this conversation a few weeks prior with another set of grandparents on that very path.

I came very unprepared last game, so to remind myself of all the ways my husband and I usually keep the siblings entertained, I made a list of our tried and true strategies.

1. Snacks.

A lot of them. The more novel, the better. A new type of chips?

2. Drinks.

One may argue that this won't prevent the 200-yard dash to the bathroom. That is a risk you'll just have to decide if it's one worth taking. Again, with the novelty- we never buy the $4 fancy character drinks because we are usually pretty cheap. However, when we are heading to games, we splurge because the novelty of these drinks will keep my kids busy for at least 5 minutes. And that's precious time.

3. Pop-up tent.

This is especially great for our 1-year-old. He loves to crawl in this little tent that fits about 3 - 4 kids. And protects him from the sun and wind.

4. Other kids.

Our younger ones loved being entertained by the older kids, and my daughter loves to play with the younger ones at my son's soccer games. It's a win for everyone.

5. Tablet.

Even if you are a limited screens parent, this just might be the best time to whip it out so you can enjoy the game in peace.

6. Coloring books.

We've found that the more diverse coloring tools, the longer the kids stay entertained. Markers, crayons, colored pencils.

7. Ball.

Find an empty field around or open space makes excellent areas for active (or squirrelly) kids to get some energy out.

8. Magnatiles.

I have a love/hate relationship with Magnatiles. While they are a fantastic way to keep kids busy, one of my kids loved to take the tub of 80 tiles and dump them. But in small quantities, they are perfect for the busy kid.

9. Nature Hunt.

Now, this one may require a bit more prep work than the other suggestions, but it will pay off. Make a list of things they can look for around the field or court. Don't feel like prepping? Just shout out random things you see around. :)