Crayons or colored pencils and paper. TV. Mom will probably bring her own snacks…

Backyard? Park? I don’t know where OP lives, but around here (Rockville) everything is still covered with snow and the high is only predicted to be in the 30s.

The mom will probably have everything needed for the child, but if not, here are some possibilities. If the child needs:

snacks - any of the above options are fine

dinner - chicken fingers

screens - PBS kids

Crafts are excellent, just be aware that they can be messy, avoid anything that will stain, and check with the mom about any sharp objects.

If worst comes to worst, you can probably scrounge things from the kitchen for them to play with

I’d focus more on safety issues. Put breakable things out of reach, and if the child is extremely young, be aware of choking hazards. If you have one handy, a stool in the bathroom to facilitate hand-washing might be helpful.

P.S. While probably not an issue, latex balloons are one of the worst choking hazards, don’t ever give one to a child who might try to put part of it in their mouth.

Is there a park near by? Head there. If you are doing a Target run, pick up a small gift. They will likely bring food and toys (tablet!) too

If a preschool age child is staying up for an event including dinner in the evening they might need a nap. Unless it’s happening in the car on the way to your house.
At 3-4 years old if my kid didn’t nap she was in bed at 7.

Graham crackers. Some kind of paper and an implement to change the paper.

Or, a roll of tin foil! Tell them they can have the whole thing.

Anonymous wrote:Its weird that you are a parent with teens and this seems like an alien visit to you . . .

I can see why you’d think that! It feels like mine were that age forever ago! I didn’t want to make any missteps.

If the weather and clothing permits, maybe plan to go for a walk? Keeping a solo kid entertained indoors without lots of adult engagement can difficult...

Anonymous wrote:Its weird that you are a parent with teens and this seems like an alien visit to you . . .

This. The parent will have whatever the preschooler needs.

Its weird that you are a parent with teens and this seems like an alien visit to you . . .

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a television?

Of course! I just didn’t know how long a preschooler’s attention span would be for TV. My kids were never particularly interested for long.

Anonymous wrote:All you need is an apple, banana, pb, pretzel, stuff like that.

They will bring toys. If not, hand them a tennis ball and the back yard. White paper and an 8pack of crayons. You can keep things simple.

Oh, that’s perfect! I already have all of those things on hand. So you don’t think I need anything for the parent? I have typical adult snacks, drinks, etc. I don’t know if anyone will want to eat since a dinner will be served at the event. I’m probably way overthinking this, but I want to make things comfortable for this person.

Do you have a television?

All you need is an apple, banana, pb, pretzel, stuff like that.

They will bring toys. If not, hand them a tennis ball and the back yard. White paper and an 8pack of crayons. You can keep things simple.

We are hosting an out-of-town acquaintance and their preschooler tomorrow for a couple of hours before we all attend an evening event. This was a very last-minute request (I agreed about ten minutes ago!).

I assume the child will have already eaten lunch given the timing, and will likely be dressed for the event (which includes dinner), though I’m not totally sure. I can have Goldfish or something similar on hand, but I don’t know if I should plan to offer anything more substantial for either the child or the adult. If so, what’s an easy, quick Target run option (the only store that makes sense for me to stop at after work tomorrow)?

I have no toys on hand (my kids are teens), and I really don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of things. I’m hoping the parent will bring something to occupy their child, but I have no idea what a preschooler would do for 2–3 hours in a house with no little-kid gear. Any suggestions for easy, low-effort activities?

Any other tips for being hospitable on short notice? The house is clean (thank you, cleaners!), and I’ll do a quick tidy tonight.

Thanks!