Wanted: Ideas for entertaining kids

Last week I found silence and productivity in Randall Library on UNC Wilmington's campus. This week has been hugely different.

Monday night we had someone who works with my brother-in-law visit. My kids were excited to share every tidbit of our family's life (and then some) with this new friend. For a slice of peace, I finally carted our 7-year old off to the grocery store.

Upon my return, I learned that they could start work Tuesday morning. At 8:30 a.m.
Monday I had cleaned off my desk, but this meant pushing all our furniture from two rooms into the center. In a way, I wished it had all happened while we had been at the beach, so the disruption would happen only once, but I really want the work done. Now the kids and I would be without space for a couple days. In the midst of deadlines for my university course and articles, I'm thrown into frenzy yet again and forced to entertain the kids outside of the home. For some reason, my kids are not fearful of power tools or nail guns. Step out of the room for a second and they are climbing on tall ladders. Or wondering which one of these drill bits fit which tool.

We live in an almost century old home in the Audubon section of Wilmington. It's a Craftsman home that has only had three owners. And with each child, we have completed a renovation project. We finished the bathroom when Veronica (7) was six months and the kitchen shortly after Mac's birth in 2003. We're a bit behind on our one-year-old's project—a bedroom for her and her sister.

We're exploring our options, while trying to keep Petra's naps in mind. Yesterday we traipsed around Mayfaire: a free movie and a visit to the bookstore. It was fun. We ran into friends we don't see often and the kids (except Petra) enjoyed seeing a movie and eating a lot of popcorn. Today, we'll return for the other free movie and a visit to the library. (My kids love books.) If it weren't so hot and buggy, I'd vote for parks.

So does anyone have any other out of the home low-cost options for keeping kids occupied during the day?

Please send them to me…I'm sure I'll be needing the suggestions when we start a roofing/painting/wallpapering project or the nail-gun, ladder-climbing Olympics.