Suddenly Homeschooling
Many of us are figuring out what to do with the lots of time we suddenly have home with our kiddos. Let's pool our ideas! Here are a few of mine:
Books. Epic! is a great reading/read-aloud app for kids to use when your voice starts getting tired! Currently offering a one month free trial. Don't forget that tons of children's books are on YouTube in read-aloud form, free!
Toy rotation. Prune down to the toys your kids are actually using right now. Then rotate as time goes on. We put away the dress up yesterday because no one has been into it; toy trains will come out of the basement to take their place. Plus, less stuff in shared space means more room for people to move as they are cooped up.
Simple science. There are endless activities online and many, many resources offering daily ideas. We will be starting with the linked handwashing lesson today, with some YouTube books and other activities thrown in to round it out!
Don't overestimate the value of play in learning. Make a grocery store with your recycling and learn about money and how to appreciate hard-working store employees! Go for a scavenger hunt. Play a simple game of house. Make super hero capes from old t-shirts and save the world together. Take out the toys you used as a kid and tell stories as you play. People learn through doing. Imaginative play isn't cheating - it's vital!
Inventory. Give older kids a sheet of paper and have them run around the house and take an inventory of what they have. My kids will stare at our craft cupboard and lament that there's nothing to do. But a list of things available in that cupboard gets them excited - so much to choose from! We list craft ideas, manipulatives, board games, rarely used sets of toys... If you can think of it, list it! And then have them read the list when they are bored.
Write letters. Send cards to people in nursing homes or relatives who can't visit for now. Learn the lost art of letter writing. Send pictures back and forth with friends.
Check business pages. In the Rochester area, Circle Play Cafe is offering online community daily through Facebook live events. Many educational websites are offering resources free to help with schooling right now. Click around and see what's out there!
What are some of your very favorite things to keep your kiddos busy? Share your ideas with others! Let's keep encouraging each other. We can do this and do this well! We can teach our kids to be resourceful and joyful in times of trouble. Let that be the most incredible lesson they learn while at home!
