We hope you are all well and staying safe. We are entering the second week of social distancing and we hope that you are managing with the changes you have had to make. For us it is very strange not going in to work and seeing your lovely children. We miss their smiles, energy and joy of life.
We thought it might be of benefit to send you some ideas of activities you can do at home with the children. These have all come from the team so we hope that you will give some of them a try. Remember to follow your child’s lead and go with it!
Inside
Playdough or slime are always winners. Here’s a link to a recipe for playdough with items you may have at home https://pagingfunmums.com/2013/11/01/soft-as-a-cloud-playdoughusing-only-2-ingredients.
Why not add spices, cocoa powder or natural resources you find in the garden or out and about on your once a day exercise. Sticks, cones, leaves all add to the creativity that your child naturally possesses. You’ll be amazed at what they create.
Gloop – this is simply cornflour and water. You will need a container, such as a washing-up bowl. Simply add water to the cornflour and let them explore its properties. When mixed it feels wet. Grab a handful and take it out of the water, it dries out again. Magic!
Self-help skills – this is the perfect time to work on those self-help skills with your child. There’s no rush to be anywhere, so use this opportunity to help them learn how to dress and undress; even those tricky zips and buttons can be achievable with lots of patience and practice. Put on their own shoes, wellies, etc. Learn how to open their own packages at lunchtime. How to use a spoon, or even a knife and fork. Pour their own drinks. Clean away after themselves. Why not let them do some washing-up. Household chores are not a bore to young children, they can be really fun. Let them use the dustpan and brush, clean the table. You will be so glad that they are able to do these things and the teachers at primary school will be very grateful!
Food – if your children keep asking for snacks all the time because they are bored, why not make a tuck shop list with healthy things on it such as carrots, apples, etc. These are generally cheaper than unhealthy snacks such as crisps and biscuits. You could give them a budget to spend each day, using monopoly or real money. It will help them to begin to understand that things have to be paid for and that once the money has gone, its gone!
Junk modelling – don’t throw those boxes out! Save them up and let your children use their imaginations. You’ll be impressed with what they make.
Outside
If you have a garden, make the most of it. If you don’t, use your once a day exercise opportunity to explore the world around you. Collect natural resources and make a collage.
If you do have a garden, the opportunities are endless. Here are just a few.
Make an obstacle course. Let the children design it. They can even draw a plan of how they want it to look.
A treasure hunt. Hide various items in the garden. Give the children clues to follow. Get them to draw a treasure map.
Make a weather station. Collect rain water in containers and compare them over time. You can add measurements too. Make a wind chime, a wind catcher. Use ribbons to see the effects of wind.
Grow seeds/plants. Help the children to look after them. What do they need?
Just run around and let off steam!
The opportunities for play are endless. Children naturally play, whatever their environment, but you can make it more interesting and stimulating. Just let your imagination go and follow their lead.
We will be in touch again over the coming weeks but please remember that we will be closed over the scheduled Easter period. We will up-date you as to whether we will be able to open again after that.
With our very best wishes.