By now you have probably encountered quite a few lists touting “ways to keep your kids busy” over the next few weeks. May we present to you the SLOCA version. During these unique times, we have an opportunity to not simply get through them or survive, but to create an environment where we and our kids can genuinely thrive.
Below you will find a far from exhaustive list of activities to do with your kids and things they can do by themselves. We’ve included a variety of links as well that offer even more possibilities. Be sure to tell us in the comments about any excellent resources you have found and ways you and your family are seeking to thrive in the days ahead. And consider reaching out to your friends and neighbors who may find themselves homeschooling for the first time. Remember what it was like when you first started? Share your homeschooling wisdom and support them as best you can. Maybe pass this list on to them.
Household Responsibilities:
This may seem like an odd category to start this list off with, but it will be worth it.
- Clean Your Space: First things first, have the kids clean their rooms, play area, homeschool desk, etc. now! This will probably lead to an excruciating amount of groaning from some kids, but have them think of it as a treasure hunt. When kids are challenged to deep clean their rooms they usually find lost toys, games, projects and whatnot that they forgot they owned; you will want this stuff over the next few weeks. This is an opportunity to do those craft sets that they received for their birthday or to try out the science kit that has been collecting dust at the back of the closet. Take the time to clean your own personal space too; you may find some items to freshen up the kids’ dress-up toys, a dingy blanket that will be perfect for fort-building or an old typewriter ideal for learning and/or imaginative play. And as we are potentially spending a lot of time at home, why not start off this time with a clean and organized space.
- Home Economics: Teach your kids some life skills. Do they know how to iron or properly load a dishwasher? Can they boil water, clean a toilet, mop a floor, or sew a button? Try to make it as fun as possible, maybe offer incentives or make a game out of it. Don’t expect perfection but know that you are helping them to succeed later in life. Check out this link for some ideas: Age Appropriate Chores: How to Help Kids Be Responsible.
- Bake and/or Cook: Have your kids offer up ideas for meals or treats they may want to make. Watch cooking videos and try out new recipes. Assign your kids a meal a day that they are responsible for preparing.
- Plant a Garden: Spring is fast approaching. This is a great time to plant a garden.
Educational:
- Homeschool: Meeting on campus may be postponed for now, but our children’s education is not. Our teachers are working to offer us as much support as possible in order for our kids’ to continue to thrive during this time. Make sure you are prioritizing time for structured learning.
- Math Games: SLOCA math teachers are always encouraging us to play math games with our kids, but some days they just don’t happen. Let’s make them happen. Check out what your teachers have sent you over the year and remember, you can play many variations of War with a deck of cards and dice games are excellent for subitizing, number bonds and more.
- Monday Mix-ins: Check out the Monday Mix-ins on the blog for videos and other enrichment resources related to our current history track.
- Research: How many times do your kids say “I wonder…” or “Why…?” and you don’t know the answer but forget to find out? This is the perfect time to go in search of those answers. Pull out books, explore the endless internet together, print-up documents they can read, call family or friends who might know the answer and see where your research takes you. Maybe you’ll find a project that coincides with that particular interest or discover a newfound appreciation for something.
- Madlibs: Guaranteed to bring some laughter into your family and a fun way to practice some basic grammar. Challenge older kids to write their own.
- Virtual Museum Tours: Check out these 12 famous museums without leaving the comfort of your own home.
- National Park Virtual Tours: Visit 33 National Parks without spending any money on gas.
- Supercharged Science: Check out FREE science lessons with easy to do experiments. There will be Facebook Live lessons every day at 10:00 a.m.
- Wisdom Wonder Project: Wisdom Wonder Project is sending out a daily educational email to keep students engaged and parents equipped.
Community:
- Write Letters: Have your kids take the time to write letters (or emails) to friends and family. This is a perfect time to work on handwriting, cursive or learning to type. Make a list and see if you can write one a day. Think about how many people you could make smile in the upcoming weeks. Challenge your kids to not only write to people they know but to brighten the day of a stranger. Write to neighbors or check out these sites for writing to the elderly or servicemen: Love for the Elderly and Operation Gratitude. Also, check out these local Facebook groups for reaching out to the community. These are SLO specific but there are likely ones for other parts of the county. Help SLO and Adopt a Neighbor.
- Video Chat: We are living in a time that isolation/social distancing does not have to mean we don’t see people. Facetime, Skype, Zoom or whatever with friends and family. Make silly videos to share with them. Facetime a classmate to discuss schoolwork. Play a game together or attempt a homeschool lesson with other families via a video chat. Technology can be amazing.
Physical Activity:
- Go for a Hike: We have a ton of options around here and it is a beautiful time of year to get outdoors. Here’s a website to get you started: Slocal: Hiking and Trails.
- Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course either inside or outside. This is definitely something you can have older kids do for younger kids.
- P.E.: Does your kid know how to do a push-up, sit-up, lunge, burpee? Take the time to show them or find an exercise video.
- Dance Party: Turn on the music and let them “shake their sillies out”.
- Go to the Beach: It may not currently be the weather for this excursion, but nothing wears kids out like a trip to the beach.
- Get Outside: Ride bikes, scooter, rollerblade, skateboard, run or walk around your neighborhood.
Quality Family Time:
Any of the above activities can fall into this category, but here are a few more.
- Read: Read, read, read. Readout loud to the kids, have them read to themselves or turn on an audiobook. Need book suggestions — check out our Teaching Character Through Literature series. Go through your home library and discover books you haven’t read yet or favorites longing to be reread. There is a huge benefit to rereading. Check out this podcast for more info on the value of rereading: Why Rereading is Possibly the Best Reading. This website also offers fantastic book lists.
- Board Games: Clean out your game closet. Play those games that you forgot you own or have never tried. You may find a new favorite.
- Bust out a Puzzle.
- LEGO (or some other building toy) Competition: Write down some ideas of things that could be created with your specific building toy. Draw at random and have the kids do their best to construct that thing.
Creative:
- Art Projects: It is time for all those tubs full of miscellaneous craft supplies to be brought out. Get out the paints, glue, yarn, dare we say — glitter, etc. Have them experiment with methods and mediums they’ve learned at school. Or have them teach their own art class to your and/or siblings. There are tons of art video resources out there. Check out Art Hub for Kids or maybe try some Bob Ross on Netflix. Arthur Mo Willems is doing a daily doodle drawing class. You can find them on Facebook and Youtube.
- Musical Instruments: If your kids take any sort of music lesson, this is a good time to add some extra practice. Or perhaps they want to learn a new instrument. See what sort of lessons you may be able to find online.
- Playdough: Don’t have any on hand? Make your own with this Playdough Recipe.
- Build Forts: Pull out the chairs, blankets, pillows, etc. and have fun building a fort. Settle in for some reading time or school time inside.
- Put on a Play: Some kids love to perform. Encourage them to put a play together of either a book they have just read or maybe something from Shakespeare. Be sure to record it and share it with your teachers.
Screen Time:
Let’s face it, there’s most likely going to be more screen time than usual happening over the next few weeks. What if some of it was educational or at least related to our current history/literature track? See if you can find a version of The Prince and the Pauper or a Shakespeare movie/play appropriate for your students. Look for movies that are based on books your kids may have read. Our Kinders just had a Dr. Suess week; there are tons of Dr. Suess movies out there. Share a favorite classic movie or old TV show with your kids. The library app Hoopla has movies, music, and books for kids for free.
Rest Time:
Set aside a time of day for everyone in your family to have a little alone/quiet time. Napping optional. This is an excellent time to encourage journaling and solitude.
SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above-mentioned websites, businesses or organizations.
Well, that is all we have for you today, but it is quite possible that there will be 2nd and 3rd editions of this list. Again, comment and let us know what you are up to. We are a community — Let’s do this together! (Virtually).
