I know we all know what’s going on in the world right now. We are social distancing and our kids will be home from school for an unknown amount of time. To be completely honest, this brings me a lot of anxiety and worry. Staying at home for too long is really hard for me. And not knowing when it will end can really consume me. BUT, I am trying hard to fight those thoughts and focus on what I can control in my own home. We are doing our best to stay safe, healthy, and as happy as we possibly can be.
My kids (and myself included!) don’t do well with tons of unstructured, free time at home. I have always said, Noah is just like a brand new puppy. He needs to get outside to burn off his energy or he will (and absolutely has) destroy the house. When we’re home for an extended amount of time, Connor typically wants endless amounts of screen time and has a really difficult time when limits are placed on electronics. Audrey is pretty go with the flow but even Sister needs some routine and structured playtime.
So, to set us up for success and to help us manage this time of social distancing as best as we can, I created a schedule for our days at home.
Before I share our schedule, I wanted to cover a few things. I know a schedule isn’t for everyone. I have plenty of friends who absolutely hate following a schedule, especially at home. And that is totally ok! But if your family is like ours, I really hope this blog post gives you some ideas for things to do with your kids. If you are feeling overwhelmed with having the kids home for who knows how long, I really hope this gives you some encouragement. We can do this!
Also, use this schedule as just a general guide for your family. Your day and your family’s needs will look different compared to my family. You do not have to follow this schedule (or any other schedule you see online) exactly. If you’re cool with zero structure to your day, go with that. If you need a routine in place, find a template and create a schedule that works for you and your kids.
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ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS AT HOME
Schedule
As I mentioned, for our kids, I knew we needed a general schedule for our day, at least up until dinner time.
For our schedule, I made sure to include time for basic chores, school work, getting outside for physical activity and sunshine, and electronics. This schedule is a very rough, general way we have structured our day. I am not super strict on time (other than electronics) so if things don’t start exactly when they’re scheduled, it’s fine.
For school time, until our teachers send homework packets, we have been using a mix of resources we have at the house. The boys like these workbooks that we used over the summer break. For Noah, I am also using math flashcards, phonogram cards, and sight word worksheets.
There are a few online resources we’re using as well. IXL is our top favorite by far. IXL has a comprehensive curriculum for PreK-12th grade including Spanish. I also use this site to print off math fact worksheets.
We have been using this schedule for the past 5 days and it has worked out beautifully! I am so happy with how the boys have responded to it and have actually enjoyed having the structure to our days. I have a copy of the schedule and a list of activities up on a corkboard in their homework room. The boys are able to check the schedule to see what was coming up or how much time they had left before electronic time.
ACTIVITIES
Hearing the words “I’m bored” is such a trigger for me! Our house is filled with activities and toys and plenty of things for the kids to do. So whenever I hear my boys say that I instantly get so frustrated! Knowing this about myself, I created a list of activities. Things we already have in our house that I know the boys enjoy. Instead of getting upset with the boys when they say they’re bored, I can tell them to look at the list and find something to do.
I have several blog posts with different activities for kids at home all over my blog. Instead of having to search all over, I’ll include them all here.
Create Your Own Bookmarks: We will be doing this one again very soon. This was such a big hit with the boys. This time, I am going to have them find letters and pictures from magazines to cut out and glue to their bookmarks before laminating them.
Make Your Own Bracelets: This activity is not just for the girls. The boys love this just as much as Audrey. Are your kids missing their friends? Have them make some bracelets to send to a friend. Kids love to get mail and I know your kids’ friends and family would love to get a handmade bracelet from your kid!
Muffin Tin Snack Tray and Games: Another favorite in our house. Have your kids help you put together a snack tray and play some games.
Listen to a Podcast: My boys LOVE podcasts. This blog post has a list of our favorites.
Read together: I have tons of blog posts on books.
Play Games: This blog post has a list of some of our favorite family games. And this blog post has a list of our favorite preschool games to play with younger kiddos.
Toddler Activities: Need ideas for younger kids? Check out this series I did a while ago. Also, how stinking cuteeeee and tiny was Audrey?!
DIY Tic Tac Toe: My boys loved making this tic tac toe set. Since we have already made this, we have been painting rocks instead. We collect rocks on our daily walk and then during our screen-free playtime in the afternoon, we paint them.
I hope this post was helpful and gave you some ideas for your own family. I know this time is especially difficult but we can do this! Get some kind of routine in place. Think of a list of fun things your kids can do at home. And remember to go easy on your kids and yourself. You can do this, I know it.
