Let’s face it, this year has been somewhat daunting and now many of us are taking on multiple roles or roles we never had before. We also know our little ones have been through a lot too and now they get to experience us as educators, ahhhhhhhh!
The good news is though we live in a time with gobs of resources easily available to us.
Also, this year has brought out so much creativity in people and a desire to share…YAY, more resources!
So whether you need to do the whole homeschool/remote learning thing on your own. Or need to add to the curriculum already given by the school, don’t worry I’m talking more about the “fun” part of it, I’ve got some resources for you right here to help make things easier and hopefully relieve some of the daunting stress of this year for everyone.
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Books
If you’ve been following along with me then you know how much I love books and the power of reading. There are so many great books available that you can add to your curriculum. Use them as educational tools, ways to connect, and relax. This is just a small list of some of our favorites this year.
A Kids Book About
Do you ever stumble onto something & then later think, wow, I am so happy I found that and cannot imagine not having that in my life now.
Yep, that’s exactly how I feel about these books. I only WISH they could have been apart of my childhood. They would have helped me to understand so much more. Helped my parents to explain things to me that maybe they didn’t always have the answers for or fully understand themselves.
But at least I can be thankful I have them for my girls now. With topics ranging from A Kids Book About Racism, A Kids Book About Failure, and A Kids Book About Anxiety, to name just a few (I swear they add new books to their collection constantly!!), they are here for us to have the conversations we should be having. The conversations that may not always be easy but are a part of life.
With so many valuable lessons and conversations that can result from these books, they make a great resource for adding into your at-home curriculum.
Workbooks
There are so many great workbooks out there for all different age groups. What I love the most about them is that we can work our way from start to finish and they flow in the perfect way to teach the way kids would learn at school. Plus they are fun too! They mix in fun with the learning to keep kids attention and coming back for more.
”We love these “BIG” workbooks because they have so much to do in them. We are currently working on the Preschool one and P is LOVING it!
Lunch Time
The worse thing that I do to myself when home with the kids is not eat. It’s not intentional. I just keep going and going and take advantage of any second I get to fit something in that I need to do and before I know it half of the day has gone by and I have had coffee, coffee, and maybe a cookie. No wonder I usually reach a point where I am crashing.
So why not do what our kids do if they were going to school and make it a point to have a scheduled lunchtime. Hey, maybe the schedule changes each day too but make it a point to make it apart of your day and make it fun. Not to mention it’s kind of important to feed yourself too.
Maybe they are learning about apples for September. Find some recipes that incorporate apples. Have the kids help (as much as you want that is). One of the great things about having the kids home with us though is to teach them some “life skills” that we don’t always get the opportunity to have them learn in school, like cooking or meal planning. Don’t forget how this can translate over into math skills with measuring ingredients and the importance of following directions.
Recess
If we are going to have lunch we have to have recess right? Or if we’re going to school then we really need to have recess. Make it a point to fit in this much needed “break time” for everyone.
Go outside, get some fresh air. Relax the eyes from staring at books or screens. Switch up your environment. And don’t forget you can still use it as a learning opportunity, or you can just focus on the fun and the chance to break up the day.
My article from this summer with easy, fun, and affordable activities can also make great recess options. These ideas incorporate exploring and learning, or just time to be silly. We could all use a little more of that, right?
30 Minute; Simple, Fun, Easy, & Affordable Ideas for Summer Fun
Field Trips
We cannot forget this part of the school year! I know I love to be able to go on field trips with P. My favorite part; the fact that she thinks it is the coolest thing ever for her mom to go to school with her. This year has been a huge reminder to me to truly take time to enjoy activities like these because we don’t know when we won’t have the opportunity anymore. This is P’s last year of preschool and we already will not have the chance for a preschool field trip together again.
The good news is though you can now make up your own field trips and find ways to make them work for you. Maybe it’s as simple as going to a bookstore or library. Perhaps you can go to a museum. Make it fun. Set a date, pack a lunch, take pictures, and make it memorable.
Apps/Sites
There is so much out there right now and we are fortunate if you think about it at how easy it is to access so many resources from the comfort of our own home. The great thing is too, the creativity is flowing this year! People are sharing their work, coming up with amazing ideas, and we all know that we need to help each other out now more than ever. I mean, after all, that is what this post is all about, sharing ways to make things easier, resources, all through a digital platform.
Some apps or websites that we are using include;
https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-at-home
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learn-at-home.html
https://created.crayola.com/at-home-learning-home/homelearning
Hope this helps you feel a little refreshed and optimistic that this school year really can be something fun. We will have tough days and days where we wonder how we’re going to get through. But we will…afterall we always do. One thing is for sue, this year is already memorable and unique from any other, so let’s make some good memories while we’re at it.
As always share any tips, suggestions, or thoughts you have below in the comments! We love to hear from you.
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I have more tips to help you make life easier to enjoy more of it!