You win some, you loose some.
Some activities are a hit. Others are…well… not. I have had more activities crash and burn than work. BUT it’s always a learning process for me and the kids. Here are my tips and tricks I have learned from trial and error.
- set up activities before you need it. Have some on standby in a box/bin/bag. That way when you are ready to pull your hair our from listening to Baby Shark on repeat, you have something ready to go.
- show the kids what the plan is but don’t be surprised if they “invent” new ways to do said activity. And that’s ok! They are still learning, creating, etc. The only time I stick to the rules for activities is when it’s a matching type game/cut and paste. Which brings me to #3
- If your child is having a hard time doing the activity alone, try doing it with them! This could mean one of you puts glue down and the other sticks the paper to it.
- set up stations. Have 2-4 different activities/stations out and ready to go. The kids can play with them when they want and move on when they are ready. I even do this with our 13 month old. He has different toys set up around the den and he can bounce between them.
- have fun!
- and if all else fails, put the project/activity away and try it again another day. It’s not worth getting angry with each other. Just move on to something else.
When I first started making activities, I put together this Google Slides. Feel free to use it while I work on getting them all on the website.