We're all new to homeschooling this year so I am by no means an expert when it comes to this topic. I feel like it's so easy to get caught up in what NEEDS to be done it's hard some days to remember to make it fun! Or maybe that's just my newness speaking. At the beginning of the school year when we had great weather it was so easy. We could go on a hike and call it gym class. Along the way we would use the free version of the seek app to check out anything we found, bugs, plants, animals. We even google tracks and scat to see what's been in the area. We stop at historical and geological markers to learn what we can about our area. We've been growing our homestead and learning everything we can about plants and animal care along the way. But since winter hit and we're indoors more I've been struggling for activities, especially ones to involved E, our third grader, and the littles. Here's a few that have been a hit:
1. Fine Motor Activities - I have to remember that fine motor skills are super important at this age. E struggles with hand writing and I read that fine motor play helps with that so we've been trying to incorporate more cutting, coloring and stickers into our regular work.
2. Sensory Play - Our biggest hit in this category we call car wash, we have a wood stove and a stone floor so I'm not too concerned about a little water on the floor. We use a rubbermaid bin, add some bubble bath and water and the kids will play in it for a couple hours just washing cars and shopkins.
3. Scavenger Hunts - I've found this works for several subjects. This week we played hiding math facts around the house, using walkie talkies I gave the kids clues to find the problems, they had to solve them and bring back the paper before doing the next one. We also used this as a clean up game/gym class, I hid clues with short clean up instructions and then things like do 5 jumping jacks or dance for 2 minutes. There was a lot less whining, we got some crazies out and the house got tidied up all in one shot,
4. Spelling Race - I sat at one end of the hallway and gave E her spelling words (another struggle subject). For each correct word on the first shot she got to take 3 steps, 2 for 1 mistake with a correction, 1 for anything less. I did help her keep track by writing the letters she got correct on a white board and putting X's in the spaces she got wrong. Every time she made it to the end of the hall they both got a Hershey kiss!
Feel free to share any fun ones you have come up with I would love any new ones!
I LOVE the scavenger hunt idea!! I'm going to try it next week. I remember doing them with my oldest (10 years ago!) to teach him his letters. I had gotten letter cut outs from the Dollar Tree and hid them all over the living room (many in plain sight and easy to find as well), and when he found them he would have to shout out what letter it was. Thank you for that memory! I'm going to do it with my youngest now.
ReplyDeleteAlso regarding sensory~ I break out the moon sand or play doh and let the kids play as I read the Social Studies lesson. As long as they could show me that they are actively listening they are free to quietly create. I SWEAR they learn more, and are more engaged when we do this!!