Learning at home can be so much fun. I love that I can use the same concept with all of my kids, but modify each activity to fit their specific learning style and level. I do this all the time!
So many of you are at home looking for activities to supplement learning and keep your kids engaged and busy. I have a few tips and some great activities to get you started.
Tips for Learning at Home
Have a simple schedule. Kids love routine. So try to create one what works for your family. Since you don’t have to rush off to get everyone to school, take time to embrace the slow mornings. A simple schedule might look like this.
- Wake up/breakfast
- Free Play
- Snack
- Learning Time (30-45 minutes)
- Free Play
- Lunch
- Free Play
- Rest/nap
- Snack
- Learning Time (30-45 minutes)
- Free Play – dinner prep
- Dinner
- Family time
- Good Night
Often times during free play I am reading or playing with the kids too, which is also learning. But I leave it up to them what we are doing during that time. Learning time is a time when I’ve planned a specific activity.
Make learning fun. Learning isn’t just about paper and pencil. Its exploring, experiencing, and creating. You know your child best. Find activities that fit their interests. Some days may be easier than others. When learning becomes a fight, stop, take a break and come back to it later. Try to keep it a positive experience for you and your children.
Learn all around the house. Sometimes we learn at the kitchen table, in the living room, in the kitchen and even outside. By mixing it up, your kids will stay more engaged and be excited to try something new.
Spring Activities
Here are a few fun activities you can try with your kids while they are home. The best part is that you can do them with all ages. My kids are 2,4, and 5, but these activities can be done with a variety of ages and academic levels. You will just have to modify the support you give your children at each level.
Phases of the Moon
This activity is so fun! I used to do it with my fifth grader students when I was teaching and it was always a memorable experience.
You can start with this activity whenever you want as the moon phases are a cycle. So you can just jump right in! If you start tonight, March 18, 2020, and you live in the Madison, Wisconsin area, you will be starting with a waning crescent moon. It’s a bit cloudy, so you may want to wait until the weekend or March 24, 2020 when it will be a new moon.
You will find all the materials you need this Moon Phases folder. A calendar for charting the moon, a moons phases worksheet, a link to a great website which includes information to read and a few short videos, and an end of unit project creating the moon phases with Oreos!
Getting Started
Start the activity by reading any books you may have at home about the moon or take a look at the website provided. It’s always good to boost your child’s background knowledge before diving into a topic. Each night you and your child will observe the moon and then sketch or color what you see on your observation calendar. I would start the observation calendar and then complete the phases of the moon worksheet after a few days to reinforce what you are looking for as you observe the moon each night. After a week or so of observations, ask you child if he/she sees any patterns in what they’ve observed. Older kids can write about it in a journal, younger children may do better with just taking about it.
After completing a full moon cycle, it’s time to get the Oreos out! In fifth grade I gave the students 7 Oreos to show the basic phases of the moon. (See the sample in the Moon Phases folder. My kids are 2, 4, and 5. I will give them three Oreos to show a full moon, a crescent moon, and half moon and then use the top of one to show a new moon.
And that’s it! A full month activity that is fun and delicious!
Planting A Garden
What a perfect time of year to start seedling with you children, and have some fun learning in the process.
The Supplies
You will need some supplies, so grab them while you can! We have a seed starter mini greenhouse that we will be using, but if you don’t have one, collect all of you small plastic recyclables. Think yogurt containers, cream cheese containers or even cardboard egg cartons. From the store, you’ll need some starter soil and seeds. You can get whatever types of sees you’d like, but I recommend grabbing some bean seeds for an experiment along the way! You will also need some paper to make a little plant observation notebook.
Getting Started
To build background knowledge on photosynthesis, watch this fun video.
Plant your seeds as you normally do. Talk about the process using time order words such as first, next, then etc. After planting start your plant observation notebook. Have your child draw the process of planting. Younger kids, like mine, can explain what they drew. Encourage them to use the appropriate time order words. Older children should write explaining the process.
Each day as you and your child observe the plants have them draw and write about what the see and did. Think about these prompts.
- Did your plant need water?
- What does your plant look like?
- Does it have leaves? What do they look like?
- What does the stem look like?
- Are there any flowers?
- Does it have enough sunlight?
- Has it grown? How much? (Measure it)
After you’ve planted your plants, start the bean experiment. You will need a bran seed, a wet paper towel and a sandwich baggie. Place the wet paper towel in the bottom of the baggie and the bean seed on top of it. Hang the baggie in a window that gets plenty of sunlight. Watch the magic happen! The seed will sprout roots! You can talk or write about the process and then eventually plant your bean to grow.
I absolutely love this project because it is not only full of great learning, but it is such a useful skill that the whole family can take part in. You can plant your plants in a typical garden or just lots in your patio. Either way, how fulfilling will it be for you children to have planted, grown and nurtured a plant that they can harvest and eventually eat.
Cooking/Baking
If you know me at all, you should have known that I’d add this one in! Cooking is such an important skill and you can derive so much learning from one time of muffins!
Getting Started
There are so many things you can do in the kitchen.
- Have your children help you meal plan.
- Make a grocery list together.
- Complete an online grocery order together.
- Let you children plan and cook a meal on their own. (With your supervision)
Baking
Baking is totally my jam! I bake all the time with my kids. Since they are so young, we prepare and measure the ingredients together. Take a look at the measuring cups and talk about which is bigger which is smaller. Write out a recipe card with pictures and let your kids “read” the recipe to you. (This is so much fun)
With older kids you can do so much.
- Have them write out a recipe card.
- Find a recipe and double it or half it. This is great fraction work!
- Create a problem and have your child solve it.
- Example- We are out of eggs, what can we substitute? Let him/her use the internet or a cookbook to solve the problem.
- Frost a cake or cupcakes with a piping bag. This takes a lot of creativity and fine motor skills.
- Create a baking journal to keep track of what you make and which are your favorites and how you may change up recipes that you weren’t as fond of.
These are just a few of my favorite activities that are fun, and can be modified and done more than once or over a longer period of time. I’m hoping your school enrichment time at home can be a fun time spent making lasting memories. Hopefully, in a year from now, we can all look back and remember the fun we had during this time.
Please share any other activities you love on the comments! I’d love to try them and share them via Instagram! Don’t forget to follow me there too. I’ll be sharing simple daily learning activities in my stories!
