So I've recently been doing activities with J again. It'd been about a month since I had actual intentional play activities. The move was a crazy month & I make no apologies for slacking a little. We still played, we still learned, but I had no deliberate learning opportunities planned. Sometimes, something's gotta give. J just had a really really really long spring break. ;) I've created a schedule to get us back on track. My kids all really thrive on their schedules. Of course, some days things don't work out as planned but most days the schedule goes pretty much as usual. I made this schedule based off of my family & encourage you to do the same if a schedule is something you need or want. Think of your usual days and go from there.
Nothing fancy, something simple I wrote during nap time. But, it works like a charm! Not only does this work for J, but for the twins as well. I put the intentional play learning hour in a spot I knew I wouldn't be feeding the twins. This way I can solely focus on J. She needs individual time! Also, all of my children go to bed between 7:30-8 every night. So the bedtime routine/bedtime works for them as well. & they rise between 6:30-7 AM every morning. So, this works for us. Find what works for you!
So there's our schedule. I keep this schedule along with intentional play ideas/plans in a red notebook. I work on it on Sunday nights to prepare me for my week. If possible, I gather/make materials needed on Sunday as well. As mentioned before, I really like play learning. The type of learning that simply takes place during play. How simple is that?
So many times, we over think & miss simple learning opportunities. Think outside the box. I wanted to share with you some of my simple intentional play activities.
Joseph's story:
Anyways- for Joseph's story we talked about feelings. (Sad, happy, love) All the things we thought Joseph and his family felt. Then we talked about her brother & sister. I always try to make it significantly relevant to her and her life so that she might be able to grasp the concept of it.
After our discussion, we worked on the activity I made. A simple piece of graph paper with colored squares, magnets, and endless possibilities. What did this "teach"?
-language development
-exposure to magnets(science)
-shapes
-recognizing colors
-counting
-fine motor skills
-following directions
The above mentioned are areas I focused on, you can tweak this activity to fit your child's individual needs! She also picked out a colorful coat to wear "just like Joseph's". She really enjoyed herself!
Moses' Story:
We covered about 3 stories about Moses in her bible. While reading, I sat out "Moses". A baby doll in a basket!
We again talked about feelings (a BIG area we're working on). & then we did "art". I don't necessarily like calling this art because it was a planned activity. But I'm not sure what else to call it. In the Harmon House, we believe that art comes from free range play. Process rather than the product. But, that's another post :)
What does this intentional play activity "teach"?
-language development
-counting
-personal care
-sequencing
-sensory exposure
-social/emotional skills
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I will try to post more of my intentional play activities for you to enjoy. Try this out, with any story! Let me know how it goes!
XOXOX,
Harmon Housewife
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