You know what I mean and you're feeling the pain.
The preschooler is off this week, they are both off next week, and the five year old is off the week after new years. First reaction -annoyed. Second reaction -grumpy. Why can't the preschool and the elementary school coordinate their calendars? Then reality sets in....what the @)($#$!*$(# am I going to do for the next THREE WEEKS?
TRY THIS:
1. Crafts - make your own placemat (paper and pens), make cookies, make robot outfit out of a box/paper bag, make masks (paper bags, pens, stickers, feathers), play-doh, create your own coloring book, make pot holders
2. Building - make a fort, make a parking lot out of legos, card houses, Tupperware tower, mud pies, snowmen, dig a trench for action figures in the backyard with spoons and forks
3. Energy releases - running around the block (rain or shine), parks (if you live in California), hop-a-long (you have to jump everywhere), hopscotch (in the living room, use blue painters masking tape to mark off the squares)
WHY: Here's the deal with TV. It's great in a pinch. However, some kids shows (even those with a great moral like Arthur on PBS) often don't have the intended effect (e.g. learning, moral development) because of something I call a developmental mismatch. In other words, a five year old watching Spongebob is going to laugh. S/he is going to be entertained. BUT they are not really able to follow the storyline and therefore not "get" the moral because that show is aimed at an older age group with different cognitive abililties. Keep your children busy with activities where they get to explore and interact with the environment. These activities not only support their cognitive development, but they are also opportunities for them to develop fine and gross motor skills, release energy, and bond with you! Create a list of "go to" activities with your kid and then in a pinch, choose from your list.
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