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Activities You Can Do with Your Child
Check back as we will be adding activities from time to time!
Ages 5 – 7:
♦ Make up a story ~ Parent and child take turns, one sentence at a time (Once upon a time a princess lived in….) up to maybe 8 to 10 sentences. By making up stories, children improve their language skills and start to see how ideas flow from one to another. This activity also develops teamwork skills.
♦ Hide and Seek an Object ~ Hide a small object and then give directions to find it (take 5 steps ahead, turn right, look to your left, etc.) This teaches listening and following directions.
♦ Eyes Closed, What Do You Hear? ~ Everyone but one closes their eyes. The person with their eyes open makes a sound (shuffling paper, bouncing a ball, jangling keys etc.) for everyone else to guess. This teaches listening skills.
♦ Clap and Tap ~ Clap your hands to tap out a rhythm (slow, fast, loud, soft, etc.) and have other players imitate you.
♦ Walk and Talk ~ When taking a walk, sit quietly for 30 seconds with your eyes closed and then describe what you hear. You can also give each other directions – cross the street, turn left, look down, etc.
Ages 7 – 9:
♦ We’re Special ~ Think of and write down at least 2 things you like about yourself and 2 things you like about the others playing this game. Take turns talking about what each of you say about one another. Same could be done for ways to improve myself or jobs we do around the house that we are proud of doing. This helps children recognize and appreciate how they, and others, are special. Self-confidence can make a difference in how much success a person has both in school and later in life.
♦ My Box ~ Find a sturdy box large enough to hold notebooks and other school items. Let your child decorate it with pictures, words, art, etc. (If you have more than one child, let each child do one.) Find a place to put the box (near their study area) and keep it there. School things – homework, notes, hats, mittens, etc – should go there as soon as your child comes home. Keeping school items in one place helps teach children how much easier life can be when we are organized and plan ahead.
♦ Rainy Day Box ~ Find and decorate another box and put it in a different place. Fill it with games, books, a new pencil or marker and invite other family members to put surprises in it.
♦ My Place ~ Find a quiet study area away from the TV and radio for each child. Cut down an old blanket, rug or sheet to put on the floor (this marks off their private space). Put a small table and chair on the floor covering. Table and chair can be put away when finished and private spot moved to another area each time. Children tend to argue over the same space and this activity gives each child a separate place to study or play. By having an area of the floor marked off as theirs, each child has a place that feels like his own. A special place also helps children focus on what they are studying.
Ages 9 – 11:
♦ Time Flies ~ Together, write down how long you think it will take to do certain tasks (getting ready for school, fixing a meal, folding clothes, etc.) Use a clock to time at least one of the tasks and then take turns timing each other. See what part of a job can be done ahead of time to save time (such as deciding what to wear the next day at bedtime).
♦ Making Time ~ Put a monthly calendar with large spaces where everyone can see it (on the refrigerator, side of a filing cabinet, etc.) Each member uses a different color marker to list appointments and social activities. Talk about at least two places where you and your children need to be on time. What do you do to make sure you are on time? Being on time affects other people and it is important for children to understand their responsibility for being on time.
♦ Homework Chart ~ Create a homework chart out of a poster board with the 5 days of the week across the top and subjects down the side. Attach a marker or crayon and each day after school, put a check mark in each box when there is a homework assignment. Circle the check when the homework is done. Make a chart for each week and try to calculate how long it will take to complete assignments. This activity can show how long it takes to do homework while giving your child a feeling of accomplishment. It can also lead to a discussion of needing more time to do homework or devoting more time to particular subjects.
♦ Help Wanted ~ Talk to your child about what they might want to do when they finish school and what training they might need. Suggest that your child interview two neighbors or relatives about their jobs and help your child create at least 3 questions to ask, leaving space for their answers – what is your job, how long have you held it, what training did you get. Talk to your child after the interviews. Older students are interested in life after school and you as a parent can help them have a realistic sense of what is out there.
♦ Help Ads ~ Read a page in your newspaper’s help wanted ads together and have your child find ads for 3 jobs he might want in the future. Talk together about what training might be needed or visit the Career Resource Center in your library and research them. Have your child find people who do these jobs and interview them.
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