Summer Fun Mini Themes: Hogwarts MiniCamp Part 1

I always love planning and preparing play themes here. It's an odd hobby, I know. But once in a great while I love joining in just as much as I love the organizational end of it and in the case of our current Hogwarts MiniCamp theme, I think I love joining in even more!

I am categorizing this under summer fun mini themes but I'll give the caveat that this particular one was a little more involved and in depth than some others I've shared here. That's partly because it's the first time I've done it, partly because I've gone totally overboard and partly because there are so many creative and playful ways to take young fans (and older ones) beyond the books of Harry Potter. I will also give the caveat that I struggled with the decision of whether to carry on with our Hogwarts MiniCamp when JK Rowling made the news with some rather unsavory comments of late. My decision to move forward with it was made because my children were already looking forward to this and because I think the author's books give young readers characters and ideas to connect with. While I do support a love of literacy, imagination and wonder in children's literature, I do not support some of the values the author has shared on a personal level. I do think as my own children get older, the many authors who line our bookshelves with admirable fictional characters and less than admirable personal characteristics will spark important and ongoing dialogue about kindness and inclusion. My final caveat is that while these books explore a world of magic and make believe, I use the opportunity to embrace imagination and fantasy while also teaching about the science end of it! So you'll notice a lot of activities involving sensory play, science experiments, animal and nature studies, games and movement and more!

With that all out of the way, let's dive in to the first part in a series that will take you on a Hogwarts bound adventure with us! You can select activities "a la carte" style, making a day of it, a week of it, or randomly sprinkling them throughout the year as inspiration strikes.

Before Beginning: I love the challenge of coming up with creative ideas for learning through play. I also love collaborating. And I also know when my own breadth of knowledge is rather narrow. I am somewhat informed on the wondrous world of Harry Potter, but my husband is far more knowledgeable than I am. Actually, so is S at this point! And when it comes to amazing early childhood ideas, I often consult with fellow educators. I have a talented connection who is a mom of children close in age to S and Y and a preschool teacher and a Harry Potter fan. She had recently done some amazing themed activities for her daughter's birthday and she was generous enough to share her wisdom and creativity with me! Multiple heads are better than one. Unless your name is Fluffy... S has come up with quite a few additions to our camp repertoire as well. In terms of materials, times are tricky so I aimed to use what we have and make what we didn't have from home. I did make one quite useful downloadable purchase from Etsy. I'll list the materials used for each activity, but substitutions can be made, some left out and others added in as desired.

Setting the Stage:  The Friday before Hogwarts MiniCamp began, I set the stage, or rather, our small world play shelf with a mini Hogwarts. I created some wooden peg dolls to play the roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore (ok, I actually swapped in my Father Winter peg doll from a previous activity, shhh!).

In addition to those, I included a wooden castle toy we bought from a craft supply store several years ago around Purim, our toy trains and tracks for the Hogwarts Express, some accessories from our collections of blocks, toy animals, prisms, marbles, small loose parts, rocks/gems, wool roving, fairy garden accessories and  even some of the graphics I purchased from Etsy printed onto card stock and cut out/taped. I took a lot of creative license here in order to use what we have at home. My friend who originally gave me this idea said her children played with it a ton, but I will admit that my own kids usually play with these setups a lot at first and then sporadically until I finally switch them out. Well, she was right! They really love his one! It's always fun to engage in dramatic play and explore imaginary worlds. It is somehow even more fun when that world is teeny tiny!

The night before we'd head off to Hogwarts, I set the [larger] stage for the day ahead. That included hanging our little Headwig (forgive the screech owl in place of a snowy owl) from the side of our stairs so the boys kids would see some exciting mail as they came down for breakfast. Inside of the envelopes, each of them would receive their acceptance letter to Hogwarts and a supply list of items they'd need before making the trip.

They would need to shop for supplies as well, so I set up "The Leaky Cauldron" shop at our little table (again, forgive the creative license here) with some wands to choose from (stay tuned though, because we will be doing more with this later), some wizard robes, a little notebook for each of the boys I made from the graphics I bought, a couple of cauldrons we had from the dollar store several Octobers ago, some tiny backpack wands for mixing potions (these were from Five Below) and some wand pencils for writing/drawing I made by drizzling hot glue on some pencils and painting them with acrylic paints and glitter. 

Some additional books and sensory bottles helped set the stage for our one stop shop. If we had a bit more room here, it would have been fun to have separate shops for different items and activities as portrayed in the book, but this would suffice. You'll notice we don't have any brooms for sail, but rest assured, we have a couple of perfect for Quidditch brooms in our backyard made from sticks, dried grass/leaves and wire! This would be a great activity in and of itself and we loved taking a "stick walk" to find the supplies we needed to make them back when we did the activity in the spring.

I had a frog shaped chocolate mold I used to make some chocolate frogs and I even found some free printable Wizard cards. I packaged these up and some jelly beans for "Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans."

Lastly, I crafted a Sorting Hat out of card stock, a themed chandelier from recycled toilet paper tubes with hot glue dripped down the sides to look like melted wax and an LED tealight inside hung from thread above our couch.

Our Hogwarts Express was pretty low tech as you can see, but the adventure was ready to go, right after about 4 pitiful hours of sleep...

A wand must choose its
owner. S takes this very
seriously as he takes a few
for test runs.

The kids were so excited when they walked downstairs in the morning. I had the Harry Potter movie soundtrack playing in the background and they could barely wait until after breakfast to head to Hogwarts. When it was time, they got to open their letters, shop for supplies with toy money, pack up their old school backpacks and board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4!

Aboard the train, they got to buy and eat some chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Yes, in the morning. You only go to Hogwarts for the very first time once! When they finally arrived to the campus and settled into their dormitory, it was time to sit underneath the Sorting Hat who would select their Houses. Everyone (even Tatty) got to sit in the special seat as the Sorting Hat went to work. Each of the kids were presented with a House bracelet (from Five Below's party favor section).

Soon it would be time for the first of their classes to begin. I hope you'll join us next time to read all about it!

Until then, make sure you're studying up and practicing your broom flying skills and, as always...

Happy Playing!

Summer Fun Mini Themes: Star Wars Jedi Training Camp

One of my favorite things about these [many] days at home is our ability to follow the kids' interests on a whim and dig deeper. It's kind of like emergent curriculum for play. And that's why last week, the Sprout Scouts took off on an intergalactic adventure and enlisted in Star Wars Jedi Training Camp! The experience was out of this world...

S in particular is very into Star Wars. It shows up in his play quite a bit and I loved the challenge of creating a play theme out of that interest. When I happened across some amazing (and free) printable Star Wars art and activities from Fiddlesticks Education, I decided to run--er, fly with it! I was introduced to Fiddlesticks Education resources through a large nature based summer curriculum bundle I purchased on my own whim (and on major discount). I love planning, curating and creating materials for play and learning but I also love the ease of "one stop shopping" and the ability to skip some of that time consuming searching--especially now! I also love to be able to support fellow like-minded educators. Her watercolor work is absolutely stunning and I was particularly inspired by her Curious Kids Club to create a way the kids can keep track of their summer activities and accomplishments. Everyone was very excited last Friday to earn two of their first "trophies" in their Curiosity Cabinets--one for their study in robotics and another for their successful completion of Jedi Training Camp!

So, what exactly did we do at Jedi Training Camp? Well, we started off the week by adopting an Ewok! The boys each got to color, cut and paste their own little paper doll to play with and care for. There is something so fun and quaint about paper dolls. I have such nostalgia whenever we use or make them and the graphics I collected printed onto cardstock were just perfect for that.

S and Y were each presented with their own Intergalactic Passports. They used watercolors to decorate the cover and I told them each day we would visit three planets for activities. Their mission each day was to find the 3 planet pictures I had sneakily tagged around the house and yard and to glue the corresponding picture into their passports. Finding the planets became a favorite activity in and of itself!

Of course the boys needed light sabers to train with. I created those with sculpting balloons, recycled toilet paper tubes and plenty of duct tape. As you can imagine, there were many replacement balloons throughout the week! S even asked for a double sided light saber like Darth Maul at one point, so why the heck not?

As you can see, S took his light saber Jedi training very seriously. One of our favorite (and most often repeated) activities last week was Jedi Training Light Saber Yoga. We used cards from Fiddlesticks Education and I highly recommend them, but you can just as easily make up your own moves and routines. The boys and I took turns pulling 3 cards from the deck at a time and holding each pose for about 10 seconds.

As you can see, this was really just a fun and playful mini theme. I think it made S feel particularly honored to see his interest taken into action last week. And the fun is continuing this week. We haven't quite returned to Earth yet, but we are back in our own galaxy as the Sprout Scouts enroll in Space Camp! But that's a post for another day--and until then...

Happy Playing!

Summer Fun Mini Themes: Robots

So, what do robots, Star Wars, magnet science and squirrels have in common? Not a whole lot, but summers here at the Sprout Scouts Playcamp have always been about following the kids' whims and wonders. Particularly as S and Y get older, they have many transient interests and questions about the world around them. Playing about those together is a great way to learn! It's also a great way to honor the playful spirit of summertime--even, and especially this year with the pandemic going on.

This was our first "official" week of Sprout Scouts Playcamp 2020. We kicked off with some new camp shirts (tie dye this year--which proved to be a wise choice after one messy day in the mud, eating pizza and decorating cookies, painting and more...). S has been asking to do a robot theme for a while, so that seemed like a great way to begin. At the last minute, he also mentioned he'd like to play about Star Wars, so why the heck not? I decided to enroll the kids in Jedi Training Camp this week, too! But that's a post for another day...

With these Summer Fun Mini Theme posts, I hope to share some fun activity ideas you can incorporate into your own themed play and learning. You can dedicate an afternoon to a theme, a whole day, a week or even longer. When it comes to play, I let the kids take the lead. If they lose interest, we move on. If they are engrossed, we keep at it. If they want to practice Jedi Training Lightsaber Yoga while wearing an Ironman costume, have at it!

But back to bots... Here's a peek at how we explored early concepts of robotics here this week through play, literacy, art, science and building:

Setup & Materials:
When it comes to mini theme setups, just like anything else here, use what you have! This pandemic has really enforced that for me. While we have (maybe too much) access to Amazon, we've been able to get really creative with using (and re-using) what we have on hand right here at home. I stocked our play shelves before the week began and included a wooden robot toy we have and a game and also some magnets. I decided that magnet science was one of many great science elements that are part and parcel to robotics. Some other supplies we used include:

• magnets/magnet kit
  
• metal loose parts like paper clips, metal craft bits and pieces, washers, nuts, metal picture hanging hooks, magnetic counters...
• recycled cups, containers, boxes, tubes, etc. from our recycling bin
• craft materials like tape, pipe cleaners, stickers, paper/colored paper, glue, zip ties (those are a craft material here), markers/crayons/colored pencils, paint/paint sticks, felt, google eyes
• old, broken toys
• safety goggles
• screw drivers (small ones are great for small hands)
• metal cookie sheets
• 8x10 magnetic sheets with adhesive back (optional)
• playdough, model magic clay

Books:

There are a lot of great books for children about robots--both fiction and non-fiction. If you don't have any or cannot currently access a library, look up some children's books about robots or short videos on YouTube or similar sites. Another fun idea is to read any of your favorite books together but in a robot voice! We read:

• Hello Robots by Joan Holub, illustrated by Chris Dickason
• Boy + Bot by Ame Dykman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
• Robots, Robots Everywhere by Sue Fleiss, illustrated by Bob Staake

Magical Magnet Science Tricks:

Magnet science is so fascinating! It is really fun for kids to explore magnetism and it's a topic that could produce a stand-alone unit of play and learning. It is important to carefully supervise children with magnets and to keep small parts out of reach (and mouths) of very small ones. C was very interested in what her brothers were playing with this week so I made sure to join her on the floor to support with play and to keep the less suitable materials out of her reach when I couldn't. She also got to play with magnetiles and other toys and materials more independently. There are a lot of great magnet science experiments you can do at home with what you have. We have a magnet kit that had a lot of tools and magnets combined and these can be found fairly inexpensively on Amazon or Walmart. We chose a couple of "tricks" from our kit. One used a magnet wand and a smaller magnet. I asked the boys if they could take the magnet for a walk across our kids' table. They were so intrigued and amused by seeing how a magnet is strong enough to work through a tabletop! You can try the wand in both directions to demonstrate how magnets attract and repel depending on the direction of the poles. We also had a magnet car that could drive across the table or floor when the magnet wand was placed with the repelling pole toward it. We tested out driving it away and bringing it back (by flipping the wand to the attracting pole). If you do not have a magnet car, you can make one by using masking tape to affix a strong bar magnet to the car. But magnet science doesn't even need to be demonstrated in tricks or with kits. You can simply go on a magnetic scavenger hunt around your home to see what is magnetic and what is not. Your refrigerator door is a great place to test this out. A metal cookie sheet will work as well (we have a bunch from the dollar store).

Building a Robot: Transient Art with Loose Parts:

We extended the theme of magnetism and robots by using magnetic boards and small metal loose parts to design. I have seen magnetic boards for sale online, but we just made our own using a couple of dollar store cookie sheets and a magnet sheet with adhesive backing. It's a portable way to explore magnetism and made a lovely work surface as well. I envisioned the boys designing robots and they did for a bit before exploring design in more abstract ways and even just testing out what "sticks" and what does not. Even C was very curious about this activity and I sat with her for some time to explore the bits and pieces (and make sure she didn't eat them).

These same little loose parts were great for creating clay robots with Model Magic clay and for a fun playdough invitation. For those, I added in some pipe cleaners and google eyes as well. Using the same materials for multiple activities saves on time, money and space. It also allows the children to explore them in a variety of ways and venues.

Toy Deconstruction: Yes, you read that right! I first saw this done at a special event at our local library last summer and thought it was brilliant. Once in a while, I introduce it again--and it's worth repeating. We gather a collection of old toys that are broken and on their way to being tossed out, but before they go--I toss in some screw drivers and maybe a couple of pairs of safety goggles because everything is more fun in goggles. This activity does require supervision and support (although S is quite proficient with a screw driver now!). Make sure to remove any batteries or other unsafe parts from toys before tossing them into the mix. S and Y worked on deconstructing toys for 2 days! They would have gone longer with it, but I decided it was time for them to make their final departure to the dump. For those who are concerned that this will teach children to take apart things they should not take apart, my experience has been the opposite. I've found most kids go through a play schema of exploring deconstruction (or what we see as destruction) at some point. Rather than disallowing it and having it happen anyway, I allow it in a directed manner. The boys knew they could use the tools to take apart the toys in the sensory bin. They even help to pick out the ones that are ready to deconstruct. They also know they cannot do this with other toys and household items without asking one of us first. One of my fondest childhood memories is of a large cardboard box housing an old VCR just for deconstructing!

Robot Collage Process Art:

Here's another great "use-what-you-have" art activity. I set out some colored labels, paper and markers. I did not make an "example" or give much direction other than a prompt to "make a robot collage." Y used a sheet of colored cardstock and labels to make his collage. S used a sheet of colored cardstock to draw and then cut out a robot that he added details to with more drawing and some labels. He gave his robot a mask to keep him safe, a sign of the times (and how he is processing that). His collage became a fun paper doll to play with!

Recycled Robot Art: This is an activity I have done in large groups including my classrooms and outdoor playgroup. It's also perfect for home! I saved a few boxes from recent deliveries and brought out our recycling bin full of treasures. In group settings, I would bring additional supplies and materials along and set them out, but in smaller settings and even in my classrooms, I would leave it at that and let the kids choose what to use and how to use it. The boys wanted to make one BIG robot with the larger boxes. They needed a little bit of help with assembly (and some duct tape) but they really did this all on their own. Even C got in on the fun with some tape and stickers she helped to add on her own. S named the robot Ruby and she has become an honorary member of the family! The boys have continued to add on to her and are working today with a couple of smaller boxes to build her a baby. One of my favorite things about process art is the narrative end of it and how children use it as a venue for storytelling. A whole evolving tale has emerged about Ruby and her life. She was unable to talk because she needed new wires. S and Y worked tirelessly sticking pipe cleaners through a crack in her belly box because, as S put it, "they are real wires but they are soft on the outside so she will be comfortable." I have a feeling that when it is time to deconstruct and officially recycle Ruby, I will find an enormous collection of pipe cleaners to add back into our craft stash! Ruby has been invited to join us at the dining room table for dinner. She attended a Zoom playdate yesterday with S and his friend from down the street. She even sneaked up on me in the kitchen this morning when we were making snack (and Y had a little bit to do with that one). Yes, she is made from cardboard, tape and lots of pipecleaners, but Ruby is living her best life...

Build a Robot Felt Board Game:

We incorporated this theme into our weekly "storytime," and this simple DIY game was a real winner for all 3 kids. I used felt to cut up a whole bunch of shapes and robot parts. I used a large die and color coding dot labels but you can use colored paper to make cards, make your own die out of cardstock and color code that or just cut out smaller scraps of the felt you already used as color signs. When it is your turn, you roll the die/pick a color and choose a part. You can decide to build one large robot as a group or to each build individual robots. You can use your felt on a felt board, on a large sheet of felt, right on the ground or a tabletop. If you don't have felt, you can cut your shapes from paper. If you don't want to do all the cutting prep work and you do want to add in an element of drawing/pre-writing practice, play this game with colored markers or crayons and have everyone draw a part of a robot when you call out/roll a color. You can have the artists choose what they draw or also call out a specific part (i.e.: red arm, yellow head, green hand...) and see how many colorful, creative robots emerge!

Well, that's a wrap for this mini theme. There's definitely more you can do with robots and you'll find some posts about them here. Next time I'll tell you all about our intergalactic adventures in Jedi Training Camp, but until then...

Happy Playing!

Getting Ready for Summer at Home with Kids: The Corona Edition

I'm baaaaaack. Ok, let's be honest. I've been here the whole time. In fact, I had not actually been into a store or public building since March 11 until today. And I can't even remember where I went that day. This pandemic has definitely changed the way we live, but it hasn't changed the way we play. Just that we do a lot more of that. Close to home. And with Zoom school about to end, we're about to have even more time for play as we enter another summer of Sprout Scouts Stay-at-Home Play-at-Home Camp. Perhaps you are in a similar boat. Maybe your kids' camp was cancelled or maybe you usually spend the summers at home together like we have in the past. One thing is for sure--this summer will be different for all of us in some ways.

Summer at home with kids and limited venues (if any) for outings presents a whole new playing field. For me, the greatest challenge is the lack of social opportunity for my children and I'm still creatively approaching that one. While Zoom school has not adequately replaced actual face to face social interaction, it has provided a source of connection and comfort for the boys, especially S. He has had some Zoom playdates and even though I spent countless sleepless nights pondering how kids could have a "virtual distance playdate," leave it to a couple of kindergartners to figure that one out! Just yesterday he and his friend went on several out of this world adventures via Zoom background and landed back at home an hour later, just in time for dinner!

Setting up a summer routine has often been a source and anxiety and overwhelm for many parents whether they are already at home, work from home or work out of the home. And now many parents are in the dual role of being at home and working from home while the kids are also at home. If you want to quell your nerves a bit about that, revert back to my last post before you go and make a color coded schedule for your refrigerator (unless, of course, you happen to like making color coded schedules for your refrigerator and then get right to it!). And for those of you who are ready to jump right in, or at least dabble a big toe--here's a few tips and tricks I have up my sleeve for this summer.

Planning is NOT everything. I'm saying that and I love to plan. It's a hobby, even. But it is not the be all and end all of everything. I have a general system in place and some main anchors in our routine that keep us grounded and calm. But I am also going into this knowing that I will tweak and change things and move with my kids' interests and needs as they arise. Preparation is helpful. A schedule is not something I feel inclined to stick to, especially in this current environment. We don't have a storytime to get to at the library or an event at the museum or even a playdate at a friend's house. And in some ways that's kind of nice. Being able to move at our pace at any given moment is helpful. It's also a little disorienting after a while (like after 3 months...) so a routine is helpful. For us, that's a series of repeated events or types of activities we rotate through on a weekly basis. Some refer to that as a weekly rhythm. We change ours from time to time, but for the most part during the last few months, it's looked like this:

Mad Science Mondays --where we've explored various science topics and experiments
Library/Storytime Tuesdays -- where we "visit" our home library and the kids select books to check out (and bring downstairs) for the week and then we have a home storytime with a particular theme and related activities or a particular book and related activities
Artful Wednesdays--where we do some sort of directed art activity, project or longer term study (we recently wrapped up a month long study of color theory)
Homegrown and Handmade Thursdays-- where we do some sort of activity related to our garden, kitchen or hand crafting
Play Day Fridays-- where we delve a little deeper into dramatic play, sensory exploration or backyard shenanigans

Some days the activity is more structured and fills a specific slot of time (never too long with kids nearly 6 and under). Other days we split up activities throughout the day. Sometimes a day's activity is a one run and done type of thing (like a STEM challenge to build a tin foil boat during our Building Science Unit). Other times, it's an activity that's part of a longer study or theme--like painting vegetables on Wednesday that Peter Rabbit might like to eat during a week long study of rabbits that also included a compost tea garden experiment in our "plant lab" on Monday, an outdoor storytime featuring Beatrix Potter books on Tuesday and then a Peter Rabbit Garden Iced Tea Party for lunch on Thursday.

I don't stress if an activity or theme takes more time nor do I stress if it takes less time or even if it's a complete flop altogether. I like having the basic foundation for a flow of how we spend each day and I think it is also something the kids find calming. But there's no sweat if we veer off course or change course altogether.

We are very fortunate to have outdoor access here and the backyard has become essentially another room in our home. As we transition from the school year into summer, I envision spending even more time there with plenty of breaks to cool off indoors. It is our playroom, our dining room, our laboratory, our studio, our classroom and a source of wonder and adventure. It also provides and supplies nearly all of our summer activities--especially this year. I find it helpful to have some basic preparations in place so that we are ready to go with minimal stress and interruption. Here that looks like getting everyone slathered in sunscreen first thing in the morning before our first burst out the back door. We fill water bottles even though we're just a few feet from the kitchen. I keep a tote bag with our basic outdoor supplies that can't be kept outside hanging on a closet doorknob just behind the back door so I grab it, stash our things in a tin basin and we're ready to go.

Some of our "basics" include our nature journals, some field guides or other relevant books, and supplies for drawing/writing/documenting. I also stash in other materials as needed for activities or just plain exploration.

My rule of thumb is that just about anything you can do indoors you can take and do outdoors. Sometimes that involves a bit of creativity. Some other basics I keep at the ready are a large blanket for sitting on, an extra bin or basket for collecting any trash or dirty picnic dishes, and a towel or two for drying wet spots or hands after a rinse at our outdoor hand-washing station (which is just a bar of soap in an old section of pantyhose hanging from a garden hook, water from our jug and a cup for filling and pouring).

Get to YES. This is my mantra when it comes to parenting and teaching. The world of a child is filled with limits and "no's" and "not that way's" and "not yet's." And while those are all a healthy and realistic part of the world, when I can, I like to get to YES. It also mitigates a lot of the battles that ensue after one too many "no's" leaves a child feeling frustrated, powerless and combative. Additionally, some of the gut reactions I have to immediately say "no," can be completely mitigated when I wait and watch. So our space here is a little messier than some and my kid maybe resembles the one on the cover of I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont, but getting to YES on this particular occasion meant that Y explored mixing colors, pouring and created rather a stunning work of art in the end!

Had I immediately said "no" when he began to pour and balance tiny glass dessert cups one on top of the other, I would have completely cut off his unique and intentional exploration and completely missed this stunning result. But aside from learning to embrace the space and bless this mess, finding ways within my own limits and boundaries to support theirs helps us all to get through the day more smoothly and promotes a world of wonder and curiosity that nurtures their growing minds.

Let's PLAY! This year has been monumental. It was a first year of kindergarten for S. A first year of preschool for Y. A first year of life for C. And a first pandemic for, well, all of us. We need this summer to be a time to decompress. While there's always worry about "summer slide" and skill loss, this year there is likely even more concern for children who have been out of traditional classrooms for the better part of 3 months and will accrue at least 3 more before returning. I'm a big proponent of the idea that children learn through play and natural curiosity. So I'm following their whims this summer while sneaking in a bit of wonder. We have just begun meeting some fantastic animal friends through a little bit of imaginative play, storytelling, literature and mail.

Mail? Yes, Notes from Nature. Each week the kids receive a special delivery from an animal, a plant, a tree, a flower, a bug or a rock or maybe a seashell eager to make their acquaintance as we explore our backyard and the vast world beyond it. It began with a letter from a very friendly eastern cottontail rabbit as we learned about rabbits and hares and heard some great stories by Beatrix Potter and Thornton Burgess. This takes them into a world of whimsy but also gives them factual information of various species of flora and fauna both nearby and farther away. These adventures in science and literacy are rounded out by explorations of art, cooking/practical life skills, movement through obstacle courses and neighborhood nature walks and even math.

Math? Yes, math! But not with worksheets and definitely not inside. We just pack it up and take it with us with our "Math on the Go" Kit. I made it somewhat more with S in mind as he's really quite enjoyed kindergarten math--but today Y and I took a Counting Walk to a wooded area near our home and he collected 1 stick, 2 pansies, 3 leaves, 4 pine cones and 5 little rocks. He loves counting. He loves collecting. He didn't even know he was learning!

It will take a bit more ingenuity to meet the kids' needs for movement and socialization this summer--but one muscle that is surely going to get its workout is their imaginations. Whether it's an afternoon of playing "Harry Potter" with wands made from painted sticks, Quidditch Brooms made from fallen branches and dried grass, and colorful capes made from old tea towels--or just a half dead bouquet of cut flowers set out with their mud kitchen and some colored water before it meets its final deposit to the compost tumbler--these days are about setting up the kids for setting their own stage. They are the narrators, the actors and the audience in this show and with or without a pandemic in the background, the show must go on!

Favorite Tried and True Tips: This summer and all year round for that matter, I recall and tap into some of my favorite tools of the trade.

• Just Add Water. For just about every challenge you might face in the course of a lifetime or even one hour--water usually helps. Thirsty? Tired? Hot? Bored? Kids fighting? Dirty? Messy?Got a boat? Just add water. Yes, add a little water and an empty cup is more than half full. Add a little water and all that dirt becomes a glorious mud kitchen. Add a little water and that wilting garden, kid, husband, dirty laundry pile, comes right back to life. Water play is fun for kids (and adults) of all ages and a great activity for multi-aged groups. No pools? No problem. Even a giant bowl can make for hours of fun...

• Use what you have. This summer more than any other, we really are limited to using what we have on hand or can easily access. So we stretch our imaginations instead of our wallets a little more right now. Great souvenirs cost nothing at all if you ask my stick and stone collecting kiddos. All three of the kids are obsessed with the "recycles" bin (as S calls it). And less is more. We swap things in and out a little more frequently now that we are always home, but absence makes the heart grow fonder and something stashed away for a bit feels brand new again when it comes back to the toy shelf or sandbox.
• Don't reinvent the wheel. Novelty is lovely, but not every hour of every day needs to be filled to the brim with it. It's OK to repeat activities. Often. Each time a child explores the same thing, they have an opportunity to delve deeper and take it to a new level. We've repeated science experiments, sensory bins, dramatic play themes and art activities here over and over and over again. Sometimes it's because someone asks for it, other times I initiate it. And you don't have to overthink it all--in fact, sometimes the less thinking I do "for them," the more thinking they do for me! I've learned a lot about play ideas from watching and listening to kids, especially my own. Even when I do prepare an activity, a play setup, an art project--many times the kids will take it entirely in their own direction and I love to be privy to that. I'm even luckier if I'm invited to join them in it! And does it take a load off of me? Yup!
• The simpler things... You don't have to pull out the rolling pins and cookie cutters and icing and sprinkles and hours of labor between prep and cleanup to cook with your kids. Let them join you in choosing one recipe for the bread they will eat this week. Or have them help you make this next batch of playdough. Have them help wash and dry the lettuce--whether it's from your garden or your crisper bin. Let them help you with the dinner you're making anyway. Do kids love iced sugar cookie cutouts? Yes! But is that what they're seeking every time you hit the kitchen? No--it's really the closeness and connection and the honor in their competence even though they are small and require a step stool to reach the kitchen counter. And you can totally count that as an activity. We are putting together a binder with our favorite recipes for food and play so we have it all handy. I like to have at least one of the boys help me out on Sunday choosing and preparing one for the week ahead, but even C is thrilled to join us anytime in the kitchen for whatever task she can get her hands (or mouth) on to help with.

I'll try not to be a stranger to these parts as we slip into summer days here. It's certainly been an adjustment to go from being out and about, in school buildings and offices to being in all the time together attending classes, appointments and meetings from the dining room, the couch, the kitchen, the yard and even the minivan. It will be yet another adjustment not having kindergarten in the kitchen and preschool at the dining room table come Monday morning! But one of the many silver linings has been the opportunity to see my kids really dig deep into their play and exploring and finally feeling like I have "the time" to do all of these things I've so wanted to do with them for so long. In the meantime, I've also completely revamped my outdoor playgroup that met in parks for going on three years to a virtual group that now includes a curbside lending library of over 75 Nature on the Go Kits for kids ranging from infancy on up so a bit of that play and wonder can still reach other homes and yards. And I will aim to tweak activities and ideas I post here to work within the plethora of circumstances families are finding themselves in during these times. 

It is important now more than ever to be kind to ourselves and patient. To do our best in any moment and know that this is enough. There are no "should's" when it comes to getting through and if this blog and others like it are sources of support and inspiration, I'm sure glad to share it! But also know that the pictures and ideas you see here are representative of my own form of self care. I enjoy planning play activities and it's a hobby. If it's not your hobby, that's fine! Unstructured play led by and created by the child is inherently valuable to their growth and development. And know that plenty of that happens here as well. There are times I'm checked out on my phone, glued to my couch, sitting on a lawn chair, eating Skinny Pop out of the bag and wondering why it hasn't lived up to its name. My husband does nearly all the cooking. The laundry is never done. I haven't made a sourdough starter. I have raised my voice on many occasions and not just to sing the "daddy shark" verse in Baby Shark. May we all come out of this whole, healthy and happy! I'll be back soon to share some more about this year's Sprout Scouts Camp misadventures and until then...

Happy Playing!

Am I Doing This Right??!

Am I doing this right? It used to be a question I asked myself every so often both as a parent and as a teacher. And now that we are all in this dual role together and alone, it is a question I ask with significantly more frequency...

How much time should my kids be spending in front of screens? How hard should I push them to do "school" work and sit in front of Zoom classes if they don't want to? How should I be scheduling the days or should I not be scheduling at all? How many "easy to do at home creative family fun activities" should I be incorporating into the day? How much time should I be spending on my own work and creative endeavors? How often should I be cleaning my house and tidying clutter? How much of a threshold do I need to give for behavior issues right now? How many snacks does my toddler really need in an hour? Are my children going to fall behind their peers if we don't do Khan Kids Academy/Virtual Museum Tours/Lunchtime Drawing Sessions With Their Favorite Author and Illustrator/YouTube PE and Yoga every day?

I cannot speak for what every parent, family and teacher is thinking and feeling right now, but I can imagine that if I am asking myself some of these questions on a daily hourly basis (sometimes even more frequently than that), so are many others. I have been a teacher in a classroom. I have been a stay at home parent. I have never before done both at the same time while also trying to prevent my family and others from getting sick, running a household, office, school and entertainment industry, preparing for Pesach and never leaving or seeing people beyond a walking distance away. Uncharted territory is the understatement of the century. And I can't speak for what other schools may require of students in this time or what works for each household within that framework, but I can give my unsolicited opinion:

First off, if you're healthy and your basic needs are met by the end of the day right now, you're doing great. We need to reset the bar. We need to decide how much exposure to social media is helpful and when it is not helpful. We need to trust that the beautifully filtered photos of happy children and creative family activities that we see (including my own) are literally a snapshot of one moment in one day that was full of plenty less photogenic ones. I didn't get a picture of me ugly crying in my kitchen last Friday. I didn't get a shot of us losing our patience with the kids last night while we tried to fold laundry right before their bedtime and they were literally jumping off the walls. I didn't capture the moment one or two or all three completely melted down because their banana broke, because they were put on the rug to play for five minutes and I left the room, because the toy vacuum he was trying to carry up the stairs was "not listening!" Survival mode is a real thing. Those pictures we see are there because they are imperative to our survival right now. We need to see the one thing in a day we know we did right because there are too many others we are unsure of.

But what should we be doing for our early learners right now as parent-teachers who never expected or planned to be thrust into this role overnight? (I should note here I am not touching on the topic of older children and learning because it is above my pay-grade.) Let me give you a tiny glimpse into the secret world of early childhood...

You Do Not Need New Activities Every Single Day: This may be shocking to you, but teachers repeat activities. Often. Sure, there are billions of ideas on Pinterest and Instagram. But we don't have a new craft, sensory table, writing activity, dramatic play scene, science experiment, storytime, game, fill-in-the-blank every day or even every week. And repetition is good for children. An activity that may require a lot of assistance at first can be done more autonomously with repetition. Feelings of confidence arise from opportunities to develop competence and mastery over a task. Deeper understanding and engagement happen when something is familiar. And familiarity is comforting--especially in times of crisis.

You Do Not Need to Fill Every Moment of Every Hour of Every Day: Even in classrooms, there are open spaces of time. Time when children have "free play" and not structured activities. Recess. Have recess! Call it that or whatever you want and "schedule" it into your day. And, if possible, schedule your own "recess" as well. This is time to play for everyone. If you can, get outside. If you can, find enjoyable ways of moving your body. And if you can, let this be a time for your own enjoyment and not a time to clean, tidy toys, prep food or other activities...

You Don't Need to Spend Every Waking Moment with Your Children: In fact, I would even argue that you shouldn't. It's OK (albeit challenging and even right now I am challenged by this) to say that you are taking some time for yourself and you need some space. It's a great way to model this to your children as well--and helpful for siblings who are spending every waking hour together as well in close quarters. And I would also argue that spending a chunk (in fact, several chunks) of time for yourself where you are not also engaged with tending to the many desires of everyone else and the many household tasks will help you to be more engaged in times that you do need to tend to the many desires and tasks at hand. Of course, this doesn't mean ignoring an urgent need. It also doesn't take into consideration that in many households, one or more parents/caregivers are working. There are times that working adults will need to be working and are not available.

They Can Be Bored and they will and it's OK.  Good even. This is the space where creative thinking, planning, discovery and deep play begins.

You Don't Have to Fix It All: There are going to be fights. Meltdowns. Disappointments. Temper tantrums. Frustrations. And also fears, worries, anxieties, grief... You can't and you don't have to fix it all. Be there. Be patient (with yourself as well). Know that this just will have to be enough. You don't have to intervene at every sibling squabble. You don't have to fill the minutes of boredom. You don't have to direct every activity or please every person at every time. It's OK to say "I can't" or "No" or "I don't know right now." And it's also OK to ask "What do you think we should do about this?" or "How can we solve this?" or "What would help you in this moment?"

About Activities... You don't need novel activities and projects every hour or every day. It's great if you have an interest in planning one or two. It's also OK if you don't or you can't. It's fabulous if an activity spans over the course of several days or weeks. Consider some longer term projects (like learning a new craft or hobby, planting a garden, or, as shown in the photo at the top, a child-led project like digging the deepest hole possible and finding out what is underground). And also note that teachers do not always prep every single step of every single activity. It's OK to just set out some paper and rolls of tape. It's OK for your kids to cut and glue and find their own materials and clean them up afterward... And you don't have to have every single item on that extensive blog supply list complete with Amazon affiliate links. We are all having to get creative with using what we have on hand and this is also a reality for many classrooms and teachers on a regular basis. What can you use instead? And this is a great question to pose to your children--you may be impressed with what they come up with. Activities can also be participation in natural routines of your day--cooking together, cleaning together, folding laundry together, reading together...

Time... Do you need a color coded schedule? Do you need to have timers set and follow a strict routine? No. And truthfully, many of the best classrooms don't follow a strictly timed schedule either aside from out of necessity (like pick up times or scheduled extracurricular activities). Having some semblance of a repeated flow of activities can be helpful. Even having a visual representation of this can be helpful for young children (and this can be as simple as stick figures drawn onto paper) so they are able to see that after breakfast they will get to play and after that there will be a Zoom class and after that there will be a time to go outside and then Mommy will be "at work" and at this time Daddy will be able to play with you... And it's OK to go off schedule. If your kids are content playing outside and really engaged in a game together, you don't need to rush inside for a craft project or science experiment.

Emergent "Curriculum" in the Home: Theme based learning is something that does happen in many classrooms, but it's not the only way and it's not the way that you must run things in your home (unless you happen to like that). One thing I have really enjoyed gaining out of this is an opportunity for emergent "curriculum" to happen in my home. Y wanted to have a pillow for the Seders next week, so we all sewed pillows. S wondered if we could grow an apple tree from the seeds of his apple, so the boys collected their seeds and we planted them and they sprouted and then S wanted to plant it outside, so they dug a hole and we put in the plant and we are making a label to stick beside it with a wooden paint stick we have at home. C was very interested in how the doors on the dollhouse open and close, so we got out some other toys that open and close and showed her to the toy kitchen cabinets that open and close and observed how things "appear" and "disappear" when doors open and close.

The If You Can/When You Can Category: If you can/when you can, have a list (either physical or in your head) of things to do when you need to fill a space of time or change a mood or moment. You can even engage the whole family in coming up with that list. Take a walk. Blow bubbles. Dance party. Read together. Read aloud. Family Movie Night. Board games. If you can/when you can set a chunk of time (does not need to be a long time or even only one, you can do "snacks" instead of a "meal" here), and have that be time with your family and kids. Where you can put the phone aside and turn the computers off. Be silly together. Share hopes and plans for the future together. Just be.

When to Zoom In and When to Zoom Out: No one versed in even the most basic components of early childhood development will tell you that screen learning is developmentally appropriate for this age group. In fact, I don't think it's really developmentally appropriate for any age group. But this is what we have now. There are many benefits to this technology and it allows us to be together while we are alone. But it is also very hard on children and their adults! If your kid is done with it for the day, my *opinion* is that you can shut it down. I know some schools and teachers have certain requirements now, but my two cents is that if it's not working for your child on one day or on many or on any at all, shut it down. If it's not working for you on one day, on many or on any at all, shut it down. Math can happen by counting grapes, splitting the last cookie in half, measuring how deep the hole is in the backyard... This is not a normal school scenario. This is not even a normal home school scenario. We are all in this together and alone. The bigger picture is not clear right now, but it's also not what we need to worry about/focus on at the moment. Getting through this with health, safety and some semblance of sanity is. I feel that the benefits that do potentially come from Zoom classes or similar setups right now are the opportunity for "socialization" and for familiarity/routine. There may be some learning happening as well, but right now that is not the most urgent need we have. So if virtual schooling is giving your child a way to connect that works for him/her and works for you--that is a great tool. If it is not, you can make use of other tools here. As a teacher, I would want to have feedback from my parents and families right now to know what is working and what is not and to brainstorm together--I do think it's OK and encouraged to reach out to your teachers and discuss this with kindness and empathy on both sides. We all need a lot of that right now.

And with that said, be well, be patient, be kind to yourself, and when you can, be playful.

Supporting Our Children's Mental Health (And Our Own) In Times of Crisis

These are unprecedented times. There is nothing in our proverbial tool belts to help us know how to navigate this. Our lives, our children's lives and the world at large has come to an abrupt and sudden halt with no clear light and the end of this tunnel and no certainty of when we will see one. So many times in our lives here when my children have faced something new or scary, we have been able to tap into our adult tool belts to access ways to support them. We have been able to draw upon experiences in our own lives or wisdom from others, but now, we are right there along with them. This is new. This is scary. And we have to use what we do know to navigate the unknown.

So many questions plague my nightly insomnia sessions. Will my children be traumatized by this? Will we manage to stay safe and healthy? Will our loved ones stay safe and healthy? Will my children have the resilience to pull through this with strength and security? Will we? How do we support our children's mental health (and our own) in a time of global crisis?

There is so much I don't know. With everything I do know, I try to keep this ship afloat. I am so incredibly lucky that we are all currently healthy, safe and able to support our family's needs. So many are suffering out there in so many ways. I feel incredibly lucky as well to be here with my husband and children. While it is challenging to share a 2 bedroom apartment and small outdoor space that is now our home, office, cafeteria, kindergarten, preschool and nursery, I am not alone. My children are very young, and in some ways I feel that this makes it easier on us. They don't have the frame of reference to know how "not normal" this "new normal" is. They are still able to find joy and wonder in each and every day. They are still as enamored with jumping in mud puddles in the rain as they are lying in the grass on a warm and sunny day. They find the silver linings and they are the silver linings. I don't have a great concern over their academic development in this time of unforeseen and long term school closure. But I do worry about how this will affect their social and emotional health.

S started kindergarten this year. He is a kid who thrives on routine and predictability. Routine and predictability are out the window right now. He is a kid who needed more playdates and social interactions with peers, not fewer, not none. He is a kid who needs space and opportunity to move his body living in close quarters. He was excelling in reading (in two languages), writing, math, science, Jewish studies and more. He was working on challenges with focus and attention and executive functioning in a classroom setting and was about to get some support with this in his school. Now he is in an environment where, granted, that is less of a struggle, but also less of an opportunity to grow. While many of his peers probably struggle with this new Zoom "classroom" environment, having the ability to have all of his peers muted actually helps him hone in. If only real classrooms had a "mute all" option. He is naturally empathetic and sensitive to feelings of anxiety or uncertainty. In these circumstances, there is no way to shield him from that, but plenty of opportunity to support him in navigating these emotions.

Y started preschool this fall. He had waited for two years for this. Every morning, he came along with me to drop off his older brother and then go home. On his first day of preschool when I drove him into the parking lot, he gleefully shouted, "Mommy, it's my school, it's my school! And DON'T take me home!" And he loved his friends and teachers. One day, one of his favorite classmates went on a trip (a cruise) but then she came back. Another day shortly after, it was announced that one of his teachers was also going on a trip (moving away); she did not come back. He was sad and confused about this and still is, but he built a strong connection with the new teacher and continued to connect closely with his other teacher as well. Then came Purim. He had a grand time eating copious amounts of treats that day. The following morning, he put on his astronaut costume, jet pack and a rain coat and began walking to the van to go to school. There was going to be a Purim party that day and he couldn't wait to squeeze in one more celebration. Then, right on the top step of our porch, he said "mommy, my mouth hurts" and threw up. He wanted to go to school. He wanted a cookie. His Mommy told him he couldn't go to school because he threw up and then he tried to convince me that he did not, in fact, throw up, it was his baby sister, C! Then that Mommy took him inside, cleaned him up, gave him watered down Gatorade and plain toast instead of a cookie and the very next day, school shut down for the rest of the year. Guess you really can't go to school if you throw up. Oh dear...
And C? She's the kid, who ironically I see the least of. Now that we are all home and not shlepping around to pick up and drop off siblings, she finally gets to nap. She loves having everyone here, especially her older brothers. She was also just beginning physical therapy for hypotonia and now those sessions will take place via telepractice. She'll probably try to eat the computer. She (and her brothers) really need opportunity for movement and active play, and while a small space is just the right size for her small body right now, it's still hard to produce the many terrains of the outer world in our tiny inner portion of it. When will she see a playground again? When will she have an opportunity to experience mulch? A ramp? A swing? A shopping cart?

And while all of these concerns bounce back and forth in the empty spaces of 3-5AM, the greatest of them all is how this will affect the mental health of my own children and children across the world. There aren't strategies and support groups for dealing with pandemics with young children. There are methods and tools for dealing with grief and plenty of children are facing that challenge. There are practices for handling trauma but at this early stage, we can't really tell how this will affect children in the longer term. And children with all kinds of needs and supports to navigate them are living lives with less support in place rather than more. But here's what I do know. We do have tools to navigate the emotions that accompany this. We are facing this as a worldwide community and in that sense, no one is alone or isolated in this. So if, like me, you are looking for ways to support your own children's mental health in this time of uncertainty, here are some tools that are working for us:

A Duck Doesn't Always Walk and Talk Like a Duck
It is important to note that anxiety and sadness in our children right now does not always manifest in "obvious" ways. It may come in any or all of the following forms (and others not listed):

• "I'm bored"
• acting silly
• aggression and anger
• lower threshold and emotional latency
• increased requests for help with tasks they typically do independently
• "I'm hungry"
• acting out worries through play (death, illness, even violence)
• testing limits and boundaries
• tearful moments
• angry outbursts and tantrums
• seeming withdrawn
• refusal to cooperate or participate in planned activities
• increased or decreased appetite
• regression in developmental behaviors (i.e. toileting, sleep patterns, etc.)
• being "clingy," more attached and more emotional at separations (i.e. bed or nap times, a parent leaving the room or house)

This list is by no means comprehensive, but the important thing is to keep an open eye and an open mind. Try to identify and recognize when your child may be experiencing and expressing anxiety and sadness. It is hard and it is also challenging to meet these needs with our own anxiety and sadness in tow.

Speaking of our own anxiety and sadness... I am not going to tell you to "keep it in check." It's up and down. These are not going to be "perfect" times and I have to believe that this is OK. I believe in trying our best and trying again when we miss that mark. I believe in being honest with our children at an age appropriate level. It is important that they know that we are here to support them in every way we can. It is important they know that we want to keep them healthy and safe and that we love them and care about them. It is important that they know that there is a lot we don't know, but when we know more we will tell them. It is important that they know they can ask us any question or talk about any worry no matter how big or small it may feel.

And for us--we need to give ourselves a space and time to feel our own worry and grief. I tend to be able to surpass the paralysis stage of it when I can put something into action. I find it personally helpful to work on planning things I can when so many things cannot be planned for now. For me, that looks like creative work. I have found it challenging to not have any time "to myself" anymore, but I have also learned that I don't need to save my creative endeavors for times when no one else is around. I can craft and knit and write and organize while we are all together. So I am baking, sewing, knitting and planting all of the things. Apartmentsteading, if you will. 

It is not perfect. I have lost my patience. So has my husband. I have cried once in front of the kids. I have cried a LOT of times at night when they are asleep. I have navigated the space between remaining connected through social networking and being over connected to the point of anxiety. Then, as if it, too had simply had enough of this all, my phone died. So for the better part of this week I have been pretty unplugged--so socially distant that I now want social distancing extra credit! I have also been more tuned in to my kids and able to overhear some of their play and processing. And I have also been far less anxious with limited and more intentional exposure to media. So on that note, I also recommend deciding for yourself what, how much and what type of media exposure is helpful to you in this time. It's ok if that changes from one day to the next. Give yourself a time to talk to another adult whether it is a spouse, a friend, a family member or a professional (or maybe all of the above). 

Children and Media Exposure:

On the topic of media exposure, it's important to be mindful of what information children are getting, how they are getting it and how they are processing it. It may be a good idea to refrain from having the news on during times that young children are present. Alternatively, you might consider seeking helpful media resources and watching them together with your children.

An Attitude of Gratitude:

Studies have shown that in times of crisis, an attitude of gratitude is a huge support factor. Finding things to be grateful for and ways to "get out of ourselves" can help to support our own mental health and well being. I do not think, however, that this means we must ignore the feelings of sadness and grief and worry--those feelings are real and valid. But there is room in those feelings to still be able to find moments of joy and glimpses of hope. If gratitude isn't your thing, maybe humor is. Or distraction. A favorite hobby. A new hobby. And encourage these support tools in your children as well.

Remaining Socially Distant AND Connected:

This is so hard. We all feel trapped and isolated. For those of us like myself who are more introverted and prefer less physical touch, this may not be as challenging as it is for those who are very extroverted and whose primary love language may be a hug from a friend. It is important to help our children feel as connected to friends and loved ones as possible while still practicing safe social distancing. Video chats and phone calls and even mail (with safety restrictions observed) can help. Also recognizing signs that your child needs more connection with you at this time can be helpful. It is definitely draining when the need is so high and I find myself pretty exhausted by the end of each day. But I am trying more and more to lean into that rather than resisting it. Even my least snuggly kid is more interested than usual in cuddling up next to me and maybe I even need a bit more of that, too.

About this whole Zoom school thing...

I can't speak for other parents or educators right now, but as a parent and educator myself, I'd say go with what works here. I am so grateful to all the effort and perseverance my children's teachers are putting forth. S is doing pretty well right now with the whole Zoom class thing. Y likes the time with me during his virtual "Circle Time" and likes seeing his teachers and friends, but sitting in front of a screen when you are 3 and have low vision is not the ideal learning style. If your kids are loving this, go with it. If they are not, close the laptop and do what works. Don't let this be a battle or additional stress factor. Your child is not going to fall behind his peers when all of his peers are also experiencing this. We will all be navigating the new starting spot when things resume in the Fall. Consider this "emergent curriculum" in your home. Even those who have homeschooled or currently do will tell you that this is not at all what homeschooling looks like. If your child does times tables one day, great. If the next day he learns about math by eating half a bag of M&Ms, great.

Creating a "New Normal:"

Gotta hand it to you moms out there with your color coded schedules and newly preschool-themed living room decor. But if that's not your speed, don't feel like you're not earning yourself Mom/Dad/Teacher of the Year. We all get that award this year no matter what. I personally have made great strides in the the Stay at Home end of being a Stay at Home Mom. You don't need to make a schedule. Every minute of every day does not need to be planned and filled. Kids get bored and then they get past that. The space just past boredom is glorious. It actually was just filled here now by a very inquisitive S who finished his snack and was looking for direction and connection but a Mom who really needs a little more time to her own thoughts and now he is deeply engaged in a favorite book. That said, having some sort of routine can be helpful for everyone. That differs from person to person and family to family. Here it means that we do get dressed every morning. We have breakfast, play time, then the boys have their "classes" on Zoom. Then we have a snack, go outside, maybe do an activity together I have planned or maybe follow a lead one of the boys comes up with. They come in for lunch, Y has a nap, S has his afternoon "class" and then some time on the computer to play games for half an hour. After that, he has an afternoon snack and some time with me (which is about to happen here). C and Y usually wake up around the same time and join us. My husband finishes his work and we all have dinner. Then we usually do a family walk or a bike ride for the boys. C kind of joins us whenever and naps once in the morning and once later on. It's OK if the "schedule" changes. We go with what everyone seems to need in the moment. But having some routines and things that are predictable really helps everyone to feel a little more "normal" in this "new normal."

Staying Active and Staying Together:

Even in limited spaces, getting outside together, taking a walk together, playing tag or having a family race together can get everyone moving and releasing those happy endorphins in our brain. It can also open up conversations in a more comfortable venue than sitting down to talk together. 

Document the Journey:

If your children are older, it might be a good idea to keep a journal. If they are younger, they may like to draw. They don't need to write about this experience or their feelings, although they may want to. But having a space to keep their thoughts and ideas can be helpful.

And When All Else Fails...

It's OK to start over. Once a day, once an hour, as often as needed. If you need to change the mood, try changing the room or putting on some music or lighting a candle. Be silly. Be sad if you need to but don't be stuck in it. Talk about what your wishes and hopes are. It's OK if your five year old wants to plan his 6th birthday party that you don't know when it will be. Just reassure him that it will be. And find ways to celebrate right now. Celebrate anything and everything you can. National Crayon Day. Check. Eat a Donut Day. Check. Tuesday. Check.

And When to Grab that Life Preserver...
There is no stigma here with mental health needs. We are all experiencing a mental health crisis. If and when you need more support for yourself, for your children, for your marriage, for your parenting--it is out there (albeit in a different venue) and it's OK to utilize it.

I'm off for my afternoon dose of Vitamin D and S giggles...some of my favorite medicine. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay sane and keep playing.