All Day Free Play

[athomemommy]

I pretty much let the kids have free play all day. We move inside, outside and different rooms. They are okay with it but I am getting bored. Can you please give me a detailed explanation of how your day goes I have 2 year olds and 5 year olds. I never feel like there is a good time to "teach" them

[Heidi]

If you are getting bored, how about adding just a few planned activities? Maybe 3x a week, make playdough, or bake something together, or let them make mini-pizza for lunch, that sort of thing.

We take a daily walk (well, 4 out of 5 days, I'd say), and sometimes we take the neighbors treats we made. Sometimes, they give us vegies from their gardens. We got some rubharb last month, made bars, and took some to the neighbors along with the recipe.

Sitting at the table at meals is a good time to read a story (captive audience), do a puppet show, or teach them a song.

I'm not a big planner either, so I know how you feel. I think they need LOTS of freeplay, but I do like to plan a few things a week. Keeps all of us from getting bored!

Just a few ideas!

[Blackcat31]

If you have all day free play, what I would do is take the time to sit down and get involved with different groups of kids (whether they are playing in twos orlarger groups...or even singly) and start the conversation going. You can incorporate so much learning into just conversation.

For example if you have 2 kids playing Lego blocks, you can talk about cognitive concepts such as over, under, behind, which tower is wider, which is taller etc.

If you have kids playing in the kitchen center you could play restaurant and have them take your order and then incorporate money or writing or manners into the discussion.

If you have a child playing with cars, you could sit in with them and talk about road safety and what the colors on the stop lights mean and what different rules for the road are.

There are literally 1,000's of ways you can incorporate learning into free play. It doesn't have to be the same lesson for the same kids or group of kids. Let the kids lead you. They will tell you what they want to know and what they are ready to know.

Just join in and have some fun!

[athomemommy]

Thanks for the ideas. I do want to teach them things and play with them. I want to start reading with one and counting with another. I really want it to be more center/classroom like where they get a lesson but my kids don't want that so I dont do it.

How do you work with one while they keep coming over? mainly mine 2 year old.

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by athomemommy

Thanks for the ideas. I do want to teach them things and play with them. I want to start reading with one and counting with another. I really want it to be more center/classroom like where they get a lesson but my kids don't want that so I dont do it.

How do you work with one while they keep coming over? mainly mine 2 year old.

"2yo dcg...I am working with dcb now...I will come see you when we're done" rinse and repeat.

Or, you could put the youngest down for nap, and then spend 15 minutes with one of the oldest ones (2x a week each?) on a one-on-one activity. It'll only cut your naptime down by a few minutes....

[Countrygal]

Originally Posted by Heidi

"

Or, you could put the youngest down for nap, and then spend 15 minutes with one of the oldest ones (2x a week each?) on a one-on-one activity. It'll only cut your naptime down by a few minutes....

This is what I do. I do most of my preschool during nap time. (but we're "off" for the summer - or so they think )

I also have a circle time in which we work at all levels. For example, my youngsters learn their letter and number while the older kiddos get to add them together or say their sounds or make a word out of them. The other day one of my dck took my alphabet floor puzzle and made several blocks out of the pieces (they fit together nicely), then we tossed them to see if we could make any words. Watch for those "teachable moments".

[jokalima]

I have diff ages also and what works for me is group time, all of the learn so much in group time, the the rest of days sometimes we have planned activities and other day we just have free play, lots of singing and dancing. going out for walks, counting stop signs etc..