For parents, this is quite a stressful time. Keeping kids meaningfully engaged at home from morning till bedtime. It is quite natural that you might get tempted to just handover a phone to your children to keep them entertained while you get some time to finish your work or to be just by yourself. But there are various ways that will not only help you get through the next few days but also in the future. Here are some tips on how to engage kids meaningfully.
- Make a routine: Since there is no school for the next few weeks, it is vital to establish daily routines. First step to keep your kid meaningfully engaged is to create a timetable. Prepare it with your kid and do take their suggestions.
- Adapt mediums to learn efficiently: Sooner or later, studying at home will become boring for your little one. Look for mediums, tools or educational toys for kids that are useful to make learning or education fun, easy & interesting.
- Use your child’s interest: It is a good time to reflect on your child’s interest. Use those interests in the process of learning. For instance, singing the topics, involving math or geography in their favourite sports!
- Practical learning: How? An e.g. could be taking out pulses from kitchen and showing them, asking them to label or do gardening with them. Moreover, in the process, you can also explain photosynthesis and how plants come to life.
- Technology as medium: Let technology make the work easier for your child for e.g. online teaching or apps etc. Interactive books using the talking pen technology are a perfect addition to every educational portfolio for young kids. The Multi- sensory approach makes a topic way more interesting than just reading it. Since child can also record his thoughts and listen to it, the engagement happens at all levels. All this boosts a child’s imagination and creativity. (See footnote to explore such products)
3. Physical Activity: It is very important to stay fit, not just physically but also mentally. Studies show that doing any kind of physical activity releases brain chemicals associated with learning. At home, you can motivate kids to dance, do aerobics, rope skipping, if you have a balcony put a small hoop for basketball etc.
4. Indulging in games: This could be anything from indulging into a match of good old board games to Chess or Carom boards etc.
5. Keep kids off screens: Goal is not to be overwhelmed and expose your child to TV and mobile screens to keep them entertained. Try to keep them involved otherwise or give them a substitute like the talking books and even motivate them in helping with small household chores.
Know that the objective as parents or guardians is to keep children motivated to learn everyday and that education is not just limited to reading and writing. Share your thoughts and suggestions with other parents here on how you are dealing with the situation.
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