So the winter break for schools has started in Kuwait and if you aren't traveling, then the kids will be home for the next two weeks. This can add a lot of stress on parents and even if you are a stay at home mom, you'll need a lot of fun ideas to keep the kiddos busy. Here's 10 ideas to keep them engaged, learning and having fun all break long.
1. Have a treasure hunt. Create a list of small items they can find throughout the house. Give them the list and a basket and let them go for it. Make the list simple but also things that will challenge them to think or use their motor skills: something purple, something round, a pair of socks, a photo from a magazine, two pieces of ribbon, something we take to the beach, etc.
2. Draw a wall. Buy some erasable markers or crayons and give them a wall in their bedroom or in the hallway. Give them a theme (Christmas, winter break, soccer, jungle, etc.) and let them draw a mural. Just test the markers/crayons first to make sure you can wash it all off afterwards. Let them draw in stages. After stage one, ask questions about what they are drawing and why and what they plan to draw next.
3. Make one day a Yes Day. I tried this and my daughters loved it. They have already asked for another Yes Day during the break.
4. Let the kids make lunch. Give them basic directions and let them choose from an array of ingredients and help oversee the cooking but let them make the decisions, set the table, chop the veggies, etc and let them clean up afterward. Reward them with stickers or a trip to the park.
5. Get outside. Go for a bike ride, to the park, for a stroll. There's now a place you can rent bikes for the day from called Lets Bike Kuwait (Telephone 6627-2945 or Instagram @letsbike_kw). I haven't tried them yet but what a great idea. Any moms that do try them, pls send me an email [email protected] with your experience and photos :)
6. Hold a children's olympics. Make a list of childhood games (hopscotch, jumping jacks, dance freeze, spoon on the nose, etc.), invite some friends over for a playdate and then hold contests for each game. Make sure to have a medal or prizes for everyone at the end.
7. Get out the arts and crafts and create living stories. Let your kids use playdough, paint, collage materials, etc to create stories about their own lives. Their first memory or their favorite doll/toy. They can also collaborate where each child helps create a larger story but you have to give them clear directions and areas where each can work on the stories seperately.
8. Have a photography day. Get disposable or small handheld cameras for each of the kids. Take them to the park, playground, shops, or even the Corniche and let them photograph whatever they want. Then let them choose the photos they want on a computer. Print them out four to a page and make photo books from their journey. The kids can then caption the photos for practice writing/reading.
9. Have a late night movie night. Get two or three movies, some pizzas or popcorn (even better if you let the kids make their own pizzas) and let them have a party. Be sure and ask them about the movies the next day. I always have my older daughter explain the storyline, name the characters and tell me what she liked and disliked about the movie and what she learned that she didn't know before. This is really great if you haven't seen the movie because when you do watch it, you'll see it through your child's eyes.
10. Do the chores/dress up party. I let the girls dress up in any of my clothes until they've gone through the whole closet. We then take a break, have a snack and then have a 'clean up' party where they help me sort the clothes by type, color and etc. One of my favorite ways to clean out my closets and keep the kids occupied at the same time.
Have other great ideas for winter break activities? Email me [email protected] or comment in the section below. Thanks and hope to hear from you all!
1. Have a treasure hunt. Create a list of small items they can find throughout the house. Give them the list and a basket and let them go for it. Make the list simple but also things that will challenge them to think or use their motor skills: something purple, something round, a pair of socks, a photo from a magazine, two pieces of ribbon, something we take to the beach, etc.
2. Draw a wall. Buy some erasable markers or crayons and give them a wall in their bedroom or in the hallway. Give them a theme (Christmas, winter break, soccer, jungle, etc.) and let them draw a mural. Just test the markers/crayons first to make sure you can wash it all off afterwards. Let them draw in stages. After stage one, ask questions about what they are drawing and why and what they plan to draw next.
3. Make one day a Yes Day. I tried this and my daughters loved it. They have already asked for another Yes Day during the break.
4. Let the kids make lunch. Give them basic directions and let them choose from an array of ingredients and help oversee the cooking but let them make the decisions, set the table, chop the veggies, etc and let them clean up afterward. Reward them with stickers or a trip to the park.
5. Get outside. Go for a bike ride, to the park, for a stroll. There's now a place you can rent bikes for the day from called Lets Bike Kuwait (Telephone 6627-2945 or Instagram @letsbike_kw). I haven't tried them yet but what a great idea. Any moms that do try them, pls send me an email [email protected] with your experience and photos :)
6. Hold a children's olympics. Make a list of childhood games (hopscotch, jumping jacks, dance freeze, spoon on the nose, etc.), invite some friends over for a playdate and then hold contests for each game. Make sure to have a medal or prizes for everyone at the end.
7. Get out the arts and crafts and create living stories. Let your kids use playdough, paint, collage materials, etc to create stories about their own lives. Their first memory or their favorite doll/toy. They can also collaborate where each child helps create a larger story but you have to give them clear directions and areas where each can work on the stories seperately.
8. Have a photography day. Get disposable or small handheld cameras for each of the kids. Take them to the park, playground, shops, or even the Corniche and let them photograph whatever they want. Then let them choose the photos they want on a computer. Print them out four to a page and make photo books from their journey. The kids can then caption the photos for practice writing/reading.
9. Have a late night movie night. Get two or three movies, some pizzas or popcorn (even better if you let the kids make their own pizzas) and let them have a party. Be sure and ask them about the movies the next day. I always have my older daughter explain the storyline, name the characters and tell me what she liked and disliked about the movie and what she learned that she didn't know before. This is really great if you haven't seen the movie because when you do watch it, you'll see it through your child's eyes.
10. Do the chores/dress up party. I let the girls dress up in any of my clothes until they've gone through the whole closet. We then take a break, have a snack and then have a 'clean up' party where they help me sort the clothes by type, color and etc. One of my favorite ways to clean out my closets and keep the kids occupied at the same time.
Have other great ideas for winter break activities? Email me [email protected] or comment in the section below. Thanks and hope to hear from you all!
RSS Feed
