Fun Activities to Do with Your Children at Home
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic situation around the globe, many parents are struggling with different anxieties, from having to work from home, to managing with their childrenʼs home base learning, to juggling with domestic household chores and worrying about their loved onesʼ well-being and health.
Since the circuit breaker measures was implemented, our daily life seems to be brought to a standstill. While it is extremely important to stay home as much as possible, many parents also brood over how to engage their children meaningfully or how to continue with their childrenʼs learning at home.
It is crucial to acknowledge the importance of ensuring continuity in your childrenʼs learning at home. By providing meaningful opportunities for childrenʼs learning at home it promotes resilience and a deeper understanding on how they can help to play a part in flattening the curve with Covid-19 too! Most importantly, this is the perfect time to establish secure bonds between parents and child that will benefit the childʼs cognitive, emotional, and social development altogether.
For instance, preschool educators often reinforce good personal hygiene practices such as hand washing and tooth brushing. Parents should also reinforce these practices at home with their children. By doing so, children adopt good hygiene practices and they will also learn to discover how to get rid of nasty bacteria on their own. Poster-making on personal hygiene is a great activity that can be undertaken at home, to spark discussions, to develop life skills and to reinforce writing in creative ways.
While it may be tricky to explain to our children where bacteria and germs are found, especially when they are invisible to the naked eye, we can make it fun by conducting experiments with them at home! Experiments such as ʻSpot the germs on the breadʼ can be easy and fun! All you need are a few pieces of bread and sandwich bags. First, you leave an untouched slice of bread in bag A, while you leave another slice of bread touched by your dirty and greasy hands in bag B, and maybe a last slice of bread touched by your bare clean hands in bag C. Leave these bags alone and see what the experiment turns into in a few days. Have fun with it!
Another fun activity to do with your children is to create Home-Made All- Natural Hand Sanitizer! This is also a great product to help keep your hands free of germs. In this activity, you will need rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel and your preferred scent of essential oils which helps to soothe the skin. On top of that, this fun activity can be further expanded into a nice conversation around hygiene and disinfectant with your children. Refer to recipe below and have lots of fun with it.
Remember that keeping your children active and mentally stimulated is as important as educating them. Incorporating meaningful and fun experiences with your child will support them holistically during this challenging time.
Homemade Natural Sanitizer Spray Recipe!
• 2 tbs pure aloe vera. Gel or liquid, but make sure it is 100% pure
• 2 tbs witch hazel. Commercially prepared is OK just try to find it without alcohol
• 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 15 drops or 100% pure lavender essential oil
• 5 drops of 100% pure tea tree essential oil
• Mix all ingredients together and with a small funnel transfer into a small spray bottle.
• Shake well, and youʼre done!
Natural Sanitizer Notes and Tips!
Tea tree oil although highly effective an antibacterial agent, the smell is very strong and not many like it. Just the lavender essential oil will do, but you can add any other that you like, or not.
If you are wondering if your hands will smell like vinegar, don’t worry, the lavender essential oil will mask the smell.
If you have pure vitamin E, you could add a few drops. It will act as a moisturising agent and as a natural preservative.
These proportions resulted in about 1.5oz increase evenly as needed.
If you prefer a gel, just buy aloe vera gel and a 1:5 gel to witch hazel ratio for the consistency to remain.
You could get the spray bottle at the trail aisle at any story.
Poster-making on personal hygiene practices done by our very own Lorna Whiston Preschools Kindergarten 2 kids!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ms Cowell graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, specialising in early childhood. She started her career as a preschool educator in 2007 and has been a principal for four years. She was previously appointed as Vice President & Curriculum Head, where she worked on curriculum development, and supported all co-operate owned centres and franchisees in Singapore and China. Ms Cowell joined Lorna Whiston Preschool in 2019.