Sometimes you have a plan. You decide what you're going to do, maybe when you're going to do it. Then... things don't go according to plan. One child sleeps in longer than expected. The kids decide they don't want to participate in this activity you have planned. What do you do? Go with the flow.
A while back, I wanted to let the kids help me make butterflies using empty toilet paper rolls and egg cartons. What did we make? Glasses for the kids to wear, using empty toilet paper rolls and pipe cleaners. Nichole also made a birdhouse with my help, using the toilet paper roll and egg carton.
A few days ago, we were talking about birthdays. I had printed out a couple of birthday pictures for the kids to color. Nichole decided instead of coloring they needed party hats, so...
We made party hats. I didn't have a plan for how we were going to make party hats, so both of them were a little bit different from each other, but acceptable to the kids. Nichole let me know that we should use glue to put hers together. We just used staples for Jr.'s.
The kids really help with creativity. Nichole's good at figuring out how to put things together. Either she'll suggest a material to be used or she'll tell me what it should look like or be shaped like.
The kids also help me be spontaneous. I'll ask them if we should do one thing, and they'll suggest another. Should we go to the store? No, we should go to the library. O.K. Let's go to the library.
Spontaneity. Go with the flow.
These children are precious and as I try to teach them, I am also learning so much from them. What a blessing.
I need to be more crafty like you with my kids. Especially when the weather gets bad, I need to have some tricks up my sleeve. Hmmm . . .
ReplyDeleteI found this book at our library. I haven't done many of the activities in it, but it got me thinking and there are definitely some activities in it that I want to try.
ReplyDeleteThe Rainy Day Book
by Jane Bull
50 activities to do on those dull, rainy days
It's got some fun ideas in it. And it focuses on using items that you might already have at home.
And thank you for the compliment. I do a lot of simple non-fancy things, but that's what works with my kids.