How Do I Possibly Keep Them Busy?
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 12:00AM Without a doubt, the number one question I am asked here on Preschoolers and Peace is, "How do I possibly keep my little people busy while I'm trying to get school done with the older kids?" I love this question, because it is the very reason the blog and site were created.
Over the past six years, I've tried my best to give you as many ideas and resources as I possibly could, from activities that have worked in our home to suggestions from readers and friends. Now you can find the best of them all right here. There is a permanent button on the right sidebar of the home page that will direct you straight to this post, in case you need a refresher from time to time. What works one season may not the next, so I'll keep posting and adding.
Let's begin with a general How Do I Keep Them Busy? post. From crayons to clay to board books, 34 ideas to keep your little one occupied.
And how exactly am I supposed to get anything done with all these little people underfoot?
What does the day look like for a two-year-old in a homeschooling family? Because sometimes it feels like I'm just killing time.
Have you thought about including your littlest one in some of your teaching time? We have always had some sort of group teaching hour, and little ones love to know they are a part of what the rest of the family is doing. Check out this post on creating your own group teaching time.
And how do I get a little one to sit still? There are some great resources out there, like Never Bored books and some of our favorite preschool apps.
Planning preschool? Here are some tried and true tips, as well as a great Picture Book Preschool plan.
Preschool boys in your home? We have five, and yes, there is a huge difference between the five boys and their three sisters. Sometimes you just need to be reminded of good time-fillers already at your fingertips.
Some of you don't have older kids yet, and so those extra sets of hands just aren't available. What's a mom to do when they're all preschoolers? And what were some of the ways we coped when there weren't older kids to help?
If you're wanting more resources, I have an MP3 of a conference workshop I've been doing for some years called Preschoolers, Preparation, and Peace. It's fun, full of ideas, and updated frequently.
This year I had the privilege of editing a book for The Old Schoolhouse Store called Preschool at Home Where They Belong. It's a jam-packed e-book written by 17 experienced and encouraging contributing authors. I think you'll love it!
Reader Comments (4)
Thank you so much, Kendra, for your blog. I've implemented (and will continue to implement many of your ideas. I just started homeschooling my five-year old twins. Keeping my two-year old going doesn't seem to be the problem. The problem is my twins get the sillies during school time. Which, as you can imagine, makes it really difficult to get things done. We've tried a number of things (spanks, having them leave the school area, etc.), but they just like to start acting goofy when we sit down for school. I want them to have fun and all, but I feel like the wicked witch of the west constantly trying to get them to be serious. Any suggestions? Helpful hints? Sympathy?
What a FANTASTIC post combining all of the wonderful goodies in one place! I can't tell how many times I've come to your blog reading over everything you have on this topic. Now there's a button! Happy Day! Thanks again for keeping up this wonderful blog - I have learned so much from all of your hard work with the blog and your MP3s. Many many thanks!
Heather- That's another post, and I'll work on it :)
Tiffany- That was exactly my intent! Yay! So glad it's useful!
Thanks Kendra,
You have so much wisdom to share and I enjoy being on the receiving end of that wisdom. I agree totally that different things work in different seasons, so it's good to get a refresher on some new ideas. And some encouragement that what I'm doing is good as well. I really appreciate your blog and you are one of the people who have inspired me over the past year or so to start my own blog. Maybe, just maybe I can be an inspiration to others around me as well.