Childhood Development

My hope

I chose activities which cover a variety of developmental areas but with a strong focus on play and fun. I also included one activity that you can do over the whole week as a mini "project".

I haven't included cognitive development-focused activities because chances are your kids are already getting plenty of cognitive stimulation through school and everyday learning. Novel, school-based tasks are very taxing and their little brains need a break. Also, fear not, because cognitive stimulation happens in every activity you do and interaction you have.

I've written a brief description of the purpose and ways you can grade the activities (make them harder or easier). This means that everyone can be involved in the same thing.

All the resources you need, you're likely to have or you'll have the pantry staples to make them.

I encourage you to get the kids to help with any prep. I've made sure it is fun and easy enough for them to be involved. It's developmentally beneficial for kids to be involved in prep and clean-up tasks as it teaches them task completion. If you make it fun, it becomes an activity in and of itself — which means you have to think of less stuff to fill the day.

Two little tips from me — keep things like toilet rolls, egg cartons, bottles, scrap paper and so on. The possibilities of activities you can do with recycled materials are endless. My second tip is something I used to say to the parents of my patients (I was taught this by someone much wiser than me) — the only thing that you have to be for your children is their parents, nothing else. So if you feel that you don't have it in you to do a million things with them, then you don't have to.

If this little book of activities helps, let me know, and I'll make more.

All my love, Jen