How to Keep Your Grandkids Busy This Winter

How to Keep Your Grandkids Busy This Winter

It’s easy to sit back during winter, put on the television or the computer, and stay on the couch. This is especially true for children, when supervision is strained from the millions of things parents and grandparents must do each day. Whether your grandkids are on vacation visiting you or simply indoors for the weekend, it’s important to keep them active and engaged, even during chilly months.

Lesson Plans

It doesn’t take lots of money to keep your grandchildren learning and having fun this winter. There are many lesson plans ready-made online, which incorporate fun elements for your little ones to associate learning with play. Building blocks, bright colors, glitter, and animals can make your lessons infinitely more enjoyable. If you want to teach your little ones about money and counting, try the Doggie in the Window game. By using a picture of a puppy, you can motivate your child to practice counting and begin to understand that money is used to purchase things we want, so saving is important. There are many other dog-themed lesson plans available online, including these lessons from Rover.com.

Have Fun Exercising

The desire to stay inside where it is warm can lead to the temptation to stay curled up under blankets where it is cozy or to sit bundled up in front of the TV or computer. Instead of sitting down for hours at a time, it’s a good idea to encourage your little ones to keep active and have playtime by following along with some workout or activity videos via the YouTube Kids app. There are videos designed to get kids to move around during study or play breaks. However, make sure to check the channels your child subscribes to, just to ensure the content is exactly what you want your little one to be exposed to. It’s worth the effort, as staying active is suggested to keep your child not only fit and healthy, but also happier, and to encourage your child to focus.

Learn to Play Music

Many children seem to have an innate love of music, and many experts have suggested that music may help children (and adults) learn and focus. However, recent discussions suggest the benefits can truly be seen through the act of learning to play itself. Musical training may aid in the development of motor skills, the management of emotions and emotional response, and the ability to solve puzzles and complex problems. Pick an instrument that your child has shown interest in, or one that may be easy for small hands to manipulate, and start the journey together. You can find videos online, as well as free lesson plans and sheet music, to help your child learn. While the old adage practice makes perfect is true, even just an hour or two each weekend may greatly benefit your grandchild.

Practice Art

Art and music go hand in hand, as music is a form of art, as well as a form of mathematics. Therefore, similarly, there are thought to be many advantages to children experimenting with art. It is thought that art and crafts can help children expand their imagination and can help assist understanding more complex subjects. It may also help with problem-solving skills, just like music. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a master to help your grandchild experiment. There are various tutorials online specifically directed at children to get them started on their own artistic journeys.

With so much to do so easily available at the click of a button, it’s quite feasible to get your children active, busy, and having fun indoors this winter. There’s no need to park them in front of the TV while you go about doing the seemingly endless tasks we need to accomplish daily. From fun dances, to practicing science and art, there is something for every child at every stage.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

This is a guest post by Jenny Wise
Jenny Wise created Special Home Educator as a forum for sharing her adventures in homeschooling and connecting with other homeschooling families. She is is a homeschooling mom to four children.