It’s winter here in Canada (well almost spring), so getting out and about with a kindergartener, a preschooler and a newborn isn’t that easy. I also hate the cold, winter, ice, snow, wind and so on. So, it’s very easy for me to just borrow into a little nest and sleep the bad weather away. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible with kids – well, I suppose it is, but it isn’t very fair.
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When my eldest was an only, and then when his little sister came along and wasn’t able to move, we did a lot of registered, scheduled activities. I have come to learn that getting anywhere on time (or close to it) at this juncture is almost impossible. So, I’m constantly on the look out for drop-in programs and meet ups, where punctuality is inconsequential and I don’t have to pay if I don’t go.
Luckily, there are a few such programs here, one of which we discovered a couple of weeks ago at an indoor beach volleyball court. It is a bit of a hike (about 20 minutes on the highway), but it’s a fun drop-in, free-play time slot, where the kids can just play in the sand. It’s like a big sandbox! This won’t be an every week activity for us, but it’s nice to have another play spot to go when the outside weather’s not so great.
This week we also attended a brand new play based coop for kids 6 and under. It was a wonderful experience and opportunity to get out and meet other like-minded families with kids of similar ages. Of course, one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is that children are not limited to same age peers, but it is nice to still experience them on occasion and hopefully plant the seeds for life-long friendships.
Of course, we also had some great at home fun. The kids happily spent some time doing Cosmic Kids yoga, colouring, playing with stickers and just playing like we do. I also pulled out this super fun cardboard castle. I bought it years ago when I was thinking about running a daycare, and on one particularly cold and yucky day, remembered it. It wasn’t the easiest thing to put together and didn’t really stay together well, but the kids had a great time decorating it and then playing in it.
The kids also love helping me in the kitchen. I’m still a little nervous about them using adult size and metal knives, so we keep a collection of plastic ones for them to use. Each day, they help cut up veggies and fruits for our various meals and snacks. It’s a great way to get them eating nutritious foods and to help them develop their fine motor skills!
Next week is March Break, so everything is going to be crowded and busy. It’s not likely that we’ll get out much, but we’re filling our week with play dates and family visits, so the kids still get some interaction and fun!