Winter is a great time of year. For many locations, there is snow everywhere on the ground and outlining the trees and houses. Lots of outdoor enthusiasts are thrilled to take part in the cold weather activities. However, those of us with preschoolers face a different challenge.
When the temperatures plummet, their outside playing time diminishes too. This leads to more indoor activities and often requires more attention from mom and dad. It can become frustrating to become the source of entertainment when there are other things that require your attention. No parent wants to let their child rot in front of the TV, but sometimes just need a few moments to think straight. There is a hope.
There are two things that work in the favor of most parents. Children love to do activities and are amused rather easily. Therefore, having some art and craft projects are a necessity during the winter months. I could list several right now, but every child is different. Simply Google, “winter preschool ideas†and you can sort out those that your little one will enjoy the most.
Once we finish our chores and can break away to spend some extra time with the kiddos and the possibilities are endless. Recently, I did some science experiments with my daughter. It is a great opportunity to show her how the world around us works. For example, she received some magnetic blocks for Christmas and was curious why sometimes they attracted to one another and other times they repelled. So, together we made a compass and I was able to explain the north and south poles.
Another great thing to do is to look up the topics they are learning in preschool and print out activity sheets to reinforce the lessons. There are many great things online for Spanish lessons, colors, letters, and everything else. It is fun to watch her work through the lessons too. We were working on Spanish together and she began to ask why people speak different languages and how she can learn more. The little moments like this are priceless; especially when she tells me she had a great day at the end of the night.
The winter can be overwhelming with little ones if you allow yourself to be unprepared. Some basic internet searches and minimal effort can truly make all the difference in the world when it comes to coping with the increased time spent indoors. You can drive yourself insane if you allow yourself to become the sole source of entertainment.