Summer Activities for Your Children While You Work from Home
Having your children home from school for the summer can create havoc for your work schedule. While you may be happy to have your children with you all day long, finding time to squeeze in work can be difficult, especially if you're used to having the whole school day to work while they are in school.
The key to giving the kids a good summer and maintaining
your own schedule is to find activities to keep the kids busy but entertained. Consider some of these suggestions:
For Preschoolers
Dress up box:
Preschoolers love to play dress up.
Have a chest filled with fun clothes for the kids to wear while playing.
Crafts: Have a space
where kids can create crafts. You may
have to sit nearby while working in case they run into any difficulties or to
prevent messes.
Activity boxes: Set
aside 5 or 6 plastic tubs filled with different activities the kids can do on
their own. Each day, take out a
different box. The key is to make the
boxes accessible only when you're working, not throughout the day.
For Early Elementary Age
Board games: Some kids
can play board games for hours, quite content and happy without parental
interference. If your kids are like
this, stock up on board games so they have a variety to choose from.
Play outside: If you
live in a place where you feel comfortable letting the kids play outside, by
all means, do so. Take your laptop
outside so you can enjoy the fresh air and keep an eye on the kids.
For Late Elementary Age
Chores: Kids this age
appreciate the value of money. You might
consider giving a list of special chores kids can do to earn some extra
money. You'll have some time to work AND
enjoy a cleaner house. The kids will
enjoy the extra spending money.
Online educational activities: Let the kids use an online educational
activity to limit summer slide. Some of
our favorites are XtraMath (for older kids) and ABCMouse.com (for younger
kids). We also recommend Khan Academy!
Reading: Take plenty
of trips to the library and let the kids get lost in a book.
What are your favorite
ways to keep the kids occupied while you work from home?
Its such a hard balance. Its great to organize some vacation during the summer months so you can give your kids 100% of your attention for a week or two. And kids need some time to figure out how to entertain themselves too - without the TV.
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