Tips And

Tricks
While Having
Your Child At
Home
By: Audrey Whitfield
Tips And Tricks
While Having Your Child At
Home:

1. Keep Routine
o Keep your child’s morning Routine the
same. Have them get up and get ready Tips:
o Create a daily schedule
just like they would a normal day for
o Wake Up
school. Make sure they have o Wash Face/Brush
breakfast. This will help them get Teeth
ready for the day and not feel like it’s o Make Bed
a weekend or school vacation. It will o Eat Breakfast
also save your Sanity for when we do o Get Dressed
o Start Morning
go back to school.
Activity
o Independent Activities
2. Start the Day with an independent activity o Have these on
while you get yourself ready for the day. hand for the kids
o Morning Work Packet (Can download to grabs.
these on Teachers Pay Teachers or o Online Resources
o Morning Work
Purchase a Developmental o Play Materials
Appropriate Book) o Snacks
o Independent Reading o Trail Mix
o Choice Play Time and Potty Time (Goldfish, Raisins,
(Littles 3-5) Cheerios,
Pretzels)
o Fruit Cups
3. Make sure the Kids Get Snack o Cheese Sticks
o Kids can get HANGRY just like adults. A o Graham Crackers
morning/afternoon snack helps kids o Applesauce
stay emotionally happy, teaches them o Yogurt
to recognize their bodies needs, and o Granola Bar
helps them focus on tasks. o Nuts and Fruit
o Self-Care (For Adult)
o Breakfast
o Coffee/Tea
o Shower
o Get Dressed
#littlesathome
Tips And Tricks
While Having Your Child At
Home:

4. Get Outside
o If you can get your kids outside. With
social distancing and closures of Tips:
o Get Outside
activities getting the kids outside will
o Parks
help them to get their energy out. o Yards
This will help your kids emotionally o Hikes
and physically. o Fishing
o Walks
5. Eat Lunch o Nature Scavenger
Hunt
o Give your kids a ½ hour to an 1 hour
o Car Rides
for lunch. Certain School districts are o Picnics
still making lunches available for
families so make sure to check in with o Eat Lunch
your school. o Cheese Roll Ups
o Peanut Butter
and Jelly
6. Socialization o Pasta
o Allow some time for your kids to o Chicken Nuggets
socialize with other friends. You can o Avocado Toast
do this while still implementing social o Hummus and
distancing by allowing them to Face Pretzels
Time, Video Chat, Alexa, Call, Text o Yogurt
o Smoothies
Friends, Email, Write Letters, Etc. o Sandwich
Socialization, Connection and
Relationships are necessary and o Socialization
important for humans and we need o Play a game over
to encourage this during a time a video calling
where we may not have as much device like
Yahtzee
contact with one another. o Watch a Show
together start it
at the same time
o Bake the same
#littlesathome thing together
Tips And Tricks
While Having Your Child At
Home:

7. Art/Music
o Allow some time during the day for
your kids to enjoy and experience Art Tips:
o Art/Music
and Music. This can be anything from
o Color
coloring, using art resources online, o Artforkidshub.com
painting, listening to music, playing o Pots and Pans
with instruments, etc. These o Listening to Music
activities don’t necessarily need to be online
structured just available for your kids o Watching Videos
on famous artists
to explore.
or musicians
o Paint
8. School Learning o Sculpt
o Many teachers have moved towards o Making Shaky
having classes online. If this is the Eggs
case make sure to check in with your
o School Learning
kids teachers regularly and find out o Follow any
what is being required of them while guidelines or
they are home. activities your
mainstream
9. Independent Reading teachers have
o Encourage time for your kids to offered you.
independently read at home. Take o Independent Reading
this time to read with them, check in o Listen to stories on
on things you need to do yourself, youtube
clean the house, relax, call relatives, o Listen to Audio
etc. You’re important too. Books
o Listen to Audible
o Look at pictures
o Read on your own
o Having Books
available in Fiction
and Non-Fiction.
#littlesathome o Magazines
Tips And Tricks
While Having Your Child At
Home:

10. Choice Time

o Allow for your child to have a Choice Time.
This is where they can choose to work on Tips:
whatever they want based on learning. They o Choice Time
o Coloring
could use online resources available, work
o Reading
on projects, dramatic play (littles), o STEM
STEM/Sensory based activities( Legos, o Online Learning
playdough, popsicle sticks, etc.) o Podcasts
o Writing
11. BE Strength Based o Drawing
o Play Dough
o Using encouraging language and growth
o Slime
mindset based thinking helps our kids learn o Magna Tiles
that all we can do is do our best. It also o Legos
helps with children who have special
learning techniques their teachers may be Strength Based Language
implementing at school. This could be
behavior charts, classroom management You’re not doing this right !
What do you think you are
styles, etc. Remind yourself to use language
missing ?
like “I can see you are trying so hard and
maybe we can take a 5 minute break before You aren’t suppose to do that
trying again” instead of things like “You what were you thinking.
aren’t doing that correctly why don’t you try Mistakes happen and we can
focusing more”. Our kids rely on their learn from them what can we
do next ?
teachers to be that constant encouragement
and positive reinforcement in their learning. Why are you freaking out it’s
While at home remind yourself that they are not that big a deal!
trying their best. I can see that you’re are
having some big emotions
right now I’ll give you some
time to think and then if you
want to share what’s going on
with me later I will hear you.
#littlesathome
Tips And Tricks
While Having Your Child At
Home:

12. Connect With Your Kids

o While at home with your kids
connect with them. This is a rare Tips:
opportunity for us as parents and o Connect With Your Kids
caregivers to see what our kids are o Play games
like on a daily basis while at school. o Do a project
o Cook with them
See what our teachers see and watch o Go on a nature
them light up as they learn. walk
o Watch a movie
13. Designate a Learning Space o Talk with them
o Choose a space in your home for your
child to set up their activities and o Learning Space
o Desk/table
learning for the day. Have them o Writing space
create their own name tag, put their o Crayons
pencil boxes there and school o Paper
supplies. This will help them o Markers
understand that when we are in this o Toys
space in the house it’s time to learn, o Electronics
o Books
when we are in other spaces we can
relax and are done with ”class time”
for the day.

Check online
resources like
Pinterest to
find different
ideas !

#littlesathome