Yes, I said that. "At home" learning! As a teacher of 20 years and a mother to 4 children between the ages of 13 and 23, I know the frustration of weekend boredom. So, what I am going to do is give you a few options that you can offer to your students if you are an early childhood educator and a few options to use at home when the weather is becoming frightful. Also, make sure you check out the links I post from other creative educators/parents that have become more than useful and contain activities that, unlike many on Pinterest, are actually reproducible!
Number 1) if you are an educator, do not be afraid to send "homework" home on the weekend. BUT, PLEASE REMEMBER to make it fun! When I say homework, I do NOT mean dittos and obnoxious reading journals that parents dread implementing over the W/E. Remember that this is family time for most children so, send activities home that will be fun and encouraging and are travelling activities. Remember, these should be OPTIONAL activities!
Number 2) if you are a parent, do not be afraid to tweak the above OPTIONAL activities to fit your family's w/e lifestyle! For instance, if you are going to attempt a fall scavenger hunt for your child and want to talk about the Autumn season but, you have Ricky, John and Tiffany's soccer games to attend simultaneously while your significant other is out of town on business; take your scavenger hunt with you. Brown paper lunch bags, backpacks with fall books and story baskets full of small objects purchased from your local dollar store (pinecones, rocks, peat moss and silk leaves) make for great hands on learning on the go. Perhaps your little one will even use their creativity and young minds to create a scavenger hunt with her fellow friends while you are able to watch Sally play soccer.
See the following links for great on the go learning activities for your students and your children:
https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/travel-games-activities-kids/
https://familymaven.io/kidsactivities/kidsactivities/40-tips-for-road-trips-with-toddlers-and-preschoolers-fhg1S8xVB0mhJmYzjQSJag/
https://crystalandcomp.com/activities-for-2-year-olds-in-car/
https://www.education.com/activity/offline-games/
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