Finding Time to Play
So, I have lots of things that I could be or should be doing daily from housework to homeschool to business building. Most of the time I don't necessarily have to seek out a spare moment to squeeze these things in, I simply just do it because they are a must. I'm learning that playing with my daughters must also continue to be a must.
The three of us created this beach scene together.
The girls aren't toddlers anymore, but they both still need for me to engage with them over something other than math.
Three Easy Ways to Make Room for Play with Children of All Ages
Working on our first Stringtastic project
- Make it a priority. As a homeschooling mom, I spend quite a bit of time at home with my children therefore rearranging the day to play with them at 9 AM isn't too hard, but if I didn't have the flexibility I would make sure to make those evening or weekend hours count. Just like cooking and cleaning are a must, I find time to play with my daughters. Play for us looks like settling down with a board game of their choosing or a quick game of hide and seek. We live in an apartment so there are only so many places we can hide.
- Find projects you all can enjoy together. Play is often viewed as the games that have us running around and losing our breath, but sedentary projects can be just as fun if you both enjoy those types of things. Lately, the girls and I have been trying to figure out Stringtacular from Rose Art. I say figure out because it takes a little mind power to get the string wrapped the right way, but even though it hasn't been easy we've enjoyed learning how to use it together versus the girls having to figure it out all on their own. Hopefully, we'll have one project completed by the week's end. :)
- Allow them to lead. When your child comes to you and asks you to play with them, don't be so quick to say no. I am known to say no especially if I am tired, but making room for a few yeses each week has gone a long way. I play with both of my daughters, but it looks different for each one. My youngest daughter is pretty much hands on; this is her personality. The Spin & Sparkle Pet Maker is a fun way for us to play together without me needing to do a whole lot of extra work, and it allows her do something with her hands. My oldest daughter loves words therefore playing with her is both of us using our tablets to play Wordament against each other and seeing who finds the most words and gets the highest score.
Making a Spin & Sparkle pet
Playing with our children doesn't have to cause anxiousness nor do we have to feel guilty when we say no to the invitation, but taking the time to play with our children can surely bless us as much as it blesses them. I know my daughters and I have a good time when take a moment to do something fun together.
How do you make time to play with your children? What age did you stop playing with your children?