Get the jump on clever activities
Here is a summer suggestion list focusing on the indoors and outdoors, which will benefit children in the long run
ISTART with a thoughtful quote… “It doesn’t matter what everybody else is doing, it matters what you are doing.” So much pressure is placed on 21st century mothers that it is difficult not to be in competition with others. While you are worrying about what other children are doing, and what other mothers are doing for those children, you are creating more disservice for your own child.
Start focusing on your child and what develops and makes him or her happy and secure.
I have put together a summer holiday suggestion list and how it will benefit your child.
Begin with implementing a holiday education plan by creating learning through the outdoors, the comfort of your home and outings.
Pick up sticks
Create a shape with sticks – roll the dice and see how many sticks you need to pick up and create a shape with them.
Forest walk mathematics
Angle nature treasure hunt – look for elements outside exhibiting angles such as a 90 percent tree trunk and 45 leaf.
Nature collage
Make a nature dice with each side representing a different thing in nature – sand, leaves, sticks, grass, flowers and petals. Stick them down and create a picture.
Science
MTN Science Centre – exploring the area of robotics.
The Heart of Cape Town Museum – explore the theatre where the first heart transplant took place at Groote Schuur Hospital.
Art
Art jamming – paint on canvas or do free play by throwing paints freely and messily on a canvas.
Crazy Daisy – another creative adventure for you and your child, creating a pottery artwork and painting it. A great Christmas idea.
Geography
South African Astronomical Observatory – founded in 1820, it has observing facilities similar to the one in Sutherland.
Planetarium, Company’s Garden – it hosts a variety of shows focusing on the world of Astronomy and projects them on a dome-shaped screen through a Minolta Projector.
History
Iziko South African Museum: educates visitors on human sciences and maritime history. Other shows focus on dinosaurs and fossils, as well as the history of the Bo-Kaap and District Six.
Castle of Good Hope – houses military and historical museums.
Built in the 17th century, it is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa.
There are so many things to do in the holidays. However, if you are anything like me, you would want your child to also learn something while they are having fun.
As discussed, your child can learn a great deal about his or her city by exploring it.
This opens a window of knowledge in preparation for the next academic year.
And while academic skills are great to develop, so are gross motor, fine motor and vestibular abilities.
Gross motor dexterities
When a child has weakness in his gross motor abilities, this refers to larger movements your baby makes with his arms, legs, feet, or his entire body. Such as crawling, running, and jumping.
Organise activities that involve playgrounds with jungle gyms, monkey bars, tyres and trampolines.
Fine motor skills
When a child battles with fine motor problems, this refers to “the co-ordination of small muscle movements” – usually involving the synchronisation of hands and fingers – with the eyes.
The complex levels of manual dexterity that humans exhibit can be attributed to and demonstrated in tasks controlled by the nervous system.
This is easily done at home:
GET PHYSICAL: Improve your child’s vestibular abilities through play. Activities that achieve this includes jumping rope, swinging, hopscotch and playing tag.
Picking up beads with tweezers. Filling spay bottles with paint and spraying on paper.
Copying colour patterns with pegs on the washing line.
Cutting out pictures and pasting them into a collage.
Tearing out colour pages and sticking them inside a picture, such as the South African flag.
Threading activities. Hopscotch Jumping rope Swinging Bouncing on a gym ball Kids yoga Balancing on a beam Wheelbarrow Playing tag Roly-polies
If you are not sure where your child is lacking, then there is no harm in amalgamating all three of the above in an obstacle course. Get each child to have a turn setting it up. This is good for ideation and motor planning.
This should always be monitored during the setting up stage and observed during the activity’s execution for safety reasons.
We all know that the aforementioned is great in theory and more difficult practically, so don’t guilt trip yourself with the common mistakes we make as moms:
Realise that the children are on “holiday” and although we want them to become little Einsteins they, too, require a break in preparation for the new year.
Overstimulation is as bad as understimulation, as it can make children rebellious to learning and not allow appropriate time for regulation and calm – sometimes resulting in a bad night’s sleep for the child.
We, too, need a break and therefore this, done in moderation, allows children to have “free play and rest” and us to recharge our batteries so we can be better moms when we do these activities.
When you do decide to tackle these activities, be ready mentally and physically as the energy we give off to our children plays a major part in their enjoyment.
If we lack motivation and are lethargic, they will not relish the experience fully.
Balance is key, and I close with three quotes by one of my favourite children’s authors, Dr Seuss to epitomise the element of balance:
“Step with care and great tact, Life is a great balancing act.”
“You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer in any direction you choose.”
“You can find magic wherever you look, you can even find it in a book.”
Lee Koetser is a remedial therapist with more than 10 years’ experience.
She specialises in identifying problem areas and then puts programmes together to build learning bridges for pupils.
Facebook or tweet her a topic on education and parenting you would like her to address – Facebook: Mamas and Papas or Twitter: @MamasandPapas3.