Hellobee

In one of my last posts, I said that I would be doing theme weeks again for my kids this summer (last year we did Alaska, The Solar System and Space, and Wizards and Magic).  One of the most common questions I get is how the heck I come up with this stuff.  The simple answer is — I don’t come up with it. All of the ideas I do with my kids have been done before by someone else. I just compile the ideas together and go from there. I have to think about it like a teacher, not a mom. Teachers have plans for things to do and lessons to complete in a given time.  I simply make a plan just like I would if I was teaching a class.

I know that can still seem like a daunting task for some, so I thought I would outline my process for building a great theme week for your kids.

Pick a Theme

Teachers always have a theme/topic/standards to cover.  A theme gives me a starting point and also allows me to narrow down some of the activities. If you type in preschool activities into a search engine, the results are endless. My mommy brain goes into information overload and then I just don’t do it. Narrowing it down is a huge help.I pick my themes from three different categories.

• Pick by topic – Solar system, wizards, sharks, trains, fairy tales
• Pick by activities – art week, museum week
• Pick by supplies – toilet paper roll week (you would be amazed at all the things you can do with toilet paper rolls… seriously), yarn week, paper craft week

This part can take a little bit of time, but I can usually plan a week in an hour or two once the kids go to bed. It usually involves me sitting in front of my computer doing internet searches for activity ideas. Lately I have been using Pinterest because then I can just pin all my ideas onto a board and go back to it when I need to. It also helps to have the image of the activities right there in front of me. I am a very visual person and if I see a picture, I can often figure out what they did without ever clicking on the link for directions.

I look for a variety of activities. I usually try to pick typical school categories; reading, writing, math, science, art, and I love to throw in outside time or even a field trip to somewhere in our area.I also look for activities with materials that I already have. I will run out and get supplies if I need it, but I don’t want to spend big bucks. I love crafts with recycled materials and even simple watercolor print outs are a great addition to the plan.

If even this task seems daunting, there are tons of homeschooling resources that are already put together.  Sometimes they cost a small fee, but then you might be able to find a whole thematic unit that is all set up for you.

Plan a week at a time

A week at a time is a good length of time for young kids. It is long enough to get excited and fill in with lots of information and fun, but not too long that they get bored with the topics. If they love the topic they will let you know. This summer I had two weeks of fairy tales planned out. I thought they were getting a little bored so I moved onto Star Wars but then they asked why we didn’t finish the rest of our fairy tales. So we will return to finish up our Hans Christen Anderson week.

A week also seems like a more feasible thing for me to plan out. If I start thinking I have to come up with two months’ worth of stuff, it just seems impossible. It also allows me to adjust for activities and play dates as they come up. If I plan too far in advance, sometimes I never use the activities I planned and that seems like a waste of time. I also don’t plan themed activities for weeks when we are going to be gone for the week or even part of the week.  So if a vacation starts on a Wednesday, I don’t plan thematic days for Monday and Tuesday. We are mostly getting ready for trips or having free relaxing time, which is important as well.

Execute your activities

The final step is to have a great week with your kids. I like to really talk up our theme and show a ton of enthusiasm for the activities and subject. If I am excited, I know they will be to.  I don’t plan out every minute of every day. We have a ton of free time to go and play outside or swim and Grandma and Papa’s house. It is summer after all, and I want them to have some free relaxing time.

Last year we had one or two activities a day but now my kids are a little older and they can pay attention for a little longer. I can usually plan for 3-4 activities a day. My kids do the best on academic activities in the morning and then we do some of the more active things, crafts or science experiments a little later in the day. This is where you really have to do some trial and error and see what works best for your kids.

I was asked about differentiated activities for different age levels, so I wanted to explain how I deal with three five year olds and a 2 year old. The truth is I plan the same activities for all four of my kids; the expectations are just different.  Right now we have been doing some Star Wars writing activities. My two year old has the same thing as the 5 year olds, but her results are a little different. I work with my boys who are headed into kindergarten on really writing and practicing letters while Lilly colors over them and screams with joy that she is writing like her big brothers.  When we do crafts, I help Lilly more while the boys are able to be more independent.  She loves to do the same things as her brothers, so I just go let her do the same things.

If you are interested in planning some fun summer theme weeks, I hope this helps to get you started. It is so much fun and I know my kids really pay attention and learn. It is such a joy to watch them discover knew things and get an appreciation for learning new things.