Activity Guide

While this is a topic I still have a lot of growing to do in, I wanted to write a little post on it. As mothers we have a very important job to do in terms of our children's development and enjoyment of life. Sometimes with young children, it can be easy to get caught up in the daily business of life and forget that a big part of our job is to not just take care of our kids, but to invest in them. In other words, while we need to be diligent in the necessary care of our children (feeding them, dressing them, changing their diapers, etc.), we need to also be diligent in caring for them developmentally, emotionally, and socially. I often find it hard to make sure I am doing all of this part well! It often seems that making sure they are fed, somewhat clean, and dressed, plus all the work of managing a house, doing laundry, bills, etc. can take up all of our time.

Here are some of the activities I've found my children seem to love. Getting outside is a big one, because it is good for you too. Most kids LOVE getting to play outside, go to parks, the beach, etc. Samuel has a sandbox that he loves playing in, and kids also love any moving outside toys (a tricycle, rid-in car, etc.). If you live in a town like we do where there are lots of parks, I highly recommend taking advantage of this and exploring all the different parks with your children.

My kids are still a little young for arts and crafts, but even at 2 years old, Samuel is starting to enjoy the pleasures of coloring in a coloring book or "drawing" on plain white paper. Exploring the fun of markers, crayons, and pens is a great activity for children. As they get a little older, I really want to start to implement more creative arts and crafts that will also incorporate learning activities.

One of the best activities you can do with your children in my opinion is to read with them. Samuel's favorite "toys" are all of his books. I think one of the reasons for this is that he rarely watches T.V. I felt pretty strongly that not letting him watch T.V., even the baby videos, was important for his development. I am so thankful he enjoys reading and looking at books as much as he does. A lot of the words he can say he has learned through books. First Word books are great for this. Even infants can really benefit from books, and they usually love the cloth books. Then as they get older, the board books are great because they can't tear them.

Kids also love music and dancing. Playing music for them, or allowing them to explore a variety of musical instruments is another great activity. Dancing with them is always a favorite, even for infants. You can even make shakers for them out of plastic easter eggs and beans or rice. Just make sure you tape them well so the kids can't open them up and spill the contents everywhere (which can also be a choking hazard for younger kids).

Another activity that I think is really important for you to facilitate for your young children is to have them around other kids. It is very important that they learn how to interact with other children their age, and even to interact with children younger and older than them. They also have lots of fun being around other kids. This can sometimes take a lot of work for stay-at-home moms. But it is worth the effort. If you don't already know people with children your kids' ages, try to get involved in a mom's group through some organization. Lots of churches have this, and I know in Santa Barbara the city college (through Adult-Ed) has all sorts of "classes" that bring parents and children together for play times, etc.