Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1226469
10 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2020 When you're spending hours at home, whether it's by choice or because of the Coronavirus, it doesn't take long for kids to start suffering from too much togetherness, picking fights with each other and badgering you for screen time. Your kids need some space from each other, and you need some alone time. Let me introduce you to a tool that helps me (and my four kids) not only survive but actually enjoy extended time at home. I call it Kid Stations, and it's really easy to implement. Every day we're home, usually after lunch, I set up a series of activities around the house, and my kids rotate through them individually. They get a break from each other, and since they're rotat- ing every 20 minutes or so, it's nonstop fun for them. For me, it's almost 1 1/2 hours of peace to either enjoy some downtime or to get something done around the house. It's a win for all of us. The ONE Tool You Need for Surviving Extended Time at Home When you see how simple and effective Kid Stations are at giving everyone space from each other and yet still keeping things fun, they'll become your favorite activity during these weeks of social distancing. I'm going to show you how to make them work for you. Here are some ideas to get you started: • CRAFTS STATION: Plan for a specific craft from Pinterest or just set out a wide variety of art supplies and let them go wild. • EDUCATIONAL SCREEN TIME STATION: Let the little ones play on web- sites or apps like ABCYa!, Starfall or PBS Kids. The big kids can do activities on Nova, Cool Math Games or Khan Academy. • GAMES STATION: For the big kids, set out a deck of cards to play Solitaire or board games that can be played alone like Boggle, Scrabble or Storycubes. • BUSY BAGS STATION: Busy bags are perfect activities for toddlers and preschoolers. If you're not familiar with them, look on Pinterest for plenty of ideas. • WRITING STATION: Give them something fun or meaningful to write, like a letter to a grandparent or a Christmas wish list. • READING STATION: Make sure you're well-stocked with books. This is a great station for making progress on your kids' reading comprehension. • FUN SCREEN TIME STATION: Let them pick any parent-approved app or website to play on. • ACTIVE PLAY STATION: Set out your kids' favorite toys like Legos, Snap Circuits, Littlest Pet Shop or Little People. • SCHOOL-LIKE WORK STATION: Give them a couple of Summer Bridge workbooks or find activity sheets online specific to something your child loves to study. For the little kids, you can use activity books that teach them phonics, to follow directions or to practice their scissor skills. • OUTSIDE STATION: If the current CDC recommendations and the weather allow for it, encourage them to get some fresh air by playing in the backyard, jumping on the trampo- line or practicing their ball skills in the garage. • VIDEO-MAKING STATION: Let your kids become filmmakers by making stop-motion movies (with the Stop Motion Studio app) or movie trailers (with iMovie). They can show the whole family their creations later in the day. • EXERCISE STATION: Get them moving with apps like Yoga for Kids or Fitness Kids or the GoNoodle YouTube channel. • CLEANING STATION: Put them to work with simple chores like vacuuming, picking up their room or dusting. (Just make sure that all of your other stations are really fun.) • COOKING STATION: Have them help you get ready for dinner by making a salad, peeling potatoes or opening cans. Or let them make a dessert. If one child doesn't finish all the steps, the next one can take over to finish the recipe. • GAMING STATION: If you have a Wii, Xbox, or another gaming system, let them have a turn playing their favorite video game. • PUZZLES STATION: Whether they're young or old, kids love the challenge of puzzles. You can give them an easy one that they can finish during their 25 minutes or a harder one that each of them takes turns working on. • FACETIMING STATION: Let them video chat with Grandma or Grandpa or a friend they haven't seen in a while. • DRAWING STATION: Give them free drawing lessons using the Art for Kids Hub YouTube channel. They can learn to draw most anything they want—from a unicorn to Baby Yoda. PICK 3-4 STATIONS. How many you choose will depend on how many kids you have and how much time you want to fill. Plan for at least the same number of stations as you have kids. I have four kids, so I typically do four stations. KID STATIONS: WRITTEN BY SANDI HAUSTEIN 1..