All the homeschooling parents are already aware of the morning basket, daily basket or fun basket concept. And now that all of us have turned to partial homeschooling along with some online sessions, I felt this would be really helpful for parents during this new journey to set up a routine for the little ones and make optimum use of the books and toys which we already have. This concept has a very long description on how to do it and why to do it and it's all available online. Here I am sharing a few points which I personally found helpful during this lockdown to set up a routine for my 3yr old and help her in learning.
WHY I STARTED THIS?
- One thing I faced during the initial period of the lockdown was the kiddo getting bored because all of us were trying to adjust to the new routine that time. And while bored, the younger children tend to get really cranky. She would just go to her room and mess it up by opening 10 different toys at the same time and not playing properly with even one of it. But by using this method you are giving them a direction of what to do for the whole day, even you are not around or busy with something. Once they are used to it, they will directly go to the basket when bored, and find exactly what they want to play with or read from the basket. Basically lesser choice, lesser confusion, lesser irritation. When they have too many choices they get confused.
HOW TO START?
- So what we need to do is, every morning fill a basket, box, shelf or even just a tote bag with activities to be done for the day. We can add 2-3 books, puzzles, toys, paints, dough and many more things.
- Start your day by sitting with them, if possible sit with the whole family ( This is also called circle time in schools), start by singing some rhymes, doing some actions or dance. This gives them a sense that all of us are learning together.
- Make sure everyday you add one book and one toy from the favourites of your child. So they are excited for the day.
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THEMED BASKET
- You can even make themed baskets. Where each day they learn about a particular topic in depth. For example, I make a flower/garden themed basket, so I add books showing different kinds of flowers, rhymes related to flowers or gardens, as an activity I take her for a nature walk in the garden and make her pick her favourite flowers, tell her names of each of those flowers and then use those flowers for painting or stamping, I add a flower puzzle or add clay dough and teach her how to make flowers and leaves with it, add some flower stickers, teach flowers with finger painting, even if I show her some screen say for example peppa pig, then I will show her the gardening episode.
MAKING THEM UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT
- Make them understand that for the day they can choose whatever they like from the basket to play with or read. For initial days you will have to sit through with them and slowly they will understand and pick things only from the day's basket and not the other toys.
- This is basically channelling their energy in a particular direction.
BEST WAY TO TEACH OPTIMUM USE OF LESS SUPPLIES
- Kids always tend to have a few favorites in books and toys both. And sometimes because of this they tend to repeat those favourites and not try a few things they have at all. The morning basket helps in books and toys rotation, makes them try everything that they have. So optimum use of all the things we have. You can even borrow book and toys from libraries or swap with their friends, so they feel excited to see something new for the day, and learn the concept of sharing.
WHY I STARTED THIS?
- One thing I faced during the initial period of the lockdown was the kiddo getting bored because all of us were trying to adjust to the new routine that time. And while bored, the younger children tend to get really cranky. She would just go to her room and mess it up by opening 10 different toys at the same time and not playing properly with even one of it. But by using this method you are giving them a direction of what to do for the whole day, even you are not around or busy with something. Once they are used to it, they will directly go to the basket when bored, and find exactly what they want to play with or read from the basket. Basically lesser choice, lesser confusion, lesser irritation. When they have too many choices they get confused.
HOW TO START?
- So what we need to do is, every morning fill a basket, box, shelf or even just a tote bag with activities to be done for the day. We can add 2-3 books, puzzles, toys, paints, dough and many more things.
- Start your day by sitting with them, if possible sit with the whole family ( This is also called circle time in schools), start by singing some rhymes, doing some actions or dance. This gives them a sense that all of us are learning together.
- Make sure everyday you add one book and one toy from the favourites of your child. So they are excited for the day.
.
THEMED BASKET
- You can even make themed baskets. Where each day they learn about a particular topic in depth. For example, I make a flower/garden themed basket, so I add books showing different kinds of flowers, rhymes related to flowers or gardens, as an activity I take her for a nature walk in the garden and make her pick her favourite flowers, tell her names of each of those flowers and then use those flowers for painting or stamping, I add a flower puzzle or add clay dough and teach her how to make flowers and leaves with it, add some flower stickers, teach flowers with finger painting, even if I show her some screen say for example peppa pig, then I will show her the gardening episode.
MAKING THEM UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT
- Make them understand that for the day they can choose whatever they like from the basket to play with or read. For initial days you will have to sit through with them and slowly they will understand and pick things only from the day's basket and not the other toys.
- This is basically channelling their energy in a particular direction.
BEST WAY TO TEACH OPTIMUM USE OF LESS SUPPLIES
- Kids always tend to have a few favorites in books and toys both. And sometimes because of this they tend to repeat those favourites and not try a few things they have at all. The morning basket helps in books and toys rotation, makes them try everything that they have. So optimum use of all the things we have. You can even borrow book and toys from libraries or swap with their friends, so they feel excited to see something new for the day, and learn the concept of sharing.
Madhavi Cholera
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25 Jun 2020