Ahoy Mate
Luckily, we’ve had a touch of warmer weather around here lately, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t need fun activities while we are inside. This week I want to bring you a couple of different things to do to change your play routines. The best part about it is that you probably have the supplies around the house and the book recommendations can be picked up at your local library or ordered online!
So, I have had the cushion forts on my radar for a couple of years now, but with some of them having price tags close to $400, I continued to abandon my cart. This year they had one advertised at Costco for just over $100. I decided to check it out and ended up purchasing a different knock-off brand on Amazon. I’ll link it below. My concern was that it seemed like one of those things that my kids would get and play with a few times and never touch again. I have been pleasantly surprised that the opposite has been true around here. I tell you all of this, not to guilt you into thinking you need to purchase something else for your kiddos, but because we used it to go along with a fun storytime the other day—and it was awesome! Please note that you can replicate this activity with some couch cushions and a blanket or two…you know, how we had to build forts when we were little.
The kids decided they wanted to build a pirate ship. We did our best with the cushion shapes we had and lots of imagination. Once the ship was built, each one of us (including my husband) climbed aboard this mighty voyager, or some might say we sat down on a cushion. However, if anyone explains it that way, they are missing the adventure and the opportunities that pretending can award you with. Once we set sail, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate reading time. Now, hear me out, you might not normally think of reading going hand in hand with exploring the deep blue seas with your fellow crew mates, but when the book is titled, The Pirates are Coming, I think adjustments can be made. We sailed, we sang, we read, and we eventually walked the plank. There are so many benefits to reading with your children, but if you can read to them while they are playing pretend and having a blast…well, that’s core memory making if I do say so myself. It truly doesn’t matter what the “ship” looks like or what book gets incorporated into the game, but truly engaging with your children while they play is not only fun but extremely important for building strong relationships and connections with our kiddos.
The next idea is even more exciting because I used my book, T-Rex and Tuck Explore Outer Space. (I will have a few different activity ideas for you to use that go along with the three books currently available so make sure to follow me on Facebook or Instagram @authorkatiemarie to see those in action.) Outer Space is exciting to girls and boys of all ages. The universe is incredible and what better way to “explore” it than through a book and a corresponding activity? All you need is aluminum foil crumpled into balls—these are your meteors. Once you finish reading the book, place the foil balls randomly around the house for the kids to go find. Once they find them all, you can use them for simple counting and math activities. And voila, 2 minutes of planning and at least 30 minutes of fun outside of the normal playtime routine.
Let me know what you think of these playful ideas. I hope you can get creative and combine books and activities to make learning and reading more fun!
The Pirates are Coming by John Condon
Have a wonderful weekend, happy reading.
