I’ve been trying to find more ways to make school and learning fun and free-style. So far Blueberry Ball does his best when I lead him into every activity. While this can be fun, for the two of us, it is a lot more time consuming on my part than I had hoped. Slowly, I have been adding things to our family room that he can do completely on his own. One of my more successful additions has been his art cabinet. I think this is a great idea for an after-school cabinet too!
This includes:
- safety scissors
- glue
- markers, crayons, colored pencils, and his “giant pen”
- cutting practice strips (we are still practicing small, straight lines)
- scrap papers that I can no longer use
- scrap paper booklets (usually paper printed on on side, cut into quarters, and stapled together)
- news paper and paper bags, adds and junk mail all go in one basket
- some coloring books and/or sheets
- a baggy with small scraps (some I have cut into animals, shapes, letters, etc.) for him to use with glue for stickers or to practice free-cutting
- bright post-it notes (they are free and we seem to have an excess right now)
- Homemade dry erase book and blank dry erase boards
I plan on adding to this cabinet throughout the school year (as well as adding picture labels very soon), in the process of adapting to his learning advancements and I’m trying to keep the items in there new and ever-changing to keep him interested. When I first introduced this concept, he didn’t know where to start! When he woke up from his nap, I had completely re-organized the cabinet for him. He didn’t quite understand that he could do whatever he wanted whenever (as long as it stays at the table). Now, he does it by himself three times a week or so, and he likes to share with his friends when they come to “play”. Read this post to find out how I use this in a travel activity tube for my diaper bag.
What are some things you do to encourage your preschooler to take charge in his learning? What would you like to see in my next Homeschool How-To? Leave a comment and let me know!
and on No Time For Flashcards:
Home School On A Dime 
This is great for kids to be able to create whenever they feel like it, without having to wait for an adult to get the supplies out! Thanks for sharing!
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Yes! It’s one thing that I have found is useful in giving him independence in his learning and creativity. I would, however, use this technique where clear boundaries are set up already. After all, we wouldn’t want glue all over the bed! =)
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