CLEVELAND — By now, my kids have gone through a dozen coloring books and two reams of paper. If I ask them to set the table, they go limp with boredom. And – the saddest – they’ve stopped asking for their friends as much, realizing they can’t go play with them.
I needed something to get them re-energized about the things they do every day.
With a piece of paper and a handful of colorful markers, I sketched out “Activity Bingo.” Since my kids are little, I made the grid four squares across and down and gave them a “free space.”
Then, I picked some activities I knew they would love, like dancing to Frozen 2 songs, dressing up like their favorite character and drawing their favorite animal.
I picked some activities to help them stay in touch with friends and family: Draw a picture for someone, write a letter to a friend and call a friend.
Around the “free space” I placed some of the chores: Make your bed, set the table, wipe down the bathroom.
Here are my little kid rules:
- They must take the initiative to do these tasks. I’m not going to force them or stand over them reminding them to do the tasks.
- They get a sticker on every square they complete.
- Even if they get “Bingo” they can keep trying for more four-squares-in-a-row
As soon as I showed them, my 4-year-old grabbed a book and started “reading” it to her baby sister. My 6-year-old started drawing a picture for grandma.
When they were done, they came up and asked, “What else can I do next, mom?”
After jammies were on for the night, they asked Alexa to play Frozen 2 songs so they could check off their dancing square.
And even as they were headed up for the night, they asked if we could do this all over again tomorrow.
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