With most of us safe indoors at the moment, we have asked our teachers to share some tips that’ll help keep you and your little ones buzzing throughout the days you spend together at home.
-
Give your morning the buzz it needs
Bee Fit and Well! What better way to start the morning than with a bit of exercise? After all, staying physically active benefits both the mind and body, and even helps tire us out a little bit! To make it even fun and interesting for your little ones, you could give Zumba a try.
There are plenty of videos that are perfect in giving your little one off to a buzzing start. Here’s one channel on YouTube that you could try, Zumba with Dovydas
If you prefer no screen time, just turn up your favourite playlist and dance together!
-
Plan your meals ahead and get your little ones involved.
Spending more time at home gives you a chance to plan and prepare your meals in advance, let your little ones help. This is a great opportunity for them to learn about the different types of vegetables and protein that goes into the food they eat.
Get them as involved as you can; washing the veggies, stir and season the dishes and then tasting them. Not only would it help improve their motor skills and give them a sense of responsibility, this would also help boost their self-confidence and self-esteem.
-
Practice good hygiene habits by making it fun.
When it comes to good hygiene habits, we all play an important role in setting good examples for the younger ones, and washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of them.
You could make this a family activity when you wash your hands together by singing an easy and memorable tune, like the one we’ve come up with, “Scrub your hands” – in the tune of “Row, row, row your boat”.
“Scrub, scrub, scrub your hands with a bit of soap. Between the fingers and your palm, don’t forget the top.”
Another habit that we often overlook is to cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or if you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow.
To encourage this, you could give this a try. Cut off the toe part of a clean sock and create a “Germ Eating Monster.” Have your little ones wear it on his sleeve to feed the monster, who loves to eat germs, by coughing into his face. To add more fun to this, you can have your little one decorate his or her special Germ Eating Monster.
This way, not only do you get them to practice good hygiene habits but also have fun in the process.
-
Plan engaging off-screen activities for your little ones
One good way to engage your little ones while they’re at home with you is through fun activities that doesn’t involve a screen, i.e., a phone, a tablet or even the TV. There are lots of fun activities you could do that would contribute to their learning journey as well.
For one, you could play simple English games such as “I spy with my little eye…” or you could even give them a bag, get them to collect items to tell a story that they know well. Activities like these would not only help them to practice their observation skills but also their speaking skills as well as their imagination.
Another you could try is creating a story room, find a comfy spot in your little ones’ room, stack up some pillow, put blankets over them to create the perfect environment to sit down and tell them fairy tales and stories.
Here’s one story that you could read with your little ones, to help them understand the current situation better.
My Hero is You – English
My Hero is You – Malay
This will give you a short break from work and at the same time keep the little ones buzzing in excitement.
Keep Buzzing!
Each child is different, with different passions and activities, we’ll keep checking in with all of our families on Zoom and we can’t wait to see you very soon. We know many of our parents are juggling working from home too. Simply take what you need, when you can, while you stay safe and take care of your health… and remember to always wash your hands!
