We are aware that many of you are still stuck at home, and the days are long. So we want to help make your burden a little lighter. Here are some more tips to get your children to contribute and help out at home, while also learning valuable skills!
1) We already discussed giving kids chores to do around the house. This time we focus on cooking with your kids! Isn’t it time for some good old Mac ‘N Cheese? Hot Dogs with sauerkraut and beans? We’ll feature just a few of our favorites here, but feel free to look up more, or have the kids Google their favorite dishes and learn how to make them.
Cooking with kids is so much fun! You can even get them to read the recipes and find all the ingredients. If the ingredients are not already in your cupboard, see if you can teach the kids to order online groceries—maybe from Walmart or Whole Foods for pick up or Instacart if there is delivery near you.
Here are some favorite recipes that kids can help make!
Mac and Cheese: Here’s a classic you might think you can’t make without turning on the oven — or without resigning yourself to a box, or frozen, microwavable fare. But this is not so. This scrumptious recipe comes chock full of fresh bell peppers and savory sausage, and it’s all done in one pan right on top of your stove. See the recipe for this delicious Mac and Cheese. And feel free to modify it to suit your tastes or your kids’.
Hot Dogs with sauerkraut and beans: This classic cook-out recipe is leveled up a bit with the addition of black beans and Italian parsley. Serve it on a favorite bun or flatbread, or just lay it out on some large lettuce leaves for a Keto-friendly meal everyone will love. If the kids don’t like black beans, feel free to substitute a can of regular baked beans.
2) This is a great time to get kids to research and write in order to learn. For example, you can give them a research assignment on Smart Bubblegum and tell them to find an App for any given subject. Then, get them to start writing. They can write about the topic they’ve researched or let them try their hand at creative writing.
Give them an easy assignment, to begin with. See if they can write a fictional story about two people, modeled after two people they know. Or try to get them to write a movie review of a movie they’ve recently seen. This can be expanded into writing a journal of their activities if they like. Or, try to write on a relevant topic to today’s issues. How will the world change because of our experience with this pandemic? (For older kids, of course).
3) We’ve already talked about this being the time to emphasize physical fitness. Make sure they and you are getting at least an hour or more of physical activity every day.
And, finally, appreciate this rare opportunity to enjoy your kids’ company and spending this time together with your family.