- Nature Walks
The Namibian winter days are perfect for nature walks. This could be in your backyard, in a local municipal park or even out in the veld. Check out learnonone.org for printable resources of things to lookout for on your walks. Click here for our free printables and resources of things to lookout for on your walks: learnonone.org
- Sidewalk chalk
This is a cheap item that can offer kids hours of fun and creativity without any danger of damaging the walls. Let them draw a hopscotch trail or practise writing their names.
- Read, read, read.
Time is tight, but even 10 minutes of reading out loud to your kids will stoke their imaginations and make them smarter. Reading to children can raise their IQ by 6 points!
- Maintain a routine
During the holidays, maintain a routine that suits the age of the children with wake up times, meal times and regular time spent outdoors. Limiting time spent on devices will help to manage their emotional wellbeing and allow them time to be bored, which it turns out, is good for them. Read up on the benefits of boredom here: childmind.org
- RAOK and Gratitude
Challenge your children to do a random act of kindness for someone in the family. LearnOnOne also has a template for a daily gratitude journal that can encourage children to have an attitude of contentment and gratitude.
- Encourage Creativity
Encourage kids to use the holiday time to explore their creativity. They can draw or design on paper. They can create murals, learn to mix sound, learn design software or practise photography. For example, learnonone.org has a “Creative Self(ie) Portraits” worksheet where teenagers can build a portfolio of creative self portraits. These portfolios can teach teenagers to be industrious and prolific in their art and have grit as they choose their paths into adulthood.
