Stay at Home? How can I Support my Child’s Development?

When Governor Wolf issued the order that everyone was to stay at home, your mind may have been running 100 miles an hour. You understand that the order is for everyone’s good and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but you are at a loss for how to fill your days with your little ones who are usually at school. This post is for you, as a parent or guardian who has been spending all day, every day at home with your child(ren).

I grew up being home-schooled, so I was at home for all of my growing up years. My experience taught me that learning can take place anywhere and can be done in the most unconventional ways. I usually finished book work in 2-3 hours. Then my siblings and I learned outside through play. Our play was entirely unstructured, but we often based our play off of our thematic units in school. Following are some activities that we engaged in that your children may love too!


Teepee Building and Playing “Native Americans”

My siblings and I inside a teepee

Take your children to a state or county park, or head out into your own woods if possible. Let them build their own teepee and learn from their mistakes. Even children as young as 3 can carry sticks and lean them against a frame. If your children don’t know where teepees originated from, read them a story or provide them with a documentary about Native Americans and teepees. This activity teaches history, culture, science and engineering, as well as supports physical development.


Landscape Design and Archaeological Digs

Notice the tips of my boots as I build sandcastles with a little neighbor boy!

If you have a sandbox or your local park has one, take advantage of this resource! Your children can build sandcastles or create entire towns and farmlands. As a child my siblings and I would spend hours a time designing our own “properties.” Sandboxes can also be used to learn about archaeology. There are plenty of books that explain archaeology in kid-friendly terms that you can read to your children. You can then bury artifacts for your children to find, or your children can bury artifacts for each other. These activities promote creativity, social skills, higher-order thinking skills and much more!


Legos, Lincoln Logs, Kinetics and Food Art

My little sister building a cabin with pretzels and icing!

Some days are not ideal for outside play. Legos or other similar manipulatives are a great option for such times! Simply playing with Legos encourages creativity and problem solving. Manipulatives can also be used to teach social studies. Pictured is “Abe Lincoln’s Log Cabin” made from pretzel rods and icing. Your children can study structures from other places and eras and then make that knowledge more meaningful and memorable by creating their own structures.