As schools around the country close in response to COVID-19 every family in America is attempting to home school. Along with wonderful suggestions from my daughter’s school, this Noteworthy Mommy is putting on her kindergarten teacher hat and planning a day full of fun and educational activities for my pre-school aged daughter. In this article I will outline some of the activities I am planning. Check back often as I will continue to share activities with you.
DISCLAIMER– Our first day did not go exactly as planned when I offered to care for the son of a church friend who was suddenly without childcare. I quickly made lesson plans for a preschooler and a first grader but we didn’t come close to following the schedule! We did celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by decorating some shamrocks for our front door, discovering some real clover in the yard and writing about what we would like to find at the end of the rainbow. 
The kids were full of excitement when we created all of the colors of the rainbows by mixing colors. We filled one container with water and red food coloring, another with water and blue food coloring and the last with water and yellow food coloring. Then they used pipettes and mixed the colors in an ice cube tray. We predicted what color we would get when we mixed red and blue, yellow and green and so on.
Each child read some leveled texts appropriate for their age and reading level and the first grader drew a diagram of a flower after reading a book about plants. We reviewed math facts with colored chalk on the driveway and played on the play set in the backyard.
After lunch we did our Lenten devotional and during snack I snuck in some rhyming and had the first grader work on some phonics. We had a dance party and I surprised both of them when I got out the Star Wars figures I played with as a child (now vintage of course).
But their favorite part of our day was creating super heroes and villains out of pipe cleaners, play dough and cotton balls; an activity they self initiated by pulling supplies out of the art cabinet. This was unplanned but it occupied their creative imaginations for part of the afternoon. As they worked I overheard them giving each other compliments and quickly offer suggestions. Hearing the first grade boy say “Hey, your super hero is cool,” when he saw the preschooler’s creation warmed my heart. And in turn seeing my preschool girl watch her companion with great concentration and then make improvements to her own creation reminded me how much children learn from each other. They created names and backstories for their figures and made a book together. (without any prompting I might add) They simply enjoyed playing and learning together. I take pride in the fact that we did not watch any TV and only played on a digital device for fifteen minutes. During this uncertain time our day was filled with creation, imagination, discovery, cooperation and play. There was no fighting and no tears from any of us..including from the Noteworthy Mommy!
Below is the post I originally planned to publish. As I reflect on our first day I think we accomplished and learned a lot…all three of us!
Schedule– Children thrive on routine so I am in the process of developing a daily schedule for us to follow. I began by asking my daughter what we should include and plan to incorporate the things she does at school. I went to The Mom Advantage for ideas on creating an age appropriate schedule for my family. This website and companion The Mom Advantage Facebook page was created by an educational friend of mine and I highly recommend subscribing to her newsletter. What I really like about The Mom Advantage is she provides several sample schedules for mommies who find themselves home schooling while trying to work from home. The Mom Advantage is filled with resources for children preschool-grade 3.
Jesus Time– We are a Christian family so setting extra time aside for family devotionals and worship, bible stories, songs and prayer will be important. We will begin our day with a morning Jesus Time and have a family devotional with daddy after dinner. During Lent my daughter has enjoyed opening a new window on a Lenten calendar. There is a bible verse to go along with each revealed picture.
Journal Time or Writing Time– My daughter has recently gotten into book making and writing. We will take time each day to write, illustrate and read books that we write together. Allow your children to freely write each day or give them a topic or sentence starter. Remember young children may draw pictures or use scribbles and mock letters to represent their thoughts and ideas.
Play Dough– Have your child help you make some homemade play dough. There are many recipes out there but I have found the ones that involve boiling water to work the best. We used Mrs. Stanglein’s Playdough recipe. Don’t forget to add some scented oils, vanilla, cinnamon or Kool Aid to make the mixture smell good. It’s also fun to add food coloring and glitter to make it extra fun to play with. Use cookie cutters, straws and scissors to play with the play dough. Playing with play dough helps little hands build fine motor skills.
Storytime– We have a lot of picture books at home but to add variety to our read aloud time we have been watching videos on-line of other people reading. Josh Gad who voices Olaf on Frozen has been recording his favorite books and Lillian’s teacher is sending out a nightly read aloud as well. Click Here to link to favorite authors reading their books. I recommend video chatting with a relative or friend and reading each other books as well. After reading it is always fun to write or draw a picture in response to the reading. You could start a “Reading Response Journal” and add to it after each book you read.
There is a companion book titled, “
A few days later we had a craft fair at church and you’ll never guess what we found… a handmade tooth fairy pillow that resembles the one I had as a child! My daughter and I were so excited.
What Foods Make Your Teeth Happy?- We looked through grocery ads and cut out foods that would make our teeth happy. It was a great activity to teach healthy and non-healthy foods and to learn about eating a balanced diet.
As I pass on family traditions like reading 
The lyrics from a favorite Christmas song by 
The book 
Every year my daughter and I participate in 
Mommy’s Lesson- My daughter’s life had recently been turned upside down when I accepted an assignment to train teachers for an entire week at a local school district. This was a change for our family of three because I normally work a few days out of each month (rarely back to back days) and am blessed to spend the majority of the time as a stay at home mommy. I knew working for an entire week was going to challenge us but the work was local, guaranteeing I would be home every night and the generous pay would help our family financially.
This year my daughter started her second year of preschool at 
Whether you’re a teacher implementing the newest curriculum, a parent sending your teenager off to college, or you have children who are simply moving to the next grade level at the same school, I send you wishes for a prosperous new school year! As the seasons change the crayons will become worn and the bulletin boards will fade, the newness becoming a distant memory. When you and your children begin to lose “the sparkle” simply look back to the beginning and try to recapture some of the excitement and anticipation we all had at the start.
My daughter’s Godmother applying polish to my daughter’s little toes backstage.
Everyone in St. Louis is wearing blue these days as we enthusiastically cheer on our hometown hockey team, the Saint Louis Blues, to what we hope will be a historic Stanley Cup victory! But on Sunday, June 9, this girl isn’t excited about game 6 of the championship along with the rest of the city. Instead, I’m wrapped up in my own game, my personal Super Bowl taking place on the Great White Way. A magical night filled with both victory and defeat that I look forward to all year long with great anticipation. I’ll be cheering on the best of Broadway as I watch the 73rd annual Tony Awards!
The 60th Annual Tony Awards- In 2006 I checked a huge event off of my bucket list when I attended the 60th annual Tony Awards in person at Radio City Music Hall! Jersey Boys won best musical that year. My friend and I dressed in elegant evening gowns and experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity that we will never forget! Although legendary performers like Chita Rivera, James Earl Jones and Julie Andrews appeared tiny from our mile high seats, we were thrilled to simply be present.
My story ends with the band geek marrying the captain of the football team (although he played in the orchestra during off season). And we are raising a well rounded little girl who is gaining an appreciation for live theater and live sporting events. So on Sunday, June 9, with an assist from a sophisticated remote and DVR, our family will avoid any interference and have a night choreographed with the seasons greatest singers, dancers and hockey players.
Noteworthy Mommy 