How to keep a 6 year old engaged during vacations and weekends

From ArticleWorld

To keep a 6 year old engaged during vacations and weekends becomes a daunting task for most grown ups especially single parents. If the child is active and agile and has been blessed with a sharp brain then the task becomes doubly overwhelming. Remember you are the parent and your child is still small enough for you to outsmart his/ her every move. So think like they would do and come up with some ingenious ideas to keep them occupied while you get the house work done. Here are some ideas worth trying out.

A few suggestions

1. An old idea but one that still works is a piece of paper and crayons. Put a small table next to your work place and give your child his/ her set of crayons and ask them to draw a face or scenery. Tell them to make it big and fill it with color. This should easily keep them occupied for an hour at least especially if you look in from time to time with intelligent remarks and praises.
2. If your 6 year old is too restless to paint, you might try giving a jigsaw puzzle. Set up a table next to yours and let them spread the puzzle on it. Most children love a jigsaw puzzle and if it is a large one (300+ pieces) then they are good for over an hour. After that the child will generally lose interest. Do not disturb the pieces, let the child come back to it at a later time.
3. Another idea that keeps the children occupied and also makes them feel important is to allow them to open your mail. Let them open your junk mail and throw the envelopes into the trash can. Tell the child to count how many mails you received and thank the child properly for helping you when he/ she presents you with a neat pile of papers.
4. Another thing that children love is playing teacher. Get your child a chalkboard and some colored sidewalk chalk sticks. Let it play teacher to you while you get your office work done (while pretending to take down whatever has been written on the board).

Do’s

• Keep your sunny side up and look at these times as precious bonding times instead of feeling grouchy about the whole experience.

Don’ts

• A six year old can get into a lot of trouble if left unattended. Make sure you keep an eye on your little treasure lest he/ she drinks the dish washer liquid or decides to give the house a fresh lick of paint.