Jenny would first like to point out that this craft was NOT her idea. She is sharing an idea that her daughter’s teacher came up with. All the kids in her class made a jar and brought them home as gifts for their family for Christmas/Holiday break.
What did you do?
This is a fun family activity that is quick and easy to make at home. I did not come up with this fun idea; my daughter’s teacher did but we are happy to share the idea with others so they can enjoy it in their homes!
Simply find a jar, decorate it with craft items such as colored tissue paper, glue, glitter, pipe cleaners, stickers, paint, etc. Label the top of the jar “Family Dinner Topics”.
Cut strips of paper out and sit down with your family to write out fun questions that you can answer over dinner.
My children LOVE this activity. They love having our full attention and it makes them feel empowered when they get to answer a variety of questions and share their thoughts with us every night.
My 2-year-old cries on nights that I accidentally sit down without bringing the jar to the dinner table with me!
This activity is a great way to:
a) Spend quality time with your family members during dinner (or any meal).
b) Help your children think about things they might not otherwise consider. The more creative and diverse the questions, the better!
c) Help younger children learn to read & write. Children who know the alphabet can practice sounding out each word with your help and learn to read new words!
d) Learn lots of fun and interesting things about your family members!
Any tips for others wanting to do this too?
One suggestion I’d make is to include blank pieces of paper and occasionally, have people make up their own new questions rather than reading a question from the jar. Write down the new questions and place them in the jar.
I’d also suggest folding all the papers the same way (i.e. folded side facing the top of the jar) when you initially create your jar. Once a question is read, replace it in the jar with the folded side down. This helps avoid duplicates being pulled out within the same day/week/month. Once you’ve gone through all the questions, start pulling out questions with folded side down & replace them with folded side up after the question has been asked & answered.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your family…
My name is Jenny. My husband is Bryan. I am a stay-at-home mom who used to be a mortgage loan officer and executive before I had kids, and he works in IT sales/management. He has been working from home since the stay at home order was enacted here in CA. We are grateful he is able to work and maintain his income to support the family.
I have 3 adult stepdaughters, a 5-year-old daughter, and a 2-year-old daughter (5 girls!) Two of our adult girls live out of state so we try to use FaceTime often so the little girls have a strong relationship with their big sisters despite the geographic distance between us.
What’s your next project idea?
We are currently working to create a playroom for our children. They have decided they want to share one bedroom and turn the smaller room that our toddler used to sleep in into a designated play area. We are creating a reading nook, organizing toys in bins that are labeled so the kids can easily find and put away their toys, and decorating with fun artwork.
We are also working every day to make paper art that we can use to decorate our home’s windows in an effort to spread a little cheer to those out walking the sidewalks to get some exercise. We have hung up paper hearts, rainbows that we painted, Easter eggs we colored with markers, and we are doing paper chains of people holding hands today.
How are you finding being housebound with kids so far?
Mostly, it has been nice. My 5 year old’s preschool was closed and she is missing her teachers and classmates, but we have tried to enjoy our time together by going on walks on hiking trails in our neighborhood every day.
We have had many scavenger hunts. I draw pictures of what the kids need to find and they mark them off as we explore nature.
We have been planting seeds in pots we painted. We enjoy watching them grow, then transplanting them into bigger pots.
I have continued my 5-year old’s schooling but I typically only have her do 1 or 2 hours per day of reading/writing/math. The rest of the time we try to learn in a more hands-on manner.
My kids both miss their swimming & dance lessons, as do I! I loved watching them in their lessons! I am a former gymnast so I have been teaching the girls cartwheels, handstands, backbends, etc and they are enjoying their “lessons”.
Any tips to help people when they are housebound with kids?
My #1 suggestion is not to beat yourself up too hard, and to understand your kids are nervous about these changes. They may not fully understand what’s happening or have a lot of anxiety if they do understand that people around the world are getting very ill. If they need a day to just watch movies here or there, let them have it. If they’re having a tough day, maybe just teach them to cook their favorite meal instead of forcing them to work on a school subject they don’t like. We need to emotionally support them more than we need to cram algebra into their brains.
Try to take breaks yourself, if you have the ability. My spouse and I take turns occasionally of being in charge of the kids including playtime, dinner, bath, and bedtime, just to let the other have a few uninterrupted hours of relaxation and quiet. It has been very helpful for both of us to keep our spirits up. We also have been using technology to keep in touch with grandparents, classmates, friends, and family.
The Messenger for Kids app is a great tool because kids can’t communicate with anyone on the app unless both kids’ parents approve it. The app has little games that kids can play like drawing pictures that they send to a friend and the friend has to guess what the picture is. I would recommend that app for younger kids because of the parental control and oversight (communications on the app can not be deleted so you can see everything the kids have done on it).
Tell us what you think about the Housebound with Kids community. How has it helped you?
I recently found this group online. I have enjoyed seeing creative ideas that other parents have shared on the site. I also appreciate the humor that is shared and the wonderful support I have seen members giving to one another when people have asked for advice or assistance with a problem they’re experiencing. It is a great page!
