We all know that kids have short attention spans. Just how short are they? Toddlers often can only focus on one indoor activity for about 3-5 minutes; preschoolers, probably 10-15 minutes. Early elementary...we're still talking only about 20 minutes. (Of course, these are just generalizations.)
This means when you plan activities, you have to accommodate this detail. That's why I mentioned in a previous blog that you should consider pre-cutting and pre-measuring items for cooking and art projects. After 5 minutes in your kitchen, if you turn your back to measure 1/4 cup raisins for the cookies, your toddler might be bored...and start dumping the contents of all your cupboards.
Another option: break projects into smaller tasks. Practice cutting paper with kiddie scissors one day, pasting with glue stick the next, and add the glitter only on the third. Draw the outline of an object one day, color it in the next, make a frame for it on the third. You get the picture (pun intended).
If you haven't done so already, get a wall calendar, notebook, or file on your Blackberry ready to plan for your "family camp" (whether it's just a Sunday, one week, or the entire summer). Block out sections for each day, listing different activities. These time blocks should be developmentally appropriate, given the attention spans I suggested at the beginning.
Now I the question some of you will ask: what if you have a toddler, a preschooler, and an elementary school aged kid? Consider the following options:
Group projects--oldest kid cuts or measures, youngest pours the contents of measuring cups and spoons into the big bowl, middle kid colors stirs or kneads.
Vary activity by ability--One child draws own picture or colors coloring book. Oldest does so and even adds a sentence. Littlest scribbles. Put all of them in an envelope and send to Bubbe or Savta.
Any other ideas from fellow imas?
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