March
Fun activities for you and your preschool child
1. Teach your child to have sympathy and empathy for others. Bake cookies with her and deliver them to a local senior citizens' home.
2. Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday. Explore Seussville together.
3. Being a good listener is critical to success in school. Go to the library with your child, pick a book and read aloud to her.
4. Today is colouring day. Sit down and colour animals with him.
5. Turn on your child's favourite music and move to it today.
6. Teach your child to wash her hands for at least 15 seconds after using the rest room and before meals. Try singing the alphabet while you wash.
7. Place several pairs of your child's socks in a pile and invite him to find the ones that match.
8. Today is International Women's Day. Why not learn about a famous Canadian painter like Emily Carr.
9. Involve your preschooler in doing simple household chores, like folding napkins and setting the dinner table. When they do so successfully, they will feel important and self-reliant.
10. Help your child prepare for school by teaching patience. This will teach him to wait one's turn and keep from interrupting others when they are talking.
11. Take your child to the Zoo. The zoo in High Park is free.
12. String a macaroni necklace with your child. Have him count each piece as he strings it.
13. Today is earmuff day. Make a pair of earmuff's with your child.
14. Children love magic. Put on a magic show for your child.
15. Develop your child's thinking skills by teaching him a new word. See how many different ways he can use it in one day.
16. Young children thrive on routine. Establish a regular dinnertime and a familiar bedtime routine.
17. Go for a walk with your child. Count the number of animals you see.
18. Preschoolers care more about their own wants and needs than about anything else. Use a positive approach if your child is selfish and also keep a sense of humour, as this stage will pass.
19. Children who have too much stress might become shy, nervous, irritable or withdrawn. To minimize the amount of stress and help him cope better, be loving, patient and encouraging, especially in difficult times.
20. Today is the first day of Spring. Make a bird biscuit.
21. Make an egg carton bug mobile with your child.
22. Tap out a very simple rhythm with household instruments, such as spoons. See if your child can copy it.
23. Ask your child to draw something that makes him happy.
24. Put a puzzle, a colouring book and a book in a box. If your child is bored, say, "Let's do something from the busy box."
25. Encourage your child in activities that build concentration skills, like showing her how to weave with strips of construction paper.
26. Poke holes in egg carton cups and fill them with soil. Plant two seeds in each. Keep them wet and well-lit, and see what happens with your child.
27. Praise your child's efforts in drawing. Say, "You worked hard on that picture. I am so proud of you."
28. Tell your child three things that you love about him. Have him tell you three things he loves about you.
29. Set a good example. Get some outdoor exercise with your child today.
30. Celebrate your child's favourite colour. Wear it today. Serve food that colour. Look for it wherever you go.
31. Make a family collage. Find pictures of things you do as a family, such as eating meals. Help your child glue them on paper.
Fun activities for you and your elementary school child
1. Set aside some time this month to do something together you enjoyed as a child. Share memories of your experiences.
2. Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday. Read a Dr. Seuss book with your child to celebrate his birthday.
3. It's the birthday of Alexander Bell, inventor of the telephone. Teach your child how to take a message.
4. It's important to nurture your child. Grow a plant with him.
5. Have your child draw a window picture. She can look out the window and draw what she sees.
6. Teach your child how to wash dishes.
7. Have a family dinner tonight and let your child decide what to have.
8. Learn about space. Check out NASA's kids club.
9. Make bedtimes easier by creating a routine. Children do better in school when they have routines at home.
10. Visit a museum today with your child. Just talking about what he might see at a museum can get your child excited about learning.
11. Add some entertainment to your dinner. Go to Medieval Times.
12. Teach your child to resolve conflicts instead of arguing.
13. Get your child excited about history with family activities, like a history play. This will make learning historical facts fun and enjoyable.
14. Encourage your child to sort his books by subject. He can use the library's system or invent his own.
15. It's March Break. Sit down with your child and plan some activities for the week.
16. Promote reading by making it a social occasion. Think of creative ways to blend friends and books.
17. Go skating with your child.
18. Challenge everyone on math facts. Use flash cards.
19. Strangers can contact your child via instant messages (IM). Tell your child that he shouldn't give his name to anyone he doesn't know. If he gets an IM from a stranger, he should tell you.
20. Today is the first day of spring. Make a tin can herb pot.
21. Make today punctuation day. See how many types of punctuation you come across. What does each stand for?
22. Tell your child you love her. Children need to feel loved and accepted to take the risks necessary to learn.
23. Teach your child how to prepare nutritious after-school snacks.
24. Review vocabulary or spelling words at dinner tonight.
25. Make a puzzle with your child. Glue a picture from a magazine onto cardboard. Cut it into puzzle shapes.
26. Teach your child how to be generous and self-reliant. Teach him to think about other people.
27. Help your child get organized for school success. Help her make a special folder for each subject. This will make her more responsible.
28. Help your child start a collection. Provide a place to keep it, like a box, a shelf or a drawer.
29. Review spelling or vocabulary words tonight. Try to use each of them in a sentence.
30. Write an encouraging note and tuck it in your child's jacket pocket or a school book.
31. Develop your child's thinking skills by encouraging him to explore different ways to solve a problem.
Fun activities for you and your middle school child
1. Head out to the rink today. Go skating with your child.
2. Does your child know where your ancestors came from? Discuss this with her.
3. Encourage your child to be more active by planning family time around hiking, climbing, swimming and biking.
4. While watching TV, have your child log all the commercials. Discuss how effective they are.
5. Encourage your child to do a surprise act of kindness today. Ask how he feels about doing it.
6. Take a trip to the Ontario Science Centre.
7. Tell your child why you are so happy to be her parent.
8. Students with good grades take good notes. Teach your child to take notes and study them.
9. Give your child an alarm clock. Make getting up each morning his responsibility.
10. Make writing one of your child's everyday activities. Have her write thank-you notes.
11. Use incentives, not nagging when it's time for homework to reinforce learning. Try scheduling free time after homework is finished.
12. Don't let your child stay home alone for long periods. Middle schoolers still need adult supervision.
13. Take a trip to the Royal Ontairo Museum.
14. Teach your child to make daily "to-do" lists. He should do the most important things first.
15. It's March Break. Create an activity schedule of things the family will do during the break.
16. Help your child clean his closet. Drop off clothes to the Salvation Army.
17. Show your child how to make an outline. This will help with studying and writing.
18. Take your child and his friends to Playdium. Check out the March break specials.
19. Discourage smoking by talking about its short and long-term effects.
20. Encourage your child to find a hobby. It'll nurture her creativity and help her discover who she is.
21. Support your child's hopes and dreams for a future career by encouraging him to learn more about his choice.
22. Make sure your child has time to recharge each day.
23. If battles over clothes make mornings hectic, have your child pick outfits at night.
24. Have your child list 10 things she can do now that she won't be able to do in three months.
25. A child is never too old for reading aloud. Find a book to read aloud together today.
26. Have an international night. Serve food from a different country. Find the country on a map.
27. Recognize effort, not just results. Praise your child for trying hard and being persistent.
28. Tell your child today that you love him.
29. Laughter is the best medicine. Watch a funny movie with your child today or read from a book of jokes.
30. How many ways can your child make a dollar using different combinations of coins?
31. Bake with your child tonight. Let him choose the recipe.
Fun activities for you and your teenager
1. Write an encouraging note on a napkin and tuck it in your teen's lunch.
2. How many Prime Ministers can your teen name?
3. It's Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday (Inventor of the telephone). Talk to your child about cell phone plans and usage.
4. Disciplining a teen can be tough. Set clear rules and avoid nagging when disciplining your teen.
5. Teach your teen that sports are for fun. Winning shouldn't always be the goal.
6. Set an example of community involvement. Join a club or group that can use your help.
7. Does your teen like fashion? Encourage her to redesign her clothes.
8. Talk about alcohol by asking "What if" questions: "What if the friend who is driving gets drunk?"
9. Know where your teen is going and who she's with. Peer pressure is less strong when parents are "in the know."
10. March Break is coming up. Look into camps for your teen.
11. Learn about human anatomy. Take your teen to the Ontario Science Centre to see the Body Worlds exhibit.
12. Don't let math skills get rusty. Challenge your teen to rework some old math problems.
13. Encourage your teen to imagine he has three wishes. Ask what he would wish for.
14. What does your teen want to do after high school? Have her start making plans now.
15. It's March Break. Plan an activity that the whole family can do.
16. Do you know who your teen chats with online? Find out.
17. If your teen could go back in time, where would he go? Find library books about that period of history.
18. Use daily humour to connect with your teenager. Humour can also get you through challenging days.
19. Motivate your teen to work harder in school by helping her focus on her dreams.
20. To diffuse anger, teach your teen to use words to express how he feels before he reaches his boiling point.
21. Avoid destructive criticism when talking to teens. A parent's harsh words can have a negative effect on self-esteem.
22. Encourage your teen to "wind down" at night. A good night's sleep keeps teens alert and ready to learn.
23. Talk to your teen about different career options. Apprenticeship, College, University and the workplace.
24. Does your teen like art? Take a trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario.
25. Teens need privacy. It's normal for them to want to close the doors to their rooms.
26. If your teen runs out of money, don't always bail him out – let him do without sometimes.
27. Does your teen enjoy theatre/comedy/acting? Get tickets to Second City.
28. Don't like a friend of your teen's? Resist the urge to be negative. You may make the friendship seem more attractive.
29. Let your teen know that the things that make him unique also make him precious to you.
30. The best way to spend time with your teen is with a casual invitation: "Would you like to go on an errand with me?"
31. Have a family movie night. Let your teen choose the movie. Pop some popcorn and enjoy being together.
