At one point in my nannying career, I homeschooled preschool. It was unlike any nanny job I had had, and still have had. I loved the opportunity to intentionally teach those four young girls each day, creating lesson plans that followed weekly themes and educational standards. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. I spent hours upon hours researching activities, crafts, lesson plans, and preschool requirements. It was the most work I had done in years, but it was also the most inspired I had felt since college.
When that job ended, I felt sad about leaving behind that creative streak. My new job did not require me to homeschool or even provide mini-lessons or worksheets since the oldest (at two years old) was already in preschool during the day.
However, with my new job, A is out of school during the summer. Although he will be attending several week-long half-day camps before school starts back up again, he has been bored in the afternoons despite having a variety of toys, books, puzzles, hands-on activity books and workbooks. I have been brainstorming different ideas to catch his attention.
About a week ago, I became familiar with a website that provides free high quality worksheets and lesson plans to the public. Sure, he has workbooks, but the website has a wide range of worksheets from simple coloring activities to counting worksheets, and even mazes. They’re more like games than work, but they allow children to practice necessary skills, like motor skills and problem-solving. The website even offers educational online games for those who need a break from pencil and paper! Although I am not homeschooling again, I thought this could be a great opportunity to provide educational practice to four-year-old A while I do work around the house. It gives him a purpose and a goal to focus on while I get things done. No more boredom!
You can see an example of one of the worksheets below:
Grab your pencil to practice your pencil grasp and (fine motor skills) with this fun under the sea maze! Visit Education.com for more practice in fine motor skills!
Happy educating!
*Education.com is free to sign up and use for a limited time, but a subscription is available for full access to their educational resources.
