Creating a Rainy Day Plan

You're going to have days when kids are bored, someone is feeling unwell, or activities are a bust. Although it's hard to plan for these moments, you can do some simple prep now that may save you time and prevent stress down the road. 

To begin, go through your home and take inventory (create a list) of all the games and activities that you currently own, as well as ones that you’ve always wanted to do. What board games do you have? Do you have projects or kits that you haven't completed? Make a list of all of the activities that you could do right now, today, without any preparation or planning. This is what Julie Gilbert from Homeschooling-ideas.com calls the Green List in her article entitled, “Planned Spontaneity”.

 

Gilbert outlines a simple 3-step process that allows parents to plan activities for homeschoolers whereby she recommends having a Green List of activities that are open-and-go and can be used anytime. Keep this list handy and draw ideas from it as needed. She also recommends having an Amber List of activities that require minimum preparation or set-up by the parent, that could be assembled fairly quickly. As you prepare the items on your Amber List, they can gradually be moved to your Green List. In addition, Gilbert advocates for having a Red List of activities that you would like to do but that require research, specific materials to be purchased, or more intense preparation. As these Red List activities are prepared, they will also gradually shift to the Amber and Green Lists. Having Green/Amber/Red lists of activities to draw from can be extremely helpful during the deschooling process, as well as during the rest of the year on rainy days, when kids get sick, or when kids are just plain uncooperative.
 

You could also consider taping a large piece of paper to your wall or fridge where you (and your kids) can write ideas and suggestions for things to do. If you're a tech-person, you may want to try using a visual program like Symbaloo. Symbaloo can help you stay digitally organized by creating themed pages of weblinks that you can quickly find and refer to, as well as websites that you've safely vetted for your kids to use.  

In addition, you may want to create monthly lists with ideas for activities that you want to do, as well as topics to research and discuss. Include your child(ren) in this process. They may have surprising contributions! Consider seasonal events happening at your favourite local attractions (ex. Zoo, Science Centre, Library, Recreation Centre etc.)

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Here are some examples of Monthly list ideas:

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September:

• Learn about deciduous trees

• Collect leaves for leaf rubbing art

• Visit a corn maze

• Pick apples/ make apple pie

• Go on a Fall bike ride

• Make jam or pickles

• Visit a local Farmer's Market

• Melt beeswax and dip leaves and flowers for a Fall garland

 

October: 

• Visit a pumpkin farm

• Collect pinecones for crafts 

• Learn about bats and echolocation

• Learn the history of Halloween and make your own decorations

• Read a spooky story

• Learn about hibernation
   

Wondering how to keep track of rainy day plans, seasonal lists, games you want to play, activities to remember and websites to visit? We've got you covered! Check out the fully customizable Collecting Inspiration: A Homeschool Resource & Planning Notebook for an easy to use, all-in-one planning tool for busy Homeschool parents!

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