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- Transitions
Recently, much of my energy has been spent preparing for and settling into this new school year of online learning. That isn’t to say that we haven’t done bingo board activities, just that our approach has evolved (and I haven’t published blog posts or activity write-ups lately). I’ve also spent some time reflecting on how our family has used bingo. We find ourselves coming back to stuff we enjoyed in July, trying items we didn’t get to in August, and exploring activities not “on the board”, etc. I plan to add more content and revamp the site with resources categorized by topic in order to take the focus beyond just a monthly board. I hope this will make it easier for families to “choose their own adventure”, where the boards feel more like springboards than progress boards. After all, that’s how we are “bingoing” in our family 🙂
Why a bingo board?
Over the past few years my husband and I have been looking for ways to make family activity planning easier and more intuitive. Sure, we’d go to the park, read our kid stories and play legos together, which was, and still is, super important family time! For every thing else it felt like we had only 2 speeds… go, go, go (to lessons, to venues, to engagements) or veg out on the couch. We knew there had to be other things we could do together, but we rarely had the energy to explore them. When we did, the amount of information and choice felt overwhelming.
Then, in the Spring of 2020, I found myself unemployed and homeschooling our child. Thankfully, the kindergarten teachers at our school threw out a lifeline that made the transition more manageable for me… a weekly “Bingo Board” containing a variety of activities that came with detailed, straightforward instructions. Not only did I appreciate the format, my kid loved it too and he felt a huge sense of accomplishment as he checked items off.
This experience inspired me to also create Bingo Boards with a curated mix of resources. Anticipating my own return to work outside the home, I’m focusing on ideas that don’t require a lot of preparation to accomplish. Less of a “to do” than a “could do” list, the activities foster learning in STEAM, Language, and Social Studies. Many also promote mindfulness, movement, exploring the outdoors and helpfulness. The goal isn’t primarily academic. More than anything, I hope this is a tool to create conversation and connection so that we can find a better balance between bustle and inertia in our day-to-day.
I know dealing with Covid school closures hasn’t been easy for families, so I decided to publish the monthly boards + resources should it be helpful to parents and caregivers looking for easy, entertaining stuff to do with their kids. I also hope this concept will resonate even after things open back up as it’s always a good time for simple and inexpensive fun. Activities will be geared towards kids pre-k to 2nd grade. Feel free to use and adapt with your family. If you have feedback, questions or ideas, please contact me:
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