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Home | homeschool | Blanket time for preschoolers (or anyone!)

Blanket time for preschoolers (or anyone!)

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As you know, having little boys is still new to me (I spent nine years raising girls before the first boy came along) so I’ve met many new challenges in our homeschooling day! One of these challenges has been “how in the world do I have some quiet school time with the big kids while these little bundles of energy do everything in their power to un-do all my housework?”

I got a great suggestion from one of my favorite blogs, Raising Olives, and it has already worked wonders for us! It’s called Blanket Time. It’s basically training your little ones to sit on a certain blanket (or rug) with only certain toys or activities and play quietly for a specified amount of time. They must stay on the blanket, play only with the activity given, and make no noises with their mouth.

I decided to start with 15 minutes for Nicholas (which is a long time for him!) and have a different toy set aside for each day of the week. That toy is saved just for blanket time so it’s not old and boring, and when the time is over, he may choose to play there longer if he likes.

The very first day, he asked for more blanket time. Yay! It’s working well for us. I use it while Nathan takes his nap, giving me some quiet time to work with the girls without interruption.

In the photo below, he’s playing with a magnetic dinosaur scene.

In a pinch, when I need him to be quiet, I’ll let him play with things that the older kids use for school. Here, he’s playing with some math blocks, making pictures. He’s not doing math problems, but he’s quiet. And, believe it or not, he’s thinking geometrically. He sat with these for about 1/2 an hour!


If you have something that works for busy little preschoolers, please share in the comments!

I have other ideas for preschoolers! Read them here.

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September 24, 2009 · Leave a Comment

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I have two very different sons. One has been an extrovert since he could talk. The other has been an introvert for just as long. The thing about home education is that it doesn’t have to happen at home. What it really means is “not public school.” Not stuck in a classroom all day. Not confined to a government calendar. Not a slave to the system. 23 years ago I helped my aunt Kari start a homeschool co-op. At that time, I had one child and she was three years old. If you have a child that struggles to read, read to them. Read aloud every day. That’s the best advice I can give. New year. New house. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: How do I homeschool with babies and toddlers in the mix?? Don’t let people tell you that “you can’t shelter your children.” Yes, you can. And you absolutely should. Mothers have a crucial role to play in society, although their job doesn’t always feel very “crucial.” Wiping baby faces, repeating instructions, settling squabbles, and making food is repetitive and doesn’t always seem important. For 2023, I’ll be preaching the same ol’ message that I can’t stop saying: “education is discipleship,” and “you can do it” homeschooling encouragement. Not gonna make the message easier to swallow when the world is attacking children on a grander scale every day. I’m also not going to tell you that homeschooling is a breeze, but I will keep saying that it’s worth every minute.

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