Week 3 home learning - Olympics theme

This week has been a tough one. This week we learnt that we are going to be in lockdown home learning for at least the next 4 weeks (making it 7 weeks of home learning. But I'm honestly expecting it to be all term at home). Some of the stresses of home learning have started up again - Daniel's focus hasn't been the best towards the end of the week, Alexander is a bit over doing the same things and not being able to play with others as much as he normally would, Eliza has been sad because she is missing seeing her friends, I've been tired and stressed at times when all 3 kids have struggled with a task and I can't help all 3 at once. I know I have the rule - 3 kids, 1 mum - but I haven't been reminding them as much as I have the previous weeks. 

But we have made it through. We have survived. At the end of the day the kids have been able to talk about their positives which is important to me. We have taken advantage of lovely sunny days - playing outside at lunchtime and after school. Towards the end of the week I tried to step back from checking on the big kids and instead explain the task, leave them to it and then check after a set time. Maybe this has added to the stress because they need the responsibility to stay on task so weren't completing their work as quickly as they could. I don't know. But I also don't want them to get into bad habits of having someone check on them every few minutes because that won't happen in class.

Add to that, music lessons have continued - Daniel on Bass and Eliza face to face. She has been doing well and this week learnt Mary Had A Little Lamb.

Anyway, this week we again started each morning doing our hand exercises followed by some handwriting. Alexander has used Daniel's putty, Daniel has done a new activity where he uses a whiteboard on a wall to build his arm strength as well. Eliza has used the peg board to make pictures. It has been good to see the improvements in the handwriting for all 3 kids. Alexander is doing a great job with writing his name. His a and es are great. He has been working on n and d this week but they are pretty awesome too. He has also wanted to start writing James which is pretty cute but helpful - more letters to learn. 

On Monday we started the week with an Olympic 'This or That' activity. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu5Iyb3LWbk The kids loved it, although didn't know of a few of the sports. Then it was time to start working. The big kids popped onto their iPad and laptop and Alexander used cherrios to make O for Olympics. He then happily ate the Cherrios and did some rainbow writing for the letter o. I was impressed that he started at the right spot each time. 

Next up he did some q-tip dots to make the Olympic Rings. He then tried to make his own ones. I do love how the spacial awareness at a young age isn't there. Eliza was keen to have a go too so had a go during recess time.

Alexander's go at making the Olympic rings

Eliza's go at making the Olympic Rings

Alexander then did some Olympic Ring stamping making a cool artwork for the art gallery using the colours of the Olympic Rings and toilet paper rolls. 

Another challenge was to make the Olympic Rings out of lego. I was really impressed with him doing this one. He was gone in his room for almost an hour. I'd even forgotten why he went into his room. Then he came out with this.

Daniel then had to make the rings for school in the afternoon. I was impressed that he made them so they stood up on their own. 

Skipping was a sporting activity for the week so the kids had fun doing skipping inside with my dressing gown rope.

Toys were friends when doing some school activities. 

Listening to school work with Giraffee

Tuesday we made some flags - Australian flag, Aboriginal flag and then Alexander made some flags for our family Olympics.

He coloured in some new Australian uniforms too.

Daniel was impressed when he was made to slow down his writing and not fill the whole space. It became so much neater!

Daniel learnt a few new string art activities, including making Mt Fuji.

After 3 weeks of OT and home learning this is the improvement in Daniel's handwriting!! Although I have also noticed that when he rushes his work or isn't heaps keen on the task then it reverts back to his old writing. (I have also been a bit strict on making him rewrite his work when I know he can do better, something that I feel should have been done a bit last year).

Wednesday Alexander did some Cosmic Kids Olympics Yoga https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CYoTXPray5Y

He then got to join in with preschool zoom where they did some singing and a bit of drawing making spotty flowers.

Alexander learnt about some Olympic torches and made his own out of Lego and also out of paper. He also coloured in a torch too.

He then made one out of recycled materials as well.

Eliza has really enjoyed the Active Kids this week where they have been doing dancing.

I have been watching the hockey at the Olympics and the kids have had fun playing hockey in the hallway with golf clubs and a small ball. Alexander and I did a bit of hockey too. I do miss playing it.

It then changed to a game of air hockey.

We also set up the August Art Gallery.

Including a letter box for the artists made by Daniel. A cute addition but I did need to warn him that it might not get any letters. But I loved that he had the idea.

Thursday Alexander learnt about the Olympic medals. He looked at pictures of them on the Ipad and then made some of his own out of play dough. I loved that he drew lots of lines on the first place medal, some lines on the 2nd place medal and then 1 line on the 3rd place medal. 

We did some sh and l games and then he wanted to play Monopoly with me so we played (and interrupted game) of that. Eliza then wanted to play it with me at recess time. Good way to learn about money.

Then Alexander made some of his own medals. He had to draw on both sides of the paper and then cut them out. We then laminated them, hole punched them and put string through making the medals. He decided that there would be a medal for everyone so they went to 5 (with a spare because there were 6 on the paper). 

He then listened to Koala Lou being read, drew a koala in Art for Kids Hub and then watched a video of koalas from the Reptile Park. I love how interested in it he was. 

Meanwhile Daniel was making his poster on Japan. This was a hard task for him to do independently. He had the notes from yesterday so he had all the information, he just needed to put the ideas into sentences. In 30mins he managed to write a sentence. I was a bit frustrated with that so gave him another 30mins to try and finish it. He did pretty well to type up a few more pieces of information and print it off. He then wanted to do pictures but I told him that he needed to do his other work first. He was upset, I was upset. It wasn't great.

Lunch I went outside with my sandwich, a book and my water and sat in the sun. I just needed a break. Of course, within 2 minutes I had 3 kids sitting next to me, chatting and acting like nothing was wrong. There goes my space. But the sun did help, and I did read a page of my book. I went back in with an attitude of patience and understanding. That did manage to come and help. He finished off his poster and it looks pretty good. 

Friday was Green and Gold Day. 

The kids all dressed in something green or gold. In the morning we all were trying to have a more positive attitude and it helped. Daniel's focus was a bit better, my patience was there a bit more and I felt a bit more organised. Alexander started by making some green and gold pikelets for morning tea. He did a great job at measuring the ingredients and mixing it. He even put the batter into the pan. I did the flipping but everything else was done by him. Well done champ!

He then read the book 'Olympipig'. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IzZRuv6wbCg It was nice to have a moment of peace with all kids occupied. 

I do see the appeal for a lot of parents in just placing their kids on the screen. Daniel found his writing task - a diary entry of his first day at the Olympic Village - a bit tricky to get started. I took a breath and realised that in the classroom there would be discussion, there would be ideas shared and then they would go and write. So I paused and then we did that. We walked through the house pretending we were at the Olympic village. Carrying heavy luggage to our building, putting to downstairs. Going up the lift to our bedroom. He then jumped onto the bed telling me about how they were made form cardboard and that they were still comfy. I asked him about his meals - where did he eat? What did he get to eat? He came up with some ideas from the videos he saw. He had the inspiration now. He sat down and managed to write more than a page! He was impressed with that! (I did also have him rewrite the start to make it neater). I was proud of him and so was he. 

Eliza had finished her writing pretty quickly so she was just standing around. Alexander was drawing a pig using Art for Kids hub and so she joined in on that. Meant that they were occupied so I could help Daniel. 

Recess time the kids enjoyed their green and gold spikelets.

Alexander then watched a song to learn a bit about the Olympics.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zkxtKNuxUWk

And then he did some Olympics fitness. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qPwVVaxRN7g

I have been impressed with Daniel's ability to listen to the Taronga Zoo online learning while doing his Mathletics so he isn't falling behind in his learning activities. It's a good initiative.

Listening to Taronga Live while doing this maths

I did some facepaint for their green and gold day and also to be ready for their green and gold disco. 

Unfortunately this is where the stress levels increased. The zoom link wasn't working, the kids were wanting to do the disco or be on Epic - both can't be done at the same time. They were stressed, I was stressed and it was a bit much. Then they went to play outside because Eliza wasn't keen to just sit and read a book while waiting for the disco, ran up the stairs and then got a big cut on her little toe and hurt her nail too. She was screaming in pain. It was just a bit much all at once. If only she had gone to read a book instead. Anyway, her disco went ahead and Daniel's didn't but she sat for it all because of her toe. Sigh.

Lunch was avocado and cheese toasted wraps and sandwiches, continuing the green and gold theme.

After lunch the kids worked on their tasks - Eliza made some medals, Daniel did Science then made a medal and Alexander and I played an interrupted game of charades. 

To celebrate the end of the week the kids made some iced biscuits - Olympic Flags and Green and Gold. That was a bit fun to do and a nice special treat to finish the week.

The kids then rode on the road, we saw Carmen, Sophie and Eve and had a bit of a chat and then saw Amelia, Jack, Harry and Matilda and had a bit of a chat. It was nice to catch up and chat with real life people.

Hopefully these next 4 weeks go ok. Hopefully the motivation will stay there (for us all). Hopefully numbers will go down (but probably not soon). Hopefully we can return to a form of normal.

Oh yeah, and excitingly we welcomed our nephew into the world. Little Oliver Malcolm Christopher was born on Thursday and both he and Jenny are doing well. Sad that we can't see him soon, possibly not for a few months, but glad that they are doing so well.