18 Hudson Valley Parent
n
April 2020
close their eyes and create a story
from what they hear. If they are
older, they can even write a story
based on the song. I find classi-
cal works the best for this genre.
Drawing pictures, too, from what
is heard, is fun. Families can make
their own music. You don't need
musical instruments. Create your
own instruments from items around
the house. Remember the sounds
that wooden spoons make on metal
pots.
There are so many possibilities.
The key is when you are choosing
to stay home, make sure you keep
them occupied or they might do
things like find the sunscreen.
What do you like to do when
you have an adventure at home?
What's something your children
did that they weren't supposed to
because they were bored at home?
We would love to hear about it!
Erica Higgs is the author of
Adventures of Abby Girl, a blog
that details all things that she and
daughter experience in the Hud-
son Valley and beyond.
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
TO DO AT HOME
(Continued from Page 17)
Eye-opening
Projects Connect
Kids with Nature
Outdoor activities foster
kids' creativity, problem-
solving and resilience
W
hen it comes to outdoor
projects, kids take the
lead at the Catskill Wheel-
house. Through long stretches of
unstructured time at the cooperative
school's play yard classroom and
forest in Catskill, New York, children
develop creativity, divergent think-
ing, aesthetic experimentation, prob-
lem-solving, reflection, self-knowl-
edge, and resilience.
Best is that the outdoor projects
can be done at home, too, like the
Potion Lab, an outdoor tag sale
held at the school last summer,
where children mixed goods for
sale, from color water to flower pet-
als to aromatic herbs. An at-home
variation is to make recipes for sun
tea.
Materials:
• Two or three large jars
• Water
• Various herbs
How-to:
1. Fill each large jar with water
2. Mix two or three different herb
Children with the Catskill Wheelhouse blend
herbs to make tasty sun tea.
