You made it! You have made it to your crowning day. Today you will officially become a Quiet Time Queen. I bet you will love it — the coffee is warm, the kids are rested, and life is good.
Today I will share the last part of our series on Quiet Time — the activities!
This is arguably the most important part of Quiet Time. In order to get all of the amazing benefits from Quiet Time that we talked about on Monday, we need to get kids to LOVE Quiet Time (which we talked about on Tuesday). One of the best ways to get kids to love Quiet Time is to offer amazingly wonderful and engaging activities.
Which brings us to today: the amazingly wonderful and engaging activities!
Just before I share with you some actual activities, I thought it would be a good idea to share a few guidelines that I have found very helpful in my Quiet Time journey.
- For a little while, I would use the TV for Quiet Time. But the thing with offering screens during Quiet Time is that the benefits (and results) were super minimal for my boys. Sure, in the moment my boys were quiet so I got some quiet, but they did not have time to recharge and rest. They didn’t gain any of the benefits from Quiet Time actually – and because of that, they were quick to get hyper or meltdown afterwards.
For that reason, I have found that using screens is simply not a great way to spend Quiet Time.
Instead, we opt for simple (super simple) activities that are also super engaging.
- When beginning to establish Quiet Time we select certain toys or activities that are only available during Quiet Time. Goodness does that ever make those toys special! I would make up 3 Quiet Bins and my little ones would get to choose one bin to enjoy. We kept the Quiet Time nice and short at first (as we discussed yesterday in how to establish Quiet Time), which kept those bins nice and exciting and fresh! They were so eager for Quiet Time so they could either continue being creative with their bin from before, or choosing a brand new bin to explore.
- I always keep Quiet Time activities fairly mess free. What good is quiet time for me if I then have to spend half an hour cleaning up? I prefer to keep messy activities as things we do together.
I believe Quiet Time activities should be nice and simple for little ones to put away all on their own. That is why we use bins or boxes. After our Quiet Time is over, my little ones know they need to put everything back into their bins before they are truly done their rest time.
- I also like to keep Quiet Time activities creative and imaginative. While I do offer Quiet Bins to my little ones that have learning elements – such as letters and numbers – I ensure that these activities can be used in any way my child chooses. They are totally open ended. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to do an activity – they are free to explore the bins any way they choose!
- Personally, I adore adding little people into almost any of my quiet bins when the bins are directed at toddlers. That little subset of tiny people have so many emotions and feelings to work out! Having little characters available for play is a fabulous way to encourage toddlers and all children to work through some big emotions, issues, and daily life dramas.
These were all the guidelines I used when I wrote both of my Quiet Time eBooks. So if you are looking for some nice and simple activities your little ones are going to love, be sure to check out both A Year of Educational Quiet Bins, and also Dollarstore Quiet Bins.
I have so many Quiet Time ideas on my blog! I thought I would share just a few of my favourites right here to get you started:
Popsicle sticks and clothespins. You can’t get much simpler than that! But goodness the possibilities. Add in a few little farm animals and let little imaginations take over.
Twist a few pipecleaners to form a tree and add to a bin of buttons. The buttons are fun to put on the tree and take off again, and they are also great for putting on straight pipecleaners to make bracelets too. Not to mention the lining up, sorting, and counting that is bound to occur.
Pop some painters tape on the floor in the shape of a road or a train track and add little cars or trains. You could also add a barn or little house and some people or farm animals for endless opportunities for creative Quiet Time.
There you have it friends – let your Quiet Time begin! Please remember I am only an email away: HowWeeLearn@gmail.com. You can do this – and your little ones will be all the calmer and happier because of it (and I do believe you might be too)
It is with great honour and happiness that I now crown you a Quiet Time Queen. Congratulations Mama! You’ve got this.
Thank you so much for being here and following along with our series. I hope you have a wonderful week!
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Hi there! I’m a live in nanny and private tutor For an almost 5 year old boy. He still naps most days but has been less and less and I’m about to start Quiet Time with him! I know previously you said you put down a blanket for them to stay on during quiet time (at first) but did you have them stay in their room, or just a certain part of the house? Thanks for the great insight! -Mari
Hi Mari, Great question. At first I would suggest keeping your little one rather close, but you keep busy with a job you need to do. Sometimes little ones feel more comfortable staying close at first. I would often be putting away laundry when Quiet Time began, so I would be popping in and out of rooms – close for comfort. Now my little ones often choose to find their own spot (typically their rooms) and have no need for me to be near. Hope this helps!
What age do you recommend starting to establish quiet time
Hi Jamie, This is a great question. I start quiet time with my little ones just before they turn two.