I love to see how other homeschoolers do this thing. There are so many approaches, philosophies, and methodologies. It’s one of the many reasons why I look forward to the Simple Homeschool Day in the Life series each year.
In particular, I love to see how other gameschoolers do this thing… mostly because I am a game addict and delight in learning about all the games that are out there on the market today.
Because of this, and in response to the wonderful response we have had to our Gameschool Challenge, I’ve decided to start a new series. It is called Gameschool Voices: A Series of Personal Stories.
Gameschool Voices: A Series of Personal Stories
Gameschool Voices is a living series and I will be adding to it throughout the coming months. I hope you love it!
Gameschool Voices: A Series of Personal Gameschooling Stories
How to Strengthen Sibling Relationships with Gameschooling | Heather Pleier, Wonderschooling
We play lots of games around here, and we also work a lot on our sibling relationships. In order for this to work, our kids need to have permission to leave the game when they want. No one is forced to stay in a situation they’re not enjoying. By doing that, their siblings are incentivized to find a way to make it work. If they want to keep playing, they need a willing partner, and to have that, the other person needs to feel supported.
To do this, we take the power dynamic out of the game. Winning isn’t the goal. Instead, playing harmoniously with healthy relationship dynamics is emphasized.
We model this as parents and help the siblings work on these values as well.
6 Fantastic Tips for Gameschooling with a Big Family | June Doran, This Simple Balance
Only in the past year has gameschooling become a core part of our homeschool. While my oldest (a girl) enjoys playing board games, my second born – a boy – absolutely loves to play games.
Even though he’s a reluctant reader and has been slow to warm up to reading aloud, he asks to play games almost every single day. Earlier this year, thanks to Cait’s gameschooling inspiration, I started to realize that I could capitalize on the one thing he was actually asking to do.
As I worked gameschooling into our homeschool routine, I quickly realized that gameschooling in a big family was complicated. We have four kids, soon to be five, with ages ranging from 9 down to almost 3 (with a baby due in two short months).
As you can imagine, gameschooling can be more than a little challenging with all those ages and stages! Over the past few months, here’s what I’ve learned about gameschooling with a big family. It’s far from perfect, but it has definitely gotten better as I’ve followed these tips.
10 Creative Ways to Amuse Toddlers During Game Time | Amy Milcic, Rock Your Homeschool
My older two boys spoiled me. We filled our days with quiet crafts, activities, and games. Two and a half years apart, both boys were able to interact without fuss or issue during our family game time.
And then, we added three more boys to the crew! My younger three boys are energetic, inquisitive, and hands-on. While my older two are content with a simple explanation or discussion of rules or instructions, my younger three boys do not stop until they have touched, explored, and handled everything in their path.
My youngest boy (2 1/2) is commonly referred to as our “toddler tornado”. This child experiences and learns through building and then destroying. He delights in the process of taking apart so he can figure out new ways to piece together.
The boys are now 14, 11, 7, 5, and 2. This combination of ages and approaches to learning make for an interesting game time, for sure. All of my boys greatly benefit from gameschooling. So, what’s a busy mama to do?
How to Add More Play to Your Day and Not Feel Guilty | Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley, Simple Homeschool
Our homeschool is not perfect, not even close. We have hard days and crabby days and sick days and full-of-doubt days, just like everyone else.
We have hard seasons when motivation plummets and you just feel stuck.
But, right now, we are in a good season and I’d like to share it with you, just in case you are feeling stuck.
I hope it will help.
Yes, homeschooling can be [almost] all fun and games. I’d like to show you how.
How to Play Games with a Toddler Underfoot | Melissa Camara Wilkins
How to Play Games with a Toddler Underfoot | Melissa Camara WilkinsGames, as we all know, are awesome for learning problem-solving skills. I just didn’t realize at first that the parent was the one who had to learn those new skills.
There’s the problem of what to do about lost pieces. (Use a penny.) Then there are broken game boxes. (Packing tape.) And how do you play when you have players of wildly different skill levels? (Play in teams, or pick a different game.)
Sometimes one of the people who wants to play is a toddler, whose idea of “game” is “grab cards, pull the game board off table, and chew on playing tiles.”
Then there are the people who do not really enjoy the losing aspect of competition. It’s a complicated thing, playing games.
And since our family has six kids with all different ages and ability levels, we’ve had lots of chances for trial and error. Here are some of our tricks for making games work for everyone.
Have you enjoyed this series?
If so, please stop by and visit these posts:
Do you love games and gameschooling?
Be sure to check out these related posts:
- Growing List of My Little Poppies Game Reviews
- Ultimate Gamelist: A Free Library of Gameschool Resources
- Gameschool Challenge: Add More Play To Your Day!
- Ultimate Guide to Family Games
- 100 Picture Books and Games for Play-Based Learning
- 10 Tips for a Successful Family Game Night
- Top Educational One-Player Games
- 10+ Amazing Math Games for Your Homeschool
- 10+ Science Games for Your Homeschool
Do you want to see our gameschool in action?
Be sure to follow My Little Poppies because we share snapshots of gameschooling moments… and heaps of incredible books!
You are also invited to join the My Little Poppies Gameschool Community, a private Facebook Group for parents who wish to add more play to their family and/or homeschool routine.
