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In the years that I have been nannying I have seen the families who are very structured in their way of life, I’ve seen the families who try to be structured, but do not quite succeed, and I have seen the families who are happy as pie having little to no structure. As the family I currently nanny for knows, I love structure and lucky for me, that fits well into their way of doing things. However, I do realize and fully appreciate that changing things up, like activities and location, are important to stimulation, socialization, and fun! Because I am currently a part-time nanny, I am limited in time, therefore limited somewhat in my options for activities and location change, but with a little creativity, it’s possible!
Here a few things we do to change things up:
A Change of Scenery
Location change does not have to be drastic to make a difference. I generally nanny for only four hours at a time so leaving the house all together is usually limited to the playground, or a trip to the store, but there are plenty of other options. Aside from the child’s bedroom and playroom (which alone provides hours of entertainment) we have explored the rest of the house for fun adventures. We throw balls up and down the stairs, make caves on the couch in the living room, chase the child’s “blankie” all around the downstairs, and play with laundry baskets in the basement.
Going outside literally provides a whole new world! Everyone has a different level of comfort with being outdoors, but having a degree in Adventure Education, outside, rain or shine, is where I like to be the most and therefore encourage it as often as possible. There are all kinds of activities you can do outside and some of our favorites include playing with the hose, drawing with chalk, walking through the woods looking for sticks and bugs, and taking walks around the neighborhood.
There are not too many places we do not find something fun and interactive to do, but we do stay clear of a few areas. Unless we have a specific purpose like washing hands, we do not play in the bathroom. I do not know if it is every two-year-old’s obsession to stuff as much toilet paper in the toilet and then try to flush it, but the plumbing is grateful we do not indulge in such activities too often. We do play on the stairs (and this is a judgement call you are going to have to make yourself), but there is an extra level of caution taken into consideration when we do this, as I am fairly certain most toddlers are part monkey and also lack any sense of rational fear. We often play in the kitchen, taking out pots and such, but there are safety locks on everything not meant for a wee one.
A Change of Toys
I would love to take credit for this one, but all of the credit has to go to my brilliant employer! Partly from super smart yard sale finds and generous relatives, the child I nanny for is blessed with more toys than any two-year-old could wish for. Now, instead of filling the toy room to the brim with toys, we have a system! All the toys have been divided into three groups with each group containing toys that promote different skills – fine motor skills, numbers and colors, music, etc. Every week on the same day, with a bit of sneakiness, the toys are rotated and the set up of the playroom is moved around. By the time the child sees the same toys again, it has been two weeks, making the toys feel like new ones all over again! This works quite well and is what provides hours and hours of entertainment in the playroom.
A Change of Activities
Loving structure so much, it is easy for me to get into the routine of doing the same activities everyday. Although all of the things I have already mentioned do provide variation in our daily activities, I still need to put a little extra effort into coming up with new and different activities. Obviously life does not always allow for consistency, but dedicating each day to doing at least one particular activity – like colors on Monday, music on Tuesday, numbers on Wednesday, outdoor education on Thursday, and reading on Friday – will force you to think of new ones each week. This may sound like a lot of work, but when you get into it, it is a lot of fun for both you and the children, and believe me, your employer will be very happy with your effort!
Hopefully these ideas will encourage you to come up with new activities and go on new adventures!
Remember – variety is the spice of life!
