Tips to help kids weekend brain drain
I am not one of those mothers who refuses to have a television in my house ( and I have been known to BINGE WATCH till my eyes bleed) or ban video games for fear it will rot my kids brains. I consider myself an everything in moderation type of mom.
Of course, throughout the school year, it’s easier for me to limit my kids’ intake of electronic media since they’re aware it needs to be balanced by their homework and studying commitments. However once the weekend rolls around I need all the Tips to help kids weekend brain drain from taking full effect.
But on the weekend, all bets are off. I’ll be honest, sometimes it takes every last bit of willpower for me not to ask them to scoot over so I can join them on the couch. Still, even though their academic commitments are on hold, it doesn’t mean as parents we have to let them fall prey to the weekend brain drain syndrome. By involving them in activities disguised as fun but rooted in education, we can help temper their love of all things vacuous with activities sure to keep their brain cells in top form. Check out these Tips to help kids weekend brain drain that are sure to help you keep education alive and well all weekend long.
Tips to help kids weekend brain drain
#1 Color your way to a better brain: Journey through space and time with this whimsical coloring book filled with out-of-this-world images of creatures, planets and interstellar ships. Pottery Barn Kids Outer Space Explorers Coloring Book is Printed on cardstock, each page is perforated so it can be cleanly torn from the book and proudly displayed on the wall. 31 pages with unique designs and more to explore.
Craft your way to a better brain: This artist’s box challenges your kid to unleash their creativity and flex their problem-solving skills. Your little artist can find tissue paper, feathers, pom-poms and more in this set, as well as cards that prompt them to craft their own unique creations. Kids will make their artistic interpretations of a mobile, collage, sculpture, self portrait and more. Each kit contains seven cards with a number of prompts on each card challenging them to make something unique. The seven fun challenges inside this kit will inspire kids to use their imagination, think for themselves and solve problems creatively.
#2 Enroll your kids in a foreign language class of their choice and make Foreign Language fun! Offer your kids an opportunity to learn something really cool and not typically offered during the regular school year in a fun way. For example, introduce the idea of a French language class and offer to take your kid to a hip French restaurant where they can order en francais for the whole family. Or, give them capital to invest in a lemonade stand and teach them the basics of managing a business “ how to provide correct change and how to wisely spend the profit!
#3 Discuss topics that interest your kids and find books that match. Reading just one book over the course of a weekend can prevent brain drain ( and alleviate your GUILT about letting them play so many video games!).
#4 Get Busy EXPERIMENTING! here are a few Science Projects to help you get started!
Try this Weather Experiment: Fill the cup with water. Put shaving cream on top for a cloud. Explain that when clouds get really heavy with water, it rains! Then put blue food coloring on top of the cloud, and watch it rain.
Try this Electric Eels Experiment from Bitz & Giggles Marinate gummy worms in a mixture of water and baking soda and then bring them to life in a glass of vinegar. An awesome experiment for kids!
Try How to Make Frozen Bubbles Experiment From Housing a Forest . This is a great Winter science experiment and features lots of tips and tricks for how to create frozen bubbles.
Try this Experiment for How to Make Shaving Cream Rain from Mom Wife Busy Life. The shaving cream serves as the cloud while the food coloring is the rain! You can just use blue for this experiment if you’d like, but I think it’s more fun to watch the different colors come together!
#5 Have simple, fun and stimulating activities READY TO GO!
Pick up Kid Made Modern’s Arts & Crafts Library The possibilities for craft projects are endless with this Arts and Crafts Library from Kid Made Modern®. This kit includes pom-poms, pipe cleaners, beads and more in one convenient carrying case so your budding artist can create whatever, wherever they go. Kids will make their artistic interpretations of a mobile, collage, sculpture, self portrait and more. Carrying case allows kids to take their supplies anywhere they feel inspired.
A few other fun crafty kits we love are: the Ann Williams Group Loop de Loom Spinning Loom
What are some of your Tips to help kids avoid that weekend brain drain?
I’ll try these out. We do like to relax on weekends, but sometimes I need my kids to get off their phones, so we like to try and make something. Or go somewhere. I think that’s important!
I LOVE this post. Such great ideas. I am always looking for things to do with my kiddos.
I’m always looking for things to do with my kiddos. I have to look into getting this. This would be perfect for us to do over the weekend.
These are great tips! We homeschool and I am definitely going to be adding these activities throughout the whole week!
My kids are pretty good about playing still, but the long winter I found myself letting them watch too much tv. I’m going to keep these in mind for our next cold months! t
This is definitely a very useful list of tips to help kids! I will share this with my family and friends who have kids.
Love all the ideas for brain drain! My kids will appreciate it!
I love all these ideas. Learning a foreign language would be fun, for sure. My son learned Chinese last semester and he had fun although he said it was hard.
These are some great tips to keep in mind. We sometimes do hw on the weekends to keep their minds sharp. Another thing we like is to do some science experiments.
What great ideas to keep kids occupied and away from the appeal of TV or the internet. I remember loving experiments while growing up. Foreign languages is a great idea as well. I don’t have kids, but great ideas here for my nieces and nephews.
These are some awesome ideas to help keep the kids sharp. It really helps to make Mondays better for them.
Weekends here are a lot of down time. We try to do things as a family – Maybe a movie night during the winter. But during the spring and summer we’re outside a LOT.
I love all of these great ideas. I know my kids would enjoy these fun activities! They love drawing and coloring.
That loom looks like a lot of fun. We’re going to spend some time over spring break learning how to use a knitting machine. That should help with brain drain.
The Frozen Bubbles Experiment, sharing this for my best friends son. There are a few others too!!!
Great ideas! Would be perfect ideas for summer and during breaks from school too. Loved hands on experimenting with my kids when they were little.
Science project would be so fun, I remember doing this when I was in grade school.