Corralling the Young'uns: Keeping Kids Happy During Meetings

You’ve just started a group and you need advice. It’s exciting and invigorating to meet with other homeschool moms, but it can be overwhelming keeping all the moms and kids occupied and happy.

Moms dream of sitting quietly with hot tea, steeped in intimate, uninterrupted conversation that warms the heart. But alas, here come the cowboys and wild Indians stampeding through the tiny living room knocking over teacups as they go. Freeze! What’s a leader to do?

A little, simple planning can provide peaceful fellowship for the moms and meaningful activity for the kids. Adding a little structure actually adds freedom and subtracts stress. This proves especially true if your meeting place is small and you’re dealing with energetic children.

Don’t you wish you could bottle that youthful energy and sell it? Or just have it for yourself to use? Since that’s not an option, there are several positive ways to direct that energy.

1. Create an imagination zone. A central place for imagination allows for the children to create, to problem-solve or to interact quietly. The zone can be as simple as the kitchen table or a blanket tossed on the floor.

When they walk in the door, have Legos sitting on the table or books on the blanket.  Toys like Legos or K’Nex or Lincoln Logs stimulate individual creativity and encourage kids to create together. Books such as nature encyclopedias or crossword puzzles or storybooks with lots of vibrant pictures can entertain a child for quite some time.

The next time you meet together, try covering the table with paper that’s been taped to the table. Place colored pencils or a box of crayons on the table and let the kids create great masterpieces. Put board games on the blanket to encourage them to interact quietly.

Remember, the simpler the zone, the better.  This keeps planning time for you low and creative imagining for them high. Go with your children’s interests. Most kids like jigsaw puzzles, anything electronic, building blocks, drawing, and cutting and pasting. Of course you can always pop in a movie. As added bonus, make the movie educational.

2. Serve a snack. Most medical journals claim that the link between sugar and hyperactivity is a myth, but many moms aren’t so sure. The Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia does state however that refined (processed) sugars may have some effect on children's activity, so why not play it safe and just avoid the sugar. Serve your healthy snack halfway through your meeting and make clean up a breeze by serving it in Dixie cups or on paper towels.  Snacks that are winners every time include crackers and cheese, fresh veggies and dip, fruit slices, popcorn, finger sandwiches,  juice, granola bars, and individual containers of applesauce or raisins.  Providing a snack for the children does not have to be expensive or time-consuming. 

3. Let them play outside.  Even if you have a small yard or small space, playing games outside can be great fun.  Games that we played as kids usually only require simple things like a ball or chalk or a Frisbee.  Games like Duck-Duck-Goose, Four Square, Dodge ball, London Bridge or Hopscotch are timeless classics, as is a good old-fashioned jump rope.  Shy away from outside toys or activities that could make some parents really nervous like trampolines or swimming pools.  Unless of course, everyone agrees that you’re going to have a pool party and someone is designated to watch the children.

4.  Meet somewhere else every once in a while.  Plan to meet in a place that offers a playground or in a library.  A local park, mall or fast-food restaurant with a playground allows for interactive fun for the kids where the moms can still be close.    Kids love the library with all the computers and walls and walls of  books.  Moms can enjoy peaceful fellowship while still keeping an eye on their own children.
  
5.  Try a group project.  Cooking, play dough, crafts, and stamping are great ideas for the kids to enjoy together, but they all require more adult supervision.  Moms can take turns overseeing and helping with different projects and cleanup while the others meet.

6.  Enlist help.  Older homeschooled students like high schoolers are an invaluable resource and many times have as much energy as the younger kids.  They are a wealth of creative ideas and the kids look up to them.  Don’t be afraid to ask them to do it for free because it’s good experience for them and they are learning valuable skills.  You can always say thank you with a homemade gift from the heart.

Your plan does not have to be elaborate or perfect; a little planning goes a long way.  Use these suggestions as starting points to corral the kids and keep them happy and occupied during your group meetings, leaving everyone relaxed and recharged.