This week, I have been trying to think more and more creatively about how to make our homeschool games and activities enjoyable for my son. As a public school educator, I was constantly making up silly little games to motivate my students and to keep them going. So... I thought I would do the same with my son. What I did not expect, however, was how his little people pleaser spirit would take hold in our space so early on...
So... like I said, we have been gamifying lots and lots. We have been working on how to win or lose graciously. We have worked on games where there really isn't a winner, where a team wins, and where an individual wins. We have had so much fun, creating new games for piano practice and reading and writing. Among my favorites are actually the most simple of games:
Topsy Turvey with Little Lolly - For this game, I simply write on a whiteboard the activities I want him to practice through or complete. Then, we take this little toy called "Lolly" and we gently toss him onto the whiteboard. Whichever activity he lands on, we will end up doing. (Lolly also narrates the activities in a hilarious voice which of course, my son LOVES... Lolly too will refuse to talk until an activity is complete if my son is becoming resistant, haha!)
Word Hunts and Letter Hunts! I simply write words and/or letters on post-it notes and place them in whatever area we are working. Then, my son has to search for the word or letter he needs and then place it correctly. We both love this one!
Anyways, it is SO fun to play these silly little games with my son. And they definitely help to keep him motivated and to transform "work" into "play!" But... the other night, when I was putting my son to bed, he said to me "Mommy, next time we play a game, I am going to lose on purpose so you can win!" I was so surprised to hear this and encouraged him to win the game if that's how it was going to turn out! He then said "But I love you and I want to be nice to you. So I'm just going to let you win!" This was so interesting to hear him say... Because, as a people pleaser myself, I have purposely lost countless games... Now, I have been very intentional to not do that with my son. Because I really want to teach him that playing games are fun not because of whether or not you win, but because you are spending time with people you enjoy being around!
We will definitely continue to practice our games together, but I will be a bit more mindful about our discussions regarding losing and winning!
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