The Handy Parent-Child Schedule for Everyday Inspiration

by Sam Reich-Dagnen, CEO of Braincandy

6:00am: Awake!

It's still dark outside, but not too early for me to hear a peep from the room next door. In my pre-coffee haze, I developed some great ideas on how to start the day off right and get my little one's synapses firing - not to mention my own!

My husband and I found that using a more organic approach to learning that mirrors the way children learn naturally made sense. All children are motivated to explore their world and the way they do that is by using all of their five senses. The following are some creative ways we developed for parents to interact with their children and nurture their creative thinking skills within their everyday routine.

7:00am: Breakfast of Champions

Start your routine off right! When you're changing their diaper or getting them dressed, use it as an opportunity to play a game of peek-a-boo. Believe it or not, this is a great way to bond with your little one and make them giggle away that cold, wet wipe!

Use mealtime as learning time. Let your toddler help break up bananas onto oatmeal or help 'set' the high chair or table. Designate one cupboard in the kitchen to hold all the kid-friendly items: plastic containers, cups, plates, bowls, cloth napkins and mixing spoons. Mealtime is a great opportunity to get them to try new things. Try putting a blindfold on your child and have them try to identify the foods their tasting. Even if it's just "yummy" or "yucky" they're developing their own independence and learning to verbalize it!

8:30am: Family Express

Whether to day care, preschool or errands, make each trip in the car a sensory circus. Help describe vibrant colors and unique shapes when you ask kids to point out each traffic signal, signpost and other objects. When you hear a fire truck, don't wait for them to see it. Ask if they know what that sound is and then use the sense of sight to confirm their ideas. This builds confidence and helps them connect the dots in their world.

Noon: Lunchtime Learning

Taste is the sense on your little one's mind during lunch. Prepare easy, nutritious meals that explode with taste and texture. Talk to your little one about the crunchy texture of a sliced apple, the slippery feeling of milk and chewy and gooey taste of a grilled cheese sandwich. Don't be afraid to let your kids try distinctive flavors. Kids have fun biting into distinctive flavors such as radishes and their expressions tell the tale!

2:30PM: In the Great Outdoors

Afternoon is a great time to get kids motivated to explore the world around them. Well rested and chipper, kids are in prime 'sponge mode.' At the park or beach, use the sense of sight to explore the outdoors. Can your child spy sand, dirt, waves, grass, bushes, trees, birds, bugs and more? What does each of these natural elements feel or look like? Do they have wings, beaks, legs, branches, leaves?

If an afternoon carpool is part of your routine, use the drive to pick out things and scenes from the car window based on a letter or number of the day that you chose that morning. Don't think flashcards-think dialogue. With each example, ask the child what sense is piqued. A dog on D-day would feel soft and fluffy, smell like the outdoors or dog food and look cute!

5:00PM: Chez Vous

A busy afternoon is best topped by a yummy dinner. All children want to put their hands into things so why fight it, just control the mess! Use it as a "teachable moment" Let her sprinkle grated cheese on her pasta. Does it look like snow? What does snow feel like? Does it smell? What does each dish smell like? And oh yes, what does that squishy spaghetti feel like between your fingers!

7:00PM: Clean Up

Bubbles glide atop the tub water and junior happily anticipates the splashing to come. Along with rubber ducky, welcome your child to bath time with cups and bowls that can be used as vessels to feel different weights of water, rates of flow as you turn them upside down. Cut holes in one to create a shower effect. Roll a piece of heavy tinfoil to create a funnel and surprise your water baby with a waterfall.

7:30PM: Zzzzz

Tonight, see if you and your child can use the text of a favorite bedtime story as an experiential springboard. One of my kids' favorites was "My Brown Can Moo, Can You?" In it, he imitates everything from popping corks to horse feet ("pop pop pop pop" and "klopp klopp klopp," respectively) while inviting everyone to join him in the fun. You and your little thinker will have a good little giggle as you sound off together.

Next thing you know, you'll be listening for the first sounds of morning again and off to another day of adventure. Enjoy!