Hello Forest Friends Fam,
It’s Teacher Alicia and Teacher Eliza here with some tips on what to do to help your child rest during the day, especially if your child does not nap.
At school, rest-time is especially important for non-nappers because it is one of the few times during their day that they will not be asked to share toys or take turns.
For our non-napping Forest Friends in Oak class, we have a special schedule for rest-time.
- We begin with a moment of quiet mindfulness on our rest mats. This part is about finding a spot to be comfortable, whether it be laying down on a pillow or sitting up on a blanket. Teacher Alicia usually walks around the room reading a simple rhyming book, or making up a story, inviting the kids to look around or close their eyes, but just listening. Teacher Eliza often tries their own version of a guided meditation and improvises a story. You can also try children’s story podcasts such as Circle Round and Stories Podcast.
- When we are done with the story we give the children an option between rest-time sketchbook or a fun pop-up book that they can flip through quietly on their mat. Once they pick the item they would like then they have to stick to it, we try to have minimal conversations at this point.
- Once they have shown that they are all done with the books, we pass out a special box, each one with their names on it. Inside the box is a mix of toys. This time we had small bears and blocks.
- The last part of our rest-time routine is clean up!
We hope you, your family and your kids are having a relaxing time on this rainy Monday. We’re sending you strength, love and patience during this difficult time!
All the best,
Teachers Eliza and Alicia