5th grade girl home with mono - how to keep her busy?

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:30 am

My 5th grade daughter has been out of school for a few weeks now, post mono, and I need ideas for how to keep her busy.

Some specific questions that I have are:

1. Can you recommend any workbooks (either Jewish subjects or secular) that she can do on her own to use her brain a little? Smile

Doesn't have to be material that is covered in school, just anything useful.

2. Any type of crafts or projects that she can do that are not to messy or involved or very expensive?

3. Any skill that she can learn? I was thinking knitting, but she is not interested.....

Thanks in advance!

Jewishfoodie

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:33 am

Refuah Shelaima!

ADULT coloring books take a lot of time and patience. I'd also buy her mp3s to listen to. They have great ones with 20 hours of stories.

Puzzles are also an option if she's into it.

But my first "go to" would be books.

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:37 am

She is reading like crazy already, B"H she is a good reader in general, so I actually would rather she read LESS.... Smile

She likes music, photography, stuff like that...I would love to have her do something in limudei kodesh, but I don't know if anyone sells actual workbooks that she can do on her own...

amother

Lilac

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:42 am

Can her teacher give some advice? Maybe she has something. It would be nice of this teacher to show some help, attention. It's lonely and hard so if she has some stuff she can get for her and her classmates, the teacher can encourage the girls to do something for her. Would be good for her and the students. It's just a suggestion. To reach out to her if she can come up with something.

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:43 am

The teacher was very helpful and has girls calling, bringing over the schoolwork, etc. It's more a question of general boredom...

amother

Lilac

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:43 am

If there s a craft store you can go to there are so many ideas.

Jewishfoodie

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 9:44 am

The have beautiful books on Navi for kids. In English. The stories are fascinating. You would have to ask your Judaica store.

Does she want to workbooks?

If she does, you can visit homeschooling mothers' sites. They have tons of suggestions.

And you can order them online.

Also, why don't you encourage her to try to write a story? All writers today began at a very young age, stretching their creativity. Even tho these books never make it to print, it gives them soo much confidence! She can use her imagination etc and not feel like she's "doing work".

Painting?

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 10:35 am

Thanks, everyone! Keep the ideas coming. Smile

thunderstorm

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 10:45 am

Ugh. I was home almost all of 8th grade and half of 9th grade due to mono and other illnesses . Maybe your daughter can learn to play a musical instrument with tutorial DVDs .
You can have her start a hobby like scrapbooking, crocheting and needlepoint .
Doing large complicated puzzles can also be done at her own pace.
I used to start projects and conk our throughout the day from fatigue. I hope she has a Refuah Shelaimah speedily!!!

amother

Brunette

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 11:22 am

I also had mono at age 13. Did a lot of word problems, sudokus, brain puzzles, painy by number.....get her a bed tray so she xan do all these things in bed.
If you have younger ones get her to type a devar torah "book" for them for shabbos with pictures...ir she can make them parsha wordsearches or riddles depending on her talent.
She can defo listen to audio books as a change from reading. My kids are big readers but find audios a completely different experience (check the library).
Refuah shlaima

saw50st8

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 12:10 pm

Knitting or crocheting would be really good. Or let her read. I spent my days with mono watching daytime soap operas LOL.

boogiebabe

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 2:31 pm

Torah anytime for Purim and Pesach divreI Torah.

She can make her own haggada with divrei torah for the seder, print out or write down the ones she likes, decorate it. Her class will probably be doing it in school.

Pesach is less than 6 weeks away, she can plan shtick, decor, etc for the seder. IYH she'll be back to herself then.

Can she embroider a pillowcase, afikomen bag? It's relatively easier than crocheting and gives her something to look forward to...

Let her use a digital camera/ old phone to make stop animations, with dolls figurines or animals.

You can get drying clay to make figures from purim story as table centerpiece for purim seuda. You can paint em, keep them for next year.

She can write hakaras hatov letters, one per day, and mail them.

Your public library may have access to online free piano, guitar, flute lessons. It also may have access to hoopla for audiobooks. Some are kid appropriate.

If it's a nice day, can she sit outside a bit?

Find out what she's missing in math, have her keep up with that. It's hard to make that up. Online instruction, kahn academy. Her textbook probably has a website with practice and chaper reviews. You can print reviews. Pay her a nickel a problem.

Refua shelayma.

ila

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 10:24 pm

Diamond painting? It's really tiny so she will need lots of patience..,

amother

Babyblue

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 10:29 pm

Perhaps Torah Umesorah has some workbooks that you can purchase.
You can check Chinuch.org for other ideas.

Toys 4U sells intricate paint by number sets for about $14. Each paint color comes in a small container that closes well - I did not find that it made a mess at all and my children enjoyed it immensely.

Adopt a bubby? - can she call a homebound senior twice a week?

Amazing Savings has alot of cheap craft options.

Hatzlacha!

familyfirst

Wed, Feb 21 2018, 10:51 pm

Build a doll house from a kit (ac Moore has them on sale)
So much to do! Build, paint the outside, shingles, roof, decorate, see curtains etc. can literally be a project for a few years!

southernbubby

Thu, Feb 22 2018, 12:54 am

If you live near Family Dollar, they have these silly sticker books where you make really funny faces with the parts. These books are only $1 each but my grandchildren of that age still have a great time with them.

Some ceramic studios will let you buy the piece and the paint and bring it home to do the project or if she feels up to going you can take her there. They bake the finished piece.

Places like Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby have jewelry making kits that children can do.

Maybe she would watch Youtube videos of baby animals, puffer fish, and cake decorating.

She could skype with her grandparents, unless they live close enough to come themselves.

She could use fabric crayons to make a pillow case for Pesach or an afikomen bag. Those are available at fabric stores and craft stores.

She could learn how to play Solitaire.

You can play Scrabble and Rumikub with her and kids love Ticket to Ride.

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