Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Closet?! What's in it...and what is it again?!

What does the closet look like?!
The closet actually doesn't have to be a closet...its just something that holds all the things you want to inspire your kids about. It could be a bookcase, plastic bin, suitcase on wheels, etc... I know when I first heard about the closet I was so put out. I thought that I couldn't make this TJed ingredient work for my family, because I didn't have an actual closet in that house that would work. So never fear...even a box would work, because the concept of a closet isn't the closet itself...its the idea of having a time, a place, and an opportunity to engage with your kids.

So what's in the closet?!
Really anything could be in your closet, but here are a few of the things that were talked about during this amazing class...oh and I've added a few of my own.
  • Toys
  • Crafts
  • Material for projects (old socks, buttons, thread, etc...)
  • Rocks
  • Books from the library
  • Kits of whatever kind
  • Cards/Letters/Paper
  • Crayons
  • Broken things to take apart
  • Workbooks/Curriculum
  • Sewing box
  • A box of junk
  • Cake Mix
  • Clay
  • Stuff to make a volcano
  • Scrap booking paper
  • Pictures
  • Family History Books
  • ANYTHING!!!
How do I know what to put in my closet?
First of all you should always be adding to, and taking things from the closet. This keeps things exciting, and helps keep the magic of the closet alive so you can inspire your kids. But how do you know what to put in your closet? I loved how she addressed this issue. There were two main points:
  • Have a Family Plan for the year/month/week and use that plan to know what you want your kids to learn about. Then put items into the closet to help guide them in those directions.
  • Respond to sparks. So if your child is interested in a particular subject or topic respond by putting items in the closet that feed their fire and keep them excited about learning!!

1 comment:

Greg & Anna said...

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing. I LOVE learning from others.