Home Enrichment Projects

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Peaceful Schools

by Danielle Axelson

With extra time on their hands during summer vacation, home enrichment projects are a great way to keep your kids busy, having fun, and learning! Working with the Peaceful Schools Enrichment Team, I have seen how essential enrichment really is for students. Enrichment is not just an opportunity to try new activities, it’s a chance for students to explore the world at a deeper level and understand how they work within it.

I’ve also learned that enrichment is not just for kids! Being an enrichment teacher has helped me – an adult – to practice what I preach. By leading students through enrichment projects, I’ve learned to work through conflict, become a better communicator, and developed more patience than ever before. Not to mention, enrichment is fun and engaging! For these reasons, I have compiled a list of home enrichment projects that you can easily do with your kids this summer:

Photography Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of unique photo opportunities for your kid. For example, a photo of something melting, a photo that captures the color of summertime blue, a photo through a window, etc.
Encourage your kids to be thoughtful about setting up the shot they want. Go slow. Get it right. Rushing leads to blurry photos.
Show them how to practice patience and perseverance to get the right shot. They will be much more impressed with the end result.
Once they’ve completed this home enrichment project, ask them to present their work to you or to someone else in your home. Help them reflect on the steps it took to get the right shot.

Friendship Heart and Friendship Bracelets

Bring a summer camp vibe to your house by making friendship charms and bracelets with your child.

Gather some beads and string from around your house, or visit your nearby craft store or dollar store.
While your child is busy picking out beads, grab a marker and a piece of paper.
In the middle of the paper, draw a large heart. Ask your child what things make a good friend, and add those words to the inside of the heart. Next, ask your child to name some things a good friend wouldn’t do, and add those words to the outside of the heart.
Take a look at the list and ask yourself and your child what things you do really well inside the heart, and what things you can improve upon. By going first, you reinforce the idea that you are never too old to try to be a better friend.
Arrange the beads onto the string to make a friendship bracelet. Encourage your child to give it to someone they feel is a good friend.
Take this home enrichment project to the next level by having your child write a note to their friend explaining why they appreciate them!

Summer Slogan

Create a ‘Summer Slogan’ that represents who you want to be and what you want to achieve this summer!

Grab a poster board and help your child write in large letters either a quote or a word that represents their summer self, for example, ‘care-free’ or ‘don’t worry, be happy.’
Decorate the poster board with cut-outs from magazines, photos, or hand drawings.
Begin a dialogue with your child about their goals and what they can do to achieve this summer slogan. For example, if their word is, ‘care-free’ one way they might achieve that is to spend a half hour – hour a day without their cell phones.
On the poster or on a separate sheet of paper, write your child’s goals and action steps to help them stay accountable throughout the summer.
At the end of summer, come back to your summer slogan and goal list and see how well you hit your goals. Don’t forget to celebrate your achievement!!

Gratitude Journal

Practicing gratitude is a great way to nourish the relationships you have with friends, family and peers. It helps teach children to challenge negative thought patterns and work through anxiety or discomfort in a safe, controlled environment. In other words, it allows your child to feel their feelings while still finding things to be grateful for in their daily lives.

Create a dedicated journal and decorate the cover. It could be as simple as a few pieces of paper folded and stapled together, or as elaborate as a store-bought or hand-bound journal.
Each morning, invite your child to write a ‘Gratitude Prompt of the Day’ in their journal.
Check out the Peaceful Schools Instagram Page or an online site like this one for some great gratitude prompts!
If you don’t want to journal, try sharing the prompt verbally at breakfast time as a conversation starter.

Practice Self-Care Together

Model for your child that taking time to pay attention to your own needs is important, and can be fun! Doing home enrichment projects together can relieve stress, bring focus to your home and family, and reinforce positive social skills. Family self-care could include:

Family movie night
Doing face masks with your child
Cooking a new summertime recipe together
Going for a walk or bike ride, or doing yoga.

Self-care takes many shapes. Ultimately, the goal is to find an activity that will help you and your child be mindful and present with each other. It may take some trial and error before you find the right activities for you and your child, but you will get to try a bunch of new things in the process.

Here’s to some happy home enrichment projects together! We love to see what you come up with… send us a pic of you and your kiddo completing your projects together, or tag us on social media. We’ll shout back at ya!

About the Author

Danielle Axelson is a self-taught photographer. She came to Peaceful Schools a year and a half ago to teach Film and Photography. This role helped her discover her love for working with children. Danielle’s goal is to go back to school to become a child psychologist. In her free time, Danielle loves to play with her husky puppy, Rio.