Setting up learning stations at home for my kids ages one to four:
This documentary showcases the learning stations that I had set up to teach my kids before they started Kindergarten. The learning “station” can be a designated area or a tub labeled for the activity. I focus on teaching my kids routines procedures, academic skills, hands on learning activities to build up their fine and gross motor skills. I am a firm believer of teaching little people self-responsibilies as soon they can walk. Teaching my kids responsibilities and life skills comes first the academic skills.
Cooking Station: I used to buy a play pretend kitchen for my kids cooking station. Then I realize they will not get the real feeling of prepping and cooking unless they prep and cook with me. I sold the play pretend kitchen and started involving my kids in helping me prep and cook when they were about 14-months-old. I built up their gross motor skills by letting them help me wash herbs and vegetables, throw ingredients into my stock pot, cracking and beating eggs, mixing sauces and batter, and then eventually using plastic chef knives to help me cut herbs and vegetables.
Self-Serve Snack Station: I set up a shelf with healthy snacks for my kids. I labeled tubs for their bowls, cups, forks, spoons, chopsticks, (plastic) knives. As soon my kids can waddle in their diaper, I teach them self responsibilities of putting away their utensils after I was then in the dishwasher. They are responsible for getting their plates and bowls for me to fill it with food when it is time to eat.
Puzzle Station: This is a designated place where I store their wooden Melissa and Doug puzzle boards. Once they master putting the pieces into the wooden boards and also identify the name of the objects, letters, or numbers, I put the station away. This learning station was implemented probably when my kids were 12-24 months-old. Once my kids outgrow it, I put it away or donate it.
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Art Station: This area is where they get all their art tools such as markers, colored pencils, papers, scissors, glue, pencils, paint and brushes, and Do-A-Dots. All items are labeled.
Clothes Sorting Station: When my kids turned three, their birthday gift is a 9-cube shelf system in which I labeled the following for each of their wardrobe category. My kids are responsible for sorting out their laundry for me to wash and responsible for sorting their washed clothes and put them away into their cubby. The cubes help establish a set limit of the clothes I need to buy for my kids. I do NOT believe in folding clothes unless I’m packing a suitcase so my kids are not expected to fold their clothes. Life is too short to be wasting time doing something unnecessary. Sorting out their clothes by category helps them relocate where the clothes are. I also had to trained and teach my husband this system when we first got married because he doesn’t remember where he puts his clothes.
- Swimwear
- Undergarments and Socks
- Pajamas
- Shorts
- Long Pants
- Short Sleeve Shirts
- Long Sleeve Shirts
- Sweaters and Jackets
- Bed Sheets and Pillowcases
My kids are responsible to sort and put away their washed laundry into the correct labeled cube box. I do not teach my kids to fold her clothes because I never believe in folding my cloths, but it’s all sorted by category. I only buy just enough of clothes for each category since we wash laundry once a week. There’s just no need to buy more than what they can wear.
Building Station: This is an area where I put tubs of STEM building toys for my kids to play with. Some of the STEM tub of toys or activity my kids like include the following:
- iQ Builder
- Hape’s railroad tracks
- Learning Resource’s Gears Gears
- PlayDoh – oh my kids are banned from playing Playdoh in this lifetime under my roof.
Maze Station: The Maze station is labeled for a tub activity. I laminated sheets of mazes from a maze workbook. Then I insert it into a plastic folder for my kids to draw with a dry erase marker or use Wikky Stixs to show their trail. Laminating these sheets allow me to reduce, reuse, and save.
ABC and Handwriting Station: This area has a shelf containing activities to help build up their alphabet letter recognition and identification. Handwriting is a very important skill for me to teach my little people. Kids need to master penmanship, learn how to hold a pencil, and firm correct stroke marks to write their letters. When a child excel and master handwriting their alphabets, writing down their thoughts to express their ideas become something fun and easy instead a struggle and frustration. It’s a shame my kids’ school does not emphasize teaching handwriting.
Library Station: This area is where my kids bookshelves are located with a mat or cushion chair for them to sit and read it picture walk.
Math Station: This area is where I put math games, flash cards, math literature, and math teaching tools and workbook pages. I post math visual aids and calendar on the wall for them to refer to and update.
Life Science: Gardening time is life science time at my house. My kids learned how to grow vegetables from seeds, plant flowers, identify the names of our 40+ fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables. They learned what plants need to survive, learn how to harvest herbs and vegetables, and fruits. They like to observe and catch the bugs and insects crawling and flying around in our garden. My kids also learn how to compost food scraps to build our own garden soil. There’s so many sweet memories of my kids during gardening time.
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