We’re going to walk through what it means to be a hands on mom, from A to Z.
I’ve talked previously on how to become a hands on mom by overcoming some common hurdles, or excuses, that we make for ourselves.
But there’s more to it than that. In fact, I’ve put together an entire alphabet of the ins and outs of being hands on with your kids. Whether its my tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way, or the types of play that we do, I’ve included it all.
I also suggest to get The Toddler’s Busy Book (affiliate link), there’s a preschool version as well for every day activities and inspiration! It’s a great tool to help you be a hands on mom.
The simple ABCs of being a hands on mom with your kids.
A Art projects for young children are about the process and exploration of materials.
B Be patient. Not every project is going to work out and when you start doing activities for the first time, kids aren’t quite sure what to expect yet.
C Cleaning up can be done as part of activities to make it fun and exciting, while being productive as well.
D Do activities with your kids, don’t just sit and watch.
E Experiment and explore new materials, concepts and interests with your child.
F Fine motor activities help your child focus on the details and strengthen their hand muscles for writing.
G Gross motor activities are great for kids that don’t want to sit still for an activity and actually help grow the muscles needed for fine motor activities.
H Homemade recipes are an easy way to save money, as well as being resourceful by using what you have on hand.
I Interests. Your child’s interests will play a big part in what type of activities, crafts, or art you will do. Incorporate them into new ideas too to expand on them!
J Jump right in! There’s no time better to start being hands on with your kids than right now. Just do it!
K Keep it real. Don’t have expectations for an activity. Let it unfold as you do it.
L Learning opportunities are everywhere. Expand on subjects as your child brings them up.
M Messy play is great fun for the child and leads to great explorations. Remember to clean up as part of the activity too!
N New ideas are a great way to expand on your child’s interests. Try something new today!
O Outdoor play is often overlooked, get outside to explore nature, smell the fresh air and let the kids run.
P Process over product is sometimes hard to achieve and let it be, but in the eyes of the child, its worth it!
Q Quality time with your kids will never be replaced with products, money or anything else. Take it while you can.
R Reuse everyday items in your activities to create something, play with it in a new way, become resourceful!
S Sensory activities are a great way for kids of all ages (especially toddlers!) to explore materials. Don’t limit sensory ideas just to touch though!
T Toddler activities are best to be kept simple and open ended to let your child lead.
U Understanding your child’s development stage is critical to successful activity.
V Vehicles are a great means to getting any boy (I know, I’m stereotyping them) to be interested in doing a new activity.
W Water play is your friend! Water activities are always successful and kids will ask for them again and again.
X X-ing off a play idea that isn’t a hit is okay! Every kid is different, and every kid won’t like every activity you try!
Y You can do it! If you make time in your day to spend hands on, quality time with your kids, it makes it easy to accomplish!
Z Zip it. Yep. You. Sit back and just watch it unfold. Hold your tongue.
More helpful hands on moms lend a hand with their ABCs of…
- Being a Hands on Mom from hands on : as we grow
- Connecting with your Kids from One Perfect Day
- Famil Field Trips with Kids from Edventures with Kids
- Fun Healthy Snacks for Kids from Juggling with Kids
- Kids Party Ideas from Mama Pea Pod
- Mama Survival from The Dizzy Mom
- Organized Home from Mamas Like Me
- Printables from Mama Miss
- Raising Boys from Boy Mama Teacher Mama
- Raising Eco-Friendly Kids from Kitchen Counter Chronicles
- Raising Girls from Mess for Less
- Raising a Healthy Kid from Living Life Intentionally
- Raising a Thinking Child from The Outlaw Mom
- Raising Toddlers from Home Learning Journey
- Raising a World Citizen from All Done Monkey
- Simply Celebrating Holidays as a Family from Inspired by Family Magazine
- Teaching Kids about Money from Carrots are Orange
- The Family Dinner Table from Connecting Family & Seoul
- Trying A New Experience with Your Children from 52 Brand New
- Values for Children from True Aim Education
These are just the ABCs of mom tips, or parenting tips, there’s a whole bunch more hands on “ABCs of” series found at This Reading Mama, such as:
- The ABCs of Gross Motor from 3 Dinosaurs
- The ABCs of Toddler Activities from Toddler Approved
- The ABCs of Art with Kids from Red Ted Art
And don’t forget to get The Toddler’s Busy Book too for every day simple activities!
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Lauren says
Hi Jamie,
I love this ABCs of being a hands-on mom. My kids are mostly grown (senior in HS is my youngest now), but I work with moms of young kids. Those moms may not have had role models of hands-on moms when they were growing up, so it’s harder for some to know how to let a child experiment and have fun while learning, in a safe environment. I had printed out the colorful ABCs single-page sheet to share with the moms, before I saw the “Z” description. On your page, it just has “zip it! shhh!” and that took me by surprise, as it didn’t seem to fit. When I went to this page, I could better understand it is meant for the parents, to not overtalk during their process fun. The moms I work with might misinterpret this, and not see it in the same light as the others (some already tell their kids to zip it in less polite ways.)
However, for the graphic sheet I would love to share with them, (they likely won’t go to the website and I won’t be able to communicate with all of them about your intent) I was wondering if you could make another with an alternate “Z” like “zone of fun,” or “zeal for creativity,” “zest for fun,” “zany memories to be made,” or something along those lines. Z is certainly a tough one. TIA for considering my suggestion. I think this is a sheet a lot of moms would keep on their fridge!
Theres Just One Mommy says
What a great list! Pinning it to my parenting board!
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks!
Counter of Kitchen says
Nice collection :)
Erica says
Hi I love your abc list
Rashmie @ Mommy Labs says
Very well thought out ideas and tips.
Love your new blog look!
Jackie Higgins says
I love letter Q… so true that quality (hands on) time with our kids is one of the best gifts we can give them. Thanks for the reminder!
Jen says
Great collection of ideas…well done!
Cassie @ 3 Dinosaurs says
Thanks for mentioning 3 Dinosaurs Gross Motor!