We all know life often requires us to wait—whether it be in an exam room at the doctor's office, traveling long distances in the car or enduring long wait times at a restaurant. These moments can be a challenge for children, but they're also an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about patience. At Kiddie Academy, our proprietary Life Essentials® curriculum is designed to help children develop patience and self-regulation skills that will help them stay calm during those times that require waiting.
Here's are some activities you can do with your little one to expand their learning beyond the classroom:
Toddlers (ages 1-2)
Developmentally, toddlers can’t fully understand the concept of waiting, so it's important to keep them entertained and engaged. Since they are still building their patience, your little one might need help keeping busy. Here’s what you can do.
- Bring an activity like paper and crayons to encourage creative expression or building blocks to work on hand-eye coordination. Toys like busy boards with zippers, buttons and knobs, allow your children to independently play and use their hands as they pass the time.
- Interactive books like “I Spy” or “Poke-a-Dot” can keep little ones of all ages actively engaged. You can also play real-life “I Spy” using the things around you. For example, point out different objects in the room and ask your child to find them like, “Can you spot the blue chair?”
- Set aside special, travel-sized toys that aren’t in the everyday play rotation and that only come out when extra distraction is needed. The newness of the toy each time will spark longer periods of interest.
As they grow, your children are developing an increased ability to understand and manage waiting, so you can encourage them to reflect on the experience by talking about how sometimes good things take time and the anticipation can be part of the fun.
Preschoolers (ages 3+)
Preschoolers are just beginning to learn the concept of waiting. They can handle entertaining themselves at a greater capacity than a toddler, so we can give them an active role in filling their time. Here’s what you can do:
- Ask them to think of something fun they could do while they wait, like making up and telling a story or drawing their favorite animal.
- Singing songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Old McDonald Had a Farm” will engage your little ones while helping build their vocabulary, discover the world around them and develop a sense of rhythm.
- Additionally, you can encourage their thinking by asking questions like, "What do you think the doctor will do?" or “Where should we go next?”
Waiting can be hard, but it doesn't have to be frustrating. By turning downtime into opportunities for learning and fun, you can help your children develop lifelong patience. Whether you're at the airport, in the car or in line at the bank, each moment is a chance to teach your little one that patience isn't just about waiting—it's about making the most of the moment.
