Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these.

I admit it…I’m not into playing pretend with my kids. When the doll is put in my hand, five minutes in, I’m looking at my watch and planning my exit. I do have to say though, playing pretend with your children can be such an educational, developmentally enriching, and magical time together. But, pretend play is not my cup of tea.

The Hollywood movies usually depict the best parent as a person with their mini-me who are both dressed in animal costumes growling and crawling around on the floor, singing with their wooden spoon microphone, constructing rocket rides to outer space, and building forts with twinkle lights and dozens of pillows (and maybe even a pillow fight!) - all set to music in an utopian montage. (Cue “It’s a Beautiful Day” by U2.) And it all happens in one day. That is indeed a wonderful way to spend intentional time with your children, but, it’s not reality. At least, it’s not reality for me. It might not be for you either.

Read on, though, because I bring you good news! There are other ways to share intentional time with your children! And this intentional time together (IT squared or the ITT Factor for short) is an essential part of your homeschool day. Here’s three ways of how to have your own kind of ITT in your homeschool day.

1. Provide Space In Your Day

   It’s crucial to provide space in your day. If you are so structured and planned in your day, you won’t have any time for ITT.

2. Parent Organically and Learn Spontaneously

   There are limitless ways to parent your children in an organic way by utilizing ITT to create a spontaneous learning environment. Everything can be a learning experience. Discuss topics, problem-solve, dive deeper, practice skills, and through it all, show you are present and available for these precious moments in time.

3. Be Creative and Choose Activities You Both Enjoy

   ITT can be an assortment of games, important conversations, life-giving movement, and memory-making experiences. Really anything that brings you both joy can be ITT. Some ideas include the following:

   • Games, Crafts, & Experiments - These experiences can be such a fun bonding time with your child by enjoying a learning experience together. Research shows that using traditional games to learn science and social studies can improve elementary-aged children's “creative thinking skills” in comparison with conventional learning. 

   • Read-Aloud and Conversations - Important life lessons and topics will naturally arise throughout the day, especially during read-aloud time, so utilize those moments to talk about the tough, practical, and meaningful things in life. It’s a huge opportunity to be able to pass on wisdom to your children.

   • Movement - Everyone needs movement throughout their day. You can create an obstacle course, play blind man’s bluff, try a push up challenge in between subjects, go on a bike ride or walk, or try a brain-warm up video. The important thing is that the movement is done together.

   • Experiences - Explore museums, gardens, the ocean, amusement parks, zoos, parks, road trips, a café, and more. Experiences can be a memorable homeschool treat for all of the family. While studying Japan, we spent two hours at the Japanese Friendship Gardens, eating Japanese candy, learning about koi fish, and read aloud Japanese legends while soaking our feet in the koi pond.

   • Theme Days - Ask your children what they want to learn more about, and then pick a date and plan a day around that theme. You can plan it by yourself, with your child, or let your child plan the whole thing (depending on their age)! My children were obsessed with Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. When they finished the entire series, I planned a theme day to celebrate with fun experiments, games, author biography, and Calvin and Hobbes.

Intentional time together is a wonderful way to bring joy to your homeschool and give you all the warm feels and confirmation that you are truly giving your children the childhood they deserve with you, without the need for a Hollywood caliber video montage. You don’t need the costumes and the expensive play kitchens; you just need you, your littles, and some intention.

(For more about the essentials of a homeschool day, check out our podcast, episode 37, “What Do We Do All Day?”)

The Coop Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.