Article by Sarit Levy – National Vision Instructor, Elia Association
Throughout the year, the children went to kindergarten and attended an educational setting that provided routine and permanence, enabled confidence, stability, growth and development. Now, we are standing a moment before going on vacation and it is important that we understand and relate to the change and mediate it for our children until returning to kindergarten.
Many of our children have difficulty in the transitions between routine and freedom and freedom back to routine, hence the road to restlessness, restlessness and difficulty in regulation, is short.
Sometimes parents are also startled by the thought of an uncertain or unexpected period with the children, a period that can seem oppressive and negative, and it is important that we breathe a moment and try to look at this period as an opportunity to connect with the child, create memories and experiences, opportunity to strengthen relationships with siblings, exposure to experiences. Variety in the children’s waking hours, in the morning and more.
In order to make this period enjoyable and meaningful it is advisable to prepare for it.
The basis for our doing is the deep understanding that vision affects all areas of development. The key to learning is not to tell about the world around our children, but to create situations and experiences to allow children to produce the knowledge and concepts about the world around them, themselves!
- It is recommended to prepare in advance, prepare for the transition to vacation and change the routine both by the educational figure and by the parent figure. Mediate for the child the change according to his developmental abilities, to facilitate it as much as possible.
- The understanding that the duration of the day is not an infinite time but is divided into two main parts: Morning and afternoon can facilitate in advance the planning of “long” vacation days and allow for an atmosphere of relaxation for us adults, parents and children. Playing with dough, kinetic sand, soap bubbles, creations, walking to the garden, family or friends, and more … In this way we will not create a burden on the children with a multitude of activities.
You are welcome to use the game development booklet and games adapted for children (preschool) with visual impairment or with blindness. https://bit.ly/2KEcs7HAnd take from her ideas for games.
- It is worth planning the activities in advance and sharing the child in a way that is suitable for him, using the information channel that suits him: the visual / auditory / sensory and / or movement. You can also share it in decision making, and in choosing the activities from the selection of customized activities chosen by you.
Planning ahead will help maintain the built-in framework, a clear and pre-determined agenda will facilitate the child and align ease and confidence.
- When going on family trips it is important to think ahead about the choice of trip, the location of the trip, visual adjustments required for visual trips (for example: bringing a tub of water to the sea), use of other senses: to taste, smell, hear. And do not forget the long travel times in the car and prepare for them as well (you can prepare a travel bag with the child in advance with games to pass the time, music and recorded stories).
- You can make an “experience notebook” with the children that will accompany the vacation and allow for processing of the experience and even a souvenir that will be an object beyond returning to the kindergarten routine. The notebook will be filled with surprises and stories about a trip in the field or just some flower …, A nice afternoon or any special occasion. Write in a notebook with the children what did you do ?, where ?, with whom? And how did you feel? You can attach a souvenir from the experience: a balloon from a birthday, a picture, a leaf or a flower. With the children and the kindergarten teacher, you can mediate the change through her.
it’s important to remember! As you get closer to the end of the vacation and back to the kindergarten routine, care must be taken to mediate the return from the vacation to the routine, since some of the children return to a new kindergarten with a new staff and a new place. And we will leave the opinion on that next time !!!
