
"I see the pandemic as a 'portal'. An opportunity to be creative and work together."
Natasha Rekhi, Mom of 2, and an experienced drama & theatre teacher needed to quickly adapt her usual routine as a teacher and as a Mom once schools closed in Amsterdam where she lives, back in March. She became determined continue to offer fun and creative curriculum to her students, as well as successfully manage to homeschool & entertain her own children - but also to share her ideas with other parents, "No one needs to do this all on their own. It's an opportunity to be creative and work together as a community to make it through." she says.
"75% of the world's population believe that they are not living up to their creative potential.
More than half of that number believe that they are highly creative during periods of uncertainty or economic downturn. Being creative during times of crisis is really core to our survival. It requires us to come up with new ideas and ingenious ways of doing things." she continues.
"There is so much 'wealth' in your own home. Many of my DIY ideas came out of things I found in my house. Sometimes going 'back to basics' is a great way to spark creativity and encourage your kids to use their imagination. I wanted to help other parents do the same." Natasha told us during our video interview together.
Watch the full video to hear all of Natasha's tips and read more below:
Managing the pressure of 'doing it all' during the pandemic
Set a routine to keep some structure at home
Don't try to ace everything all by yourself! Reach out to the bigger community for support
If you are able to, volunteer some time to help other parents (asking them to do the same) and 'share the load' of homeschool or fun activities, babysitting etc.
Educating and entertaining kids during the pandemic
Keep a (relaxed) routine even during school breaks
Get your kids involved at home: with cooking or gardening, projects around the house
Find ways to 'collaborate and create' - give them tasks and work together
Incorporate creative and interactive activities
Read Natasha's tips for parents to nurture creativity amongst young children
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/raising-creative-kids-natasha-rekhi/
Watch Natasha's instructions for 3 creative activities to do at home with your kids
Kitchen Glove Finger Puppets
Portable Drama Game
Cereal Box Theatre
Other helpful resources with creative ideas to do at home:
Khan Academy
Storyline Online
https://www.youtube.com/user/StorylineOnline/videos
Busy Toddler https://busytoddler.com
Days with Grey
Play at Home Mummy
https://www.instagram.com/play_at_home_mummy/?hl=en
Follow Natasha on Social Media
Instagram @theatre4Kids