We all still have weeks to go until we’re officially allowed to head out and get some fresh air! Being stuck indoors has changed everyone’s routine and kind of triggered our mental well being as well. With children wanting to go out and play with their friends, we’re in a fix on how to keep them entertained at home. Last two weeks, school work or their routine indoor activities kept them busy. But with the summer break coming up, mothers are getting stressed about how to keep them indoors.
Most of you might have already created a new routine for them by now if you haven’t please add that to your to-do list today! Children often complain that mothers or parents don’t spend enough time with them even after being at home. A solution to this problem might be involving them in your household tasks. It may sound like adding more chaos but try giving them a broom to clean their room while you’re busy. They feel happy when they do work that they see adults do.
How To Keep Your Kids Entertained During The Lockdown
Here are some activities that they can do by themselves that will give you a much-needed break!
1. Make Your Instruments
This activity can be done with all the things easily available at home. Just give them all the junk that you haven’t got a chance to throw out like plastic bottles, metallic caps, used tissue paper rolls, old cardboard boxes, ice cream sticks and paper clips. Additionally, you can give them some pulses and cereals to put them in a bottle and create some fun music. Don’t forget to give them some tape/glue and scissors to put it all together!
Age group: 4 years to adults
2. Rice Play
Take a big tub or play tray, fill it with uncooked rice and then pop several small things in them. This will help your kids to become rice-panning-experts! Use rice because it is easy to manage and pan by the kids. You can do this in the kitchen while you’re cooking up meals and keep an eye on them too.
Age group: 4 years to 10 years
3. Build A Fort
Ask your kid to collect all the possible cushions/pillows in the house in one corner of the house or their rooms. Build a fort using the cushions, pillows and some sheets. A fort is a great way to ensure that they spend a couple of hours building a steady one.
Age group: 4 years to 10 years
4. Redecorate The Room
Why not utilise this free time to make the kids clean their rooms and add some character to it! Don’t worry mothers, we’re not asking you to let them do everything they want but little changes here and there wouldn’t do any harm. For example, give them some paper and let them draw and cut out items they would like to hang from the ceiling. You may also tape up old newspapers on the walls and ask them to use that as their canvas to draw and paint anything.
Age group: 4 years to 15 years
5. Life-Size Drawing
Stick together a lot of paper sheets and make a big canvas. Place it on the floor and ask your kid to lie down on it. Outline the body with a pen or marker. After this, let your child’s creativity flow! They can draw inside, paint, color, write or may even stick a few things. Let them do whatever they please!
Age group: 4 years to 12 years
6. Create Your Own T.V. Shows
We all love watching TV shows and series! Ask your kids to spend some time with their toys and create a story of their own! Maybe they could recreate a story they have heard or watched online. This is usually enjoyed by younger kids but you can and more twists and plots or you can ask them to make it online as well!
Age group: 4 years to 12 years
7. Educational Websites
We have a lot of spare time, so it might be the perfect time to help your kids with academics or learning a new language. There are many online portals that offer these services for free right now because of the lockdown.
Age group: 4 years to 15 years
8. Educational Toys That Teach STEM Skills
STEM means Science Technology Engineering Mathematics. With the help of technology in education, children will surely love this new way of learning. You can spend time with them on these websites and create cool toys that they can play with.
Age group: 5 years to 14 years
9. Answers To All Their Why?’’
How many times as a parent are you asked the question ‘why’?. Let the kids ask these questions directly to the experts without putting you on a spot. There are many fun podcasts and story-tellers who have answers to almost everything! If your child has more questions about any certain topic, you can help them submit the questions to those experts.
Age group: 3 years to 14 years
10. Story Telling
Your children love listening to stories but you can’t find enough time for a story-telling session? There are online storytellers who could easily cover up for you. They tell stories around the globe and also promote mindfulness, relaxation, and self-regulation to kids. Alternatively, you can start with short stories like the tales from Panchatantra which you can narrate to your kids during their bedtime.
Age group: 3 years to 15 years
11. Sorting Stuff
Some kids love sorting and organising things. Just mix up a few kinds of cereal in a big bowl and ask them to sort them. You can even ask them to help you sort the laundry, shoe racks or the cutlery in the kitchen. Now you have another set of helping hands!
Age group: 3 years to 15 years
12. Cooking
Go for a recipe that your child loves or explore baking! Try and pick a recipe that allows your kid to use gross motor skills like stirring, grating, crushing things in their fingers, kneading, mashing and more.
Age group: 3 years to 15 years
13. Scavenger Hunt
Put post-its with different physical and mental tasks to do all around the house. Make sure you don’t make it either too easy or too challenging for them. You can use this to make them do things that usually wouldn’t or add some simple tasks like taking a shower!
Age group: 7 years to 15 years
14. Exploring New Hobbies
Ask your kid if there is something new they would like to explore or try out when they are at home. These could bring out new hobbies like reading, planting, writing, drawing, and baking.
Age group: 5 years to 15 years
15. Family Tree
This could be a nice way to introduce them to their ancestors and see how far you can go! Pull out the old photo albums and introduce them to relatives. Give them the task of drawing a family tree on paper and enjoy!
Age group: 7 years to 12 years
16. Chores List
Make sure you add on some household chores to their normal chores like meals, bath, breaks and homework. This could be some routine and hygiene habits like making their bed, setting up/clearing a table after a meal and some daily exercises.
Age group: 6 years to 15 years
17. Modifying Their Existing Games
Soon you might run out of ideas to create new games/activities for them, But an easy way out is to reinvent their existing games. For example, draw their hopscotch differently or set a number on each color of lego pieces they would use to build something.
Age group: 4 years to 12 years
18. Freeze!
Make a playlist with some of their favourite tunes and turn up the volume. Ask them to dance until you stop the music. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they are in. To make it more challenging you can pre-decide specific poses they would freeze in. This is a fun way to exercise too!
Age group: 4 years to 12 years
19. Homemade Personalised Stationery
For this activity, you will need all the recycled materials in your house, especially papers. You can create art using journals, bookmarks, wrapping papers, crayons and colours. There are tons of DIY crafts and art available online. Pick one and start!
Age group: 4 years to 12 years
20. Movie Night
Pick a day of the week and announce that everyone is going to watch a movie. Change the furniture set up by making it a little cozier with fairy lights, add some pillows, blankets, and mattresses. Serve some popcorn or quick snacks and beverages to binge along. Make sure everyone gets a chance to pick their favourite movie.
Age group: 4 years to 15 years
We understand that this time is emotionally and physically very stressful for everyone out there. But we can try and create a healthy environment for our kids inside. The activities listed above will keep your kids engaged and help them grow too!