With Covid-19 closing down all schools and colleges, kids have been getting bored, sitting at home with tons of free time and a world full of fun activities waiting for them to explore at home. Not just the kids. Parents have been stuck with work-from-home and with long hours cooking and cleaning as well. So, clearly we’re all spending a lot more time at home at the moment which means we’re having to come up with new ways to keep ourselves entertained. With the absence of outdoor playtime, children’s get-togethers, school picnics and their usual extracurricular activities, it can all start to feel a little too full.
But guess what? There’s so much you can do at home to keep the kids entertained. The list is endless from diving into arts and crafts with them to helping in the kitchen and a whole load of fun, there are all sorts of ideas to keep kids of all ages entertained.
Fun Things to Do at Home with Your Kids
1. Cooking (with Parental Guidance)
Teach them some lip smacking new dishes, evening snacks or a bowl of yummy noodles. Lockdown is a great time to teach these little chefs some simple yummy dishes that they can make for themselves with a bit of help from you. Nurture the Master Chef inside your kid. Experience of creating meals with you can help build their self-confidence, improve interaction with you and others, and make them develop healthy eating habits. Cooking with kids can often mean that lunch might take 10, 20, even 30 minutes longer to get on the table, but they will always come out leaning something new and exciting even if they are just basic life skills. They can make easy dishes like nachos and dip, cheesy macaroni, pizza rolls, roti rolls, pot of pasta etc. and finally help them serve these amazing dishes in a serving bowl or casserole and present it to the family. They’ll be beaming with pride, no doubt! If your kids are young and not comfortable handling cooking, involve them in prepping – cleaning, dicing, peeling vegetables and so on, setting up the dining table – stacking casseroles, plates and tumblers on the dining table.
2. Teach them Yoga
One of the simplest and healthiest activities you can do with your kids is to make them learn and practice Yoga daily. This will improve their overall health and keep the energy levels high. It is also a great opportunity to teach your children the importance of having a good healthy lifestyle.
3. Bake with your kids
Want your children to love baking? What is a better way to get them started than through their sweet tooth! You can teach them some basic baking recipes like mug cakes, chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, easy jam cookies, yummy scones and more. Store them in stainless steel containers to keep them fresh and at the right temperature.
4. Gardening
Being at home all day can get boring at times. Solution? Spend some time outdoors in the balcony or terrace or the home garden. Get your kids to help you in gardening. Assign them simple tasks like ploughing the soil in a pot or watering the plants. Let them admire the home grown vegetables and flowers. Let them stay close to nature even at home. This way they get some fresh air and vitamin D that is vital for proper growth. Ensure kids and you are wearing face masks when stepping out for gardening.
5. Watch Movies Together
Watch movies with your kids. Let the family have some screen time together that will be enjoyed by everyone. This makes for a great bonding experience for your kids. Pick movies you enjoyed as kids or ones that the children have been wanting to watch. You can watch Home Alone, The Lion King, Frozen, Superhero movies, Finding Nemo, The Jungle Book, Ice Age etc. Pop some popcorn, keep it in a stainless steel container to keep it warm and serve it on a serving bowl before the movie.
6. Art and Craft
Get the creative juices flowing with some creative art and craft sessions with your kids. Create a messy art zone. Enjoy with them by creating finger-paintings, paper animal cut-outs etc. Create cards for their grandparents that they will cherish forever! Use natural paints, play dough, slime which are great tactile tools for sensory development. This is also an excellent time to bond as a family in a virtual way.
7. Read them a book
Make reading fun. Pick books with bright colorful pictures and textures for the preschoolers, animal themed illustrated, and adventure series with their favorite characters. Let them dress up and enact their favorite characters, design them a costume for it and watch your them have an amazing time with you, an underwater world, a princess out on adventure or even a detective solving a crime!
8. Treasure Hunt
Kids love scavenger hunts. So, plan an exciting treasure hunt for them. Hide something in the house like a box full of treats and chocolates, that your kid will enjoy finding and lay out some clues to the hidden treasure. To make the game challenging, fun and exciting, you can add a small task after each clue. Let them tap on their inner detective.
9. Make Yummy Coolers and Shakes
With the temperature rising, you and your kids need to keep yourselves hydrated at all times. With a few easy things you can make summer coolers and shakes at home using few ingredients. You can try lemon soda, jaljeera drink, Mango Shake, Oreo shake etc. Store them in insulated tumbler glass to keep them cool.
10. Board Games
Board games and puzzles, especially educational ones, are great for reducing screen time for kids of all ages and can help with family bonding. Try games like Ludo, Chess, UNO, Scrabble and more. Also get a few puzzles which are great for problem solving. Puzzles and board games can help teach include patience, critical thinking, recognition of shapes and so on.
Last Words
The lockdown is making us do all kinds of things like cooking new dishes, exploring new hobbies and revamping our homes. So, why not include our children? Especially during this time, when ideally it would have been their summer vacation, you would want them to be engaged in productive activities and it sure gets difficult, as parents, to do all the household chores. Looks like a win-win situation!