The coronavirus pandemic has moved the school to many homes, and although some are now back at school, many are looking as though they may be in for a longer stint of schooling and entertaining your children throughout. This means there is a hell of a lot more hours of the day where you need to entertain your kids. This can be quite a tall order, but unlimited screen time isn’t going to help (though some extra time isn’t going to harm them).
With limited options for activities outside of the home, let’s have a look at some of the ways you can entertain your kids at home:
Do It Yourself Board Games
Try giving your kids a poster board, some construction paper, and some markers, then ask them to design their own board game that you can all play together later. This activity is great as it doubles as a learning experience, as well as something fun and different to do. It requires them to use skills such as critical thinking and creativity.
Family Book Club
A great way to bond as a family and tick off some of the homeschooling lists is to create your own family book club. Have each of your kids pick out one of the many audio books for kids available or go traditional and order a paperback online. Have everyone read it and then come together for a fun discussion about the storyline, what they like, what they didn’t like. If your children are too young to read on their own, you could read it to them at bedtime each night then work together to think of some questions.
Mystery Movies
Kids forever arguing over what film to put on? Why not turn it into a game instead? Get each of them to choose a handful of different movies to place into a bag and then each time it’s movie night pick one out at random. The kids will love the mystery behind this and it will also resolve any arguments. If you’re a little bit more technological than having physical DVD’s you could get them to write their ideas down on pieces of paper and do the same. Less arguing leads to more time to enjoy the popcorn and get cozy.
Camping In The Backyard
Ok, so we can’t go on vacation, but you can set up an awesome camping trip in the backyard. Make it A full-fledged camping experience without the need to leave your home. Eat hotdogs and s’ mores, tell stories by flashlight, and wrap up in a sleeping bag to stargaze. Even if you still end up in your own bed it will still be a whimsical break away from your normal routine. You can keep the kids busy during the day by getting them to plan out some fun camping games and activities ready for the evening.
When it comes to entertaining the kids through quarantine, you do have to think outside of the box. Are there any activities that you’re planning for your kids? Please share some ideas in the comment below.
