Prolonging screen time for your kids so that you can get things done or have some time for yourself should be a no-go since it’s not healthy for your toddlers. Although it could be challenging to think of fun ways to engage and entertain your kids, it’s worth the effort. There are many creative activities and practices to learn many things and develop their skills while they have fun and become busy.
Most parents would agree that keeping children entertained and out of the way is not an easy feat. Especially during this pandemic, when many career people shifted to working from home, they need to find ways for their kids not to disturb them during work shifts. Fret not, because this article will give you brilliant ideas to help you deal with your kids and your work situations at home.
Here are some fun-loving activities to keep your kids entertained and busy:
- Movie Night
Going to the cinema with the family might not be an option during the pandemic. The best alternative is to schedule a movie night instead. You won’t need to spend a lot of money on movie tickets, snacks or drive to the cinema. With a subscription on Netflix or other movie-streaming services, your kids can enjoy their movie time from the comfort of their own home. Prepare a bag of popcorn, and allow them to submerge into some movies for a few hours.
- Try something new
Trying something new can be fun and exciting. Nowadays kids are so consumed by their devices they don’t get to enjoy the beautiful things in nature as much. Take them to pick fruit or to a wildlife park or even a corn maze. Prepare some delicious sandwiches, drinks, and healthy snacks, and have your kids play and explore with other kids on a real farm. You can check out Mazeplay.com to find some mazes near you.
- Creative Toys/Play Area
Some toys serve as a distraction for your kids. Depending on what type it is, it could keep them entertained for hours. Invest in creative toys that will keep them busy, like Lego, puzzles, or clays. Create a space for them where they can play until their hearts content. Furnish their playroom with indoor play equipment and toys that will nurture their creativity.
Make sure to choose toys that are age appropriate, especially since you can’t be by their side to monitor what they do with the toys. Stay away from small toys that they can mistakenly toss into their mouths if they are young.
- Neighborhood Bike Ride
Riding around your neighborhood is a fun way to burn some calories and entertain your kids simultaneously. Having a session outdoors while your kids can inhale some fresh air is relatively good for their well-being and yours too. It’s an excellent way for your tots to shed some energy off and develop their leg muscles while biking.
- Arts And Crafts
An arts and crafts session can inspire your children to use their creativity. Let those creative juices flow as they make something out of construction paper, crayons, watercolors, glue sticks, and scissors. Most kids get hooked on creating their masterpiece, and it’s an excellent time for you to leave them to grow their artistic thoughts.
- Baking
Baking can be a great way to bond with your child. There are specific skills that your kids can learn through the process of baking. They can develop patience, remember to follow instructions, and know how foods are baked or cooked. They can also explore creating different cookies, have fun with the colors of frosting and sprinkles, and giggle at your funny stories while baking together.
- Give Them An Important Task
You can play the parent card well by assigning a task to your child. Make it seem like a big and important deal for you. Your kid will feel honored and responsible for getting it done. You can assign them to make a drawing for daddy or finish a puzzle for you. If they think it’s an essential task, they might just hop to it right away.
- Make Them Create Their Own Cartoon
Give your kids some paper and crayons, and let them create their own cartoon characters. Get them inspired by encouraging them to take inspiration from their favorite cartoons and superheroes. When they’re done, tell them to tell you about their drawing and why they chose that character.
- Indoor Camping
If your family loves camping outdoors, but the pandemic had made it hard to do it, make an alternative by having indoor camping instead. You can set up the tent in the living room and allow your kids to think that you’re all camping together.
- Virtual Museum Tour
During the last year, a lot of museums and galleries closed due to lockdowns and restrictions. Some however opened up online by offering exciting virtual tours. Log on with your kids and explore the museums around the world. You can check out many sources online and enroll your kids in an interactive virtual museum tour from pretty much anywhere.
- Build A Fort
Allow your kids to use all the pillows, sofa cushions, and linens to create their fort. They will have fun building and making sure the fort retains its form and shape. They can arrange your living room or bedroom and transform it into a castle, or a little oasis to escape to. Work as a team to create a fort that can last for days.
- Indoor Treasure Hunting
Another fun activity for your children is to organize a treasure hunt party. You may hide some stuff like a coin or sticker somewhere in the house. Prepare some clues and encourage them to try their best to find the treasures. This can increase their patience, determination and problem-solving skills as well.
- Paper Airplane
Teach your children to create a paper airplane to have fun and help them understand innovation and experimentation of design. Supply them with colorful papers and other craft materials so that they can turn their paper airplanes into the most creative ones.
- Bath Bombs
Having your kids take part in making their own bath bombs is a great way to make bath time fun and exciting. You can use scented oils, and ingredients that make colorful water so your kids can enjoy bathing. This activity can be really fun, with the help of some fragrant supplies and some kitchen equipment you’re all set.
- Listen To Audiobooks
Audiobooks are great alternatives to conventional books. If your toddler is too young to read independently, you can use the audio version of their favorite storybook. Have them gather around as you sit and turn the pages while they listen to the storyteller.
- Go To The Library
Teaching your little ones to love reading is one of the best ways to help develop their literacy skills. Bring them to the nearest library around the block, and they’ll have some fun selecting books that they are interested in reading. They can even attend some puppet shows or storytelling events organized by the library. Simply ask a librarian about the fun things on offer.
- Grow A Garden
Whether you have a large garden or just some plants in your patio, you can give your children one small plant to grow and care for. They might grow some flowers or herbs, and they might gain the sense of responsibility of watering it every day and checking on its growth. This will help them get immersed in their duties.
- Science Experiment
Teach your kids to learn some scientific experiments. Show them an object and encourage them to ask questions. Their curiosity will enable them to develop cognitive skills. You may find many things in your home that will pass as a scientific experiment, like giving them a magnet and letting them discover something that will stick to it.
- Teach Them Chores
Although this might not be a compelling or popular way to entertain kids, it will benefit them. Have your children help you out with the house chores. This will give you extra hands, and you can finish the tasks faster, and your kids will also learn the roles of maintaining their home. These tasks will help promote their independence too. You can make it fun and offer a reward system for when they help out.
- Play-Dough
Play-dough is a great way for your kids to have some creative fun. It’s effortless to make up, and they can make different colors out of it. One thing to be careful about is the age restrictions for play-dough as it can be dangerous to ingest.
- Pancake Flipping
Pancake flipping could be a fun thing to do with your children. Have your kids gather in the kitchen and enjoy a safe pancake flipping contest together. You can also incorporate pancake designs after the flipping. They can decorate it with whipped cream, chocolate, maple syrup, butter, and sprinkles. It will make it even more fun to eat afterwards.
- Plan A Play Date
Exercise your tots’ social skills by planning a date with another kid in your neighborhood. You can communicate and organize with another parent and have them meet in the park. You can also allow your kid to stay over at someone’s home, after meeting their parents. You can also invite their kid over to your house. When both kids get busy playing together, they will be distracted and busy enough by themselves.
- Dance-Off Sessions
If your kids love dancing, hold some dance-off sessions with them. Many kids have very high energy levels that can be expelled while dancing to some of their favorite tunes. This might be tiring to participate in yourself, but it’s great to support your kids’ love for dance. You can also invite the rest of the family to join in the fun.
- Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
You can hide some odd things in the backyard or the garden. Tell your kids to find them one by one. You can select strange things like a straw, a rubber band, an old penny, or a stamp. A scavenger hunt out in the garden can teach them patience and other valuable skills. You can hold this scavenging activity in the park too.
- Have Them Try Yoga
Yoga is not only perfect for adults. Nowadays, online yoga classes for kids are also growing in popularity. This is so they can practice mindfulness along with exercising their bodies. You can enjoy yoga sessions together as you help your kids do yoga poses, downward dog, or many more.
You can check out other child-oriented yoga videos with stories, characters, and some sense of playfulness to make it more appealing to your kids.
- Make A Wormery For Your Garden
Making a wormery for your garden is one way to teach your kids the importance of the environment. Let them hunt for worms after it rains, and they can put all the worms they find in a big box or an old ice cream tub. Place some soil in it and create holes for them to breathe. This is an effective way for decomposing rubbish in your homes, too, as you and your kids feed food scraps, eggshells, and vegetable peelings to the worms.
- Paper Mache
Your kids can also create paper mache as a way for them to develop their artistic skills. With some glue and lots of paper, they can make their masterpiece. Guide them to the garden and allow them to work there to get rid of any mess. This activity will allow your kids to be entertained for many hours.
- Board Games
Playing board games will always be a classic activity but a good one. With plenty of board games to choose from, allow your kids to play the ones they enjoy. It’s great for all ages, and you can even play along with them. Some old-school board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Scattergories will always be fun to play!
29. Go Further with Electric Bikes
Playing board games will always be a classic activity but a good one. With plenty of board games to choose from, allow your kids to play the ones they enjoy. It’s great for all ages, and you can even play For older kids who are quickly outgrowing their bicycles, it might be time to upgrade them to electric ones. These impressive electric bikes from Cube can take on more challenging routes than ordinary bicycles. They all come equipped with top-notch German motors that provide reliable power and speeds. You can also choose from various frames and endurances depending on your needs. Electric bikes are an excellent way for you and your kids to enjoy steeper trails or longer rides to new spots without getting too exhausted.
Conclusion
There’s no need for you to worry about how your kids can spend time and be busy on their own. With this long list of creative ideas and activities for your kids to take part in, you can help them develop skills while keeping them preoccupied. Parenting is not an easy task, but if you take some time to organize some fun-times for your kids daily, it will help them channel their excess energy into worthwhile activities.
