How to Keep Your Children Entertained During COVID-19
None of us expected to be spending so much time together, and now that we are well into lockdown you may find your creative flair is starting to wear thin. Let us give you some ideas guaranteed to go down a storm with your children to keep in your back pocket for when times get tough.
Ages 2-7
Make use of cardboard
Ages 8-12
Being house-bound in these times presents its limits. Keep it simple, and make use of materials such as cardboard and let their imagination do the rest. But beware, you may return to find a large commercial plane, or steam roller parked up in your living room. Top tip: You could introduce paints and coloured pens to make the experience that more interactive. And always make sure to lay down dust sheets to protect against the madness.
Locate some tape
Another easy setup activity perfect for the home is the use of tape to create a straight, curvy or zig-zag line along the floor. Get your child to walk (or hop) along it and balance at best both forwards and backwards, perfect for developing crucial motor skills. Top tip: Throw a blindfold in and a book to put on their heads to add an extra challenge!
Introduce sand play
If you can’t go to the beach, why not bring it to you? Sandpits are always popular with children, teaching them skills of coordination, creativity and teamwork. Leave them to their devices and see what they come up with. Top tip: Include a fun competition of who can build the best sand structure! Or add colour with food colouring to your sand to ramp up the experience.
Set up a children’s tea party
Can be played indoors or outdoors, simply set out a tablecloth, invite some guests (teddies), lay out some cups and plates, and voila! A large portion of parents can vouch for this activity, cause let’s face it, we’ve all done our share of talking to fluffy friends in our time. Top tip: You could create your very own tea shop, where your children are given money to pay for tea and cakes. They could also come up with their own invitations and menus.
Ages 8-12
Make a meal together
One of life’s drags is the looming thought of rustling an evening meal together. However, take full advantage of your new little helpers. Crucially, a two birds with one stone scenario: You are given an extra pair of hands and children are learning new skills and get to feel like an adult briefly. Who knows what you could knock up? Top tip: Why not take the night off and create a mini restaurant with your children as waiters!
Create a time capsule
One of life’s drags is the looming thought of rustling an evening meal together. However, take full advantage of your new little helpers. Crucially, a two birds with one stone scenario: You are given an extra pair of hands and children are learning new skills and get to feel like an adult briefly. Who knows what you could knock up? Top tip: Why not take the night off and create a mini restaurant with your children as waiters!
Put on a performance
Whether this takes the form of a play or a talent show, encourage your children to take centre stage. Along with expanding their creative horizons, this will get all the family together for light-hearted enjoyable fun. Top tip: Don’t forget to dig into the dressing up box, and go rogue transforming household objects into props; because who said a wooden spoon can’t make for a magical fairy wand?
Teach them to garden
Introduce your children to the growing of either plants or vegetables which may be cultivated outdoor, or indoor if you do not have space. Children take great satisfaction out of seeing their creation grow, and also they are more likely to develop healthier eating habits as a response. Gone may be the days of pushing brussels sprouts endlessly around their plates! Top tip: Chart down watering times for your plants and measure them to see how fast the magic really works!
Create a time capsule
Time capsules are brilliant for children, they are given the opportunity to collate all of their favourite belongings to be cherished in years to come. Ideas to go inside could range from certificates of achievements to sentimental photographs or cut-outs from newspapers and magazines. Top tip: You could write a diary entry to put inside the capsule reflecting on the time spent in lockdown.
Ages 13-16
Ages 13-16
Dig the camera out
Play games
Photography is an excellent way to introduce your teenager to the seemingly alien world of patience and attention to detail. Perfect if you have a digital camera or equally feasible on a smartphone. Photography reaps huge rewards and enables your teenager to see life in a whole new light. These images could then be digitally uploaded and sent to family members, to keep them feeling uplifted during this period of quarantine. Top tip: Allow your children to choose their favourite photographer and get them to imitate their style!
Get everyone moving
We all know most teenagers would stay glued to their devices if possible. An intermittent period of exercise will release endorphins and help ease the process of being locked down. This could range from anything such as a family workout, to sporting games like badminton or dodgeball. Top tip: Create a family competition by writing a tally on a whiteboard such as the number of press-ups achieved, and set a goal for future attempts!
Play games
Old-fashioned games have prevailed for a reason. Wink murder is a timeless classic where one person is chosen as a killer, and one as a detective. The detective is on a mission to find the killer who took out their victims with one fatal blink. The aim is for the detective to find the killer before all ‘village-people’ had been killed. It is guaranteed to get blood pumping and adrenaline going in a bid to catch the killer.
Start a family tree
Allow your children to take an interest in their heritage and give them a history lesson that is very much close to home. This could be done with the help of online databases or also digging further by contacting auntie’s, uncles and grandparents.
Hopefully, this has helped to put your mind at ease and helped prove that even the simplest of ideas will put a smile on their faces. We must remember that this is a difficult time for everyone right now, especially for children. Keep optimistic, patient and throw yourself full force into this added time spent with your family.