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With the world dealing with the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, chances are you are taking all the precautions to keep your family safe, and this includes keeping your little one at home. Your child’s safety and health is incredibly important, especially in these unsettling times and we understand that. However, with schools being shut and kids stuck at home, we know there is a lot of energy that needs to utilised in order to maintain sanity. If you’re worried about how you’ll keep these kids safe and entertained, we’re here to help you. Starting from toddlers to school- going kids, we have fun-filled activities for everyone. So, get your kids into some comfy clothes and let the adventures begin!
5 Fun Activities for Toddlers
1. Sticky Spider Web
A simple yet super fun activity, this one will help your little one practice his gross motor skills and improve his hand-eye coordination. All you need to do is stick long strips of cello tape in the form of a web on a doorway. Next, roll up old newspaper into small balls and start throwing them at the web to see whose ball sticks on the web.
2.Cloud Dough Activity
The perfect activity to keep your little one entertained for hours, and it’s so easy to make. Just take 5 cups of plain flour or all-purpose flour and 1 cup of baby oil, and put them in a big container. Let your child knead the two ingredients with his hands for some squishy, gooey fun! Its soft texture is good for sensory play. You can also give him a few moulds and show him how to mould the dough to make different things.
3. Water Painting on Cardboard
Worried that giving real paints to your little one may destroy your house? We’ve got a terrific solution for you—water painting! Dismantle a cardboard box and give it to your child with some water in a bowl and a paintbrush. Let your child’s inner artist shine bright! Don’t forget to spread some newspaper under the cardboard before your child starts painting to avoid any slippery messes and accidents.
4. Ice Skating for Toys
Since your munchkin can’t skate around, why not make an ice rink for his toys? Freeze some water in a baking tray and once it’s frozen, take out small toys like cars and figurines and watch as your child is engrossed with moving his toys on ice. Once, the ice starts melting, you can also let him crack it with a wooden spoon. This is great for sensory development!
5. Sorting Toys
With your kid’s toys lying around the house, this is the perfect activity to do some cleaning up and keep him engaged. Collect all the toys and keep some colourful containers or papers in front of the toys. Now, ask your toddler to sort his toys by colour by keeping a blue toy in the blue box and so on. This simple activity will hold his attention for a while and make cleaning up so much easier. Don’t forget to disinfect the toys and containers to keep your baby safe.
5 Entertaining Activities for Preschoolers
1. Hide and Seek With Letters
Wondering how to keep your preschooler busy and revise the alphabet? We’ve got the right activity for you. In a room that gets completely dark, stick the all the letters of the alphabet in order on a wall and turn off the lights. Give your child a flashlight and let the fun begin. Ask him to shine the torch on the wall and look for the letters. Alternatively, you can also ask him to search for specific letters. This activity promises endless hours of fun!
2. Hop-Scotch Fun
Remember how much fun hop-scotch used to be? Introduce your little one to the game to expend all that pent up energy! You can draw the hop-scotch game on your floor or a private outdoor area using chalks or you could create it with coloured tape too!. This is a great way to use all of your little one’s energy and keep him entertained while he’s stuck at home. Plus, it packs in a mini workout if you choose to join in on the game!
3. Jump With Paper Plates
Another fun way to utilise your little one’s energy and teach him all about colours. Line up some coloured paper plates on the floor and get ready for the fun. Call out the name of the colours and ask your child to jump from one plate to the other. This easy activity may seem silly, but we assure you your child will love jumping around.
4. Connect the Dots
Want a breather after those high energy activities? Here’s one that will keep your little one occupied while you finally get yourself a cup of coffee. This simple activity will help your little one’s concentration and introduce him to an interesting game. All you need to do is make a grid of dots by making six rows and columns of dots on a piece of paper. Give it to your child with some sketch pens, and let him connect the dots as he pleases. It’s a good way for him to explore this game and improve his pencil grip.
5. Soapy Foam
An amazing sensory play activity, this one will make your child happy and keep his hands clean. Add some water and dishwashing liquid in a blender and blend to make lots of foam. Transfer the foam to a tray and watch as your little one’s eyes light up and he gets messy with all that fun foam! Just be careful to ensure that he doesn’t get any foam in his eyes.
5 Exciting Activities for School-Going Kids
1. Scholastic Learn at Home Program
Parents of school-going kids are concerned about schools being shut and their kids’ education coming to a halt. However, the famous publishing house, Scholastic has launched a wonderful remote schooling program to make use of your child’s free time and help him learn about the world. Designed for different age groups, you can choose the one suitable for your little one and keep him engaged with all the fun-filled educational videos and activities.
2. Make Some Slime
had to include the solution to tackling the hours of boredom for your child—slime. Making slime is really easy, and it will keep your child engaged for a long time. Take half a cup of glue in a bowl and add half a cup of water to the bowl. Add less if you think the mix is too runny. Add some food colouring and mix it. Next, add some shaving cream and mix it well. Add some lotion to make the slime stretchier and then slowly add some liquid detergent. Knead the slime, and it’s ready! Give it to your child or help him make it on his own. Make sure you disinfect the surface well and store it in a clean container.
3. Crepe Paper Maze
Have some crepe paper bundles lying around your house from the last birthday party? It’s time to put it to use. Stick the crepe paper in a corridor or doorway to make a maze and ask him to go through it. You can also give your child the crepe paper, some cello tape and let him go wild.
4. Activity Boxes
Activity boxes are great for when your child is stuck at home! They usually come with 4-8 activities that can be played with over and over again. We’d recommend the Firstcry Intellikit to keep your child engaged while developing and honing his skills too! It is a monthly subscription-based activity box program that has wonderful activities designed to help your child learn while having fun. Great for when your child is indefinitely quarantined!
5. Zentangles With Kids
Quiet time doesn’t always have to be boring! You can encourage your child to do something easy and simple like these artistic zentangles. All you have to do is trace your hand on a piece of paper, and ask him to make repetitive designs inside it. This activity has a calming effect and will hold his attention for a while.
Tips to Keep Your Kids Busy While They’re Stuck Indoors
- Make a Schedule: While everyone is trapped inside the house, staying busy can be tough. So, make a schedule and stick to it. Fill your days with fun activities and spend some quality time as a family.
- Family Movie Night: Nothing sounds better than a family movie night when you’re stuck indoors. Watch some old classics and some new feel good movies to keep your little ones happy.
- Try Easy Recipes: This is the perfect time to teach a life skill to your kids¾ Try out some easy recipes and indulge in homemade cookies and delicious snacks.
- Read a Book (or More): Haven’t we all dreamt of spending a day just reading a good book. Maybe your child might not want to spend the entire day reading, but you can use this time as an opportunity to get them into reading books.
- Pillow Fights: A good way to use up all that energy and have fun as a family is having a good old pillow fight. We promise, there will be a lot of laughter.
While it’s impossible not to be concerned about your family’s health during a time like this, it’s crucial to be rational and take the necessary precautions. Staying at home, especially if you have young kids or old people in your family is important to keep them safe and healthy. And while the entire family is at home, this time can be used to spend quality time together and bond. So, get ready for some indoor fun and don’t forget to wash your hands!
