The stay-at-home orders can be tough for kids, especially if they’re still too young to fully understand the serious threat of the outbreak. They may become sulky because they aren’t allowed to play at the park. They may also miss their grandparents and schoolmates. Worse, if their birthday is coming up, they may be upset that they can’t have a party.
During the quarantine, keeping your child entertained is essential. You can’t just make them watch the same cartoons and play the same toys over and over again. You have to engage them in various activities that will be beneficial for their development. Keeping them busy can also stop them from worrying about you or them getting sick.
The list of activities below is also great for long vacations, so grab something to take down notes with, and let’s begin.
1. Do Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts boost a child’s creativity and academic skills. When you give them something to draw with, their imaginations are instantly stimulated, enabling them to express their minds through various shapes, strokes, and colors. Drawing and sculpting improve reading comprehension and interest in literature, while hands-on projects help them grasp mathematical concepts better. Stock up on some great coloring books, colored pens, wonderful alphabet stamp sets, and other arts and crafts materials, so you can help your child unleash their inner artist and craftsman.
2. Play Games
Now’s the perfect time to bond with your kids, so if you’ve been keeping your board and card games in long-forgotten boxes, take them out again and teach your kids how to play your favorites. The Snakes and Ladders board game was so popular back in the day, so chances are you still have yours. Your kids will surely love it, too.
3. Create a Diary or Scrapbook
If your little one has a penchant for documenting memories, encourage this hobby by helping them out with their first diary or scrapbook. Help them take beautiful photos of the scenery inside and outside your home and coach them in writing the short stories behind them. Maybe you’ll also discover a passion for photography and blogging along the way.
4. Do Cooking and Baking
Since dining out won’t be an option for a while, try out unique recipes at home and let your child help you out. If they’re still too young to handle cookware, just let them choose a dish and read the recipe for you (if they already can). Cooking and baking is a great form of bonding that will certainly entertain you as well.
5. Play Safely Outside
Staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t visit your backyard, so let your kids play over there, too. Outdoor activities are highly essential for children, as these expose them to sunlight, giving them a boost of vitamin D that strengthens their immunity. They also get the proper exercise they need through running, jumping, throwing and catching a ball, and pulling and lifting objects.
Being near nature improves their sensory skills as well. They will be curious about the feel of the grass, the scent of the flowers, and the sounds of the insects. Of course, don’t forget to watch over them, because they may hurt themselves trying to figure out everything they’re seeing and touching.
By engaging your children in all these five activities, they’d hardly get bored indoors, and you’d get plenty of opportunities to bond together, too. They may still wonder why they can’t go any farther than the backyard, but at least they’re happy and safe in your awesome indoor activities.
