Either be it a lockdown, a rainy day or just bad weather staying at home with your kids locked inside can be boring for them. Luckily, we found 7 fun activities for kids or ideas for kids to do while they are at home. And, these kids’ activities will also help them develop important as well as useful skills.
Indoor Play Activities
When it comes to indoor fun there is a lot you and your kids can do. From playing games like hide-and-seek to board games with other family members, there is a lot of fun to be had. You can even turn the living room into indoor games for kids. You can make obstacle courses that they have to get through in the least amount of time, or you can make a scavenger hunt where they have to find certain clues and items. This latter idea can help them develop problem-solving skills.
You can even clear up the room to have a dance party where they can get tired out. There is a lot you can do indoors. Or you can take the quiet route of having a book club where they can work on and practice their reading skills. Furthermore, you can make an in-home movie night, but instead of popcorn, you both can have ice cream. Just be aware of the sugar rush.
Art and Craft Activities
If your children are more on the creative side, then you can do art and craft ideas with them. You can get free printable material from the web that they can color in or make. You can also teach them, or learn with them how to make origami, which they can paint after they finish with the art piece. Another idea is to get either a big piece of paper or stick together A4 ones on the floor and let them make a picture, drawing, or painting. You can also get empty toilet rolls that you can turn into animals for them to play with. Or they can do it with you. There is a lot of art and crafts you can do at home, even with just what you have such as:
- Crayons,
- Markers,
- Colored pencils,
- Paper,
- Cardboard,
- Glue sticks
Etc. But, remember to show them how to use the scissors safely if they are very young. But, let their creativity go wild. And you would be helping them develop their creating skills as well as learn how to use what they have around them. You could even end up indirectly teaching them color theory.
Backyard Activities
If the day is not too cold or wet, and you have a backyard, you can play sports with them in it. You can play tag, racing, grab a ball, and catch or kick it around. All this can help them with their fitness, health as well as hand-eye coordination. Plus, it can give them a love of doing sports. Furthermore, if you have more than one kid you can do team sports. This will teach them how to work in a team which is important not only for sports but for the working world as well.
And, if you have a pet, you can let them play together. This can teach them how to care for another animal, as well as what responsibility means. Plus, having a pet also helps children increase their empathy.
Practice Cooking Activities
If your child is always in the kitchen or always watching you when you cook, it could indicate that they have an interest, or are at least curious about cooking. So why not let them help you with the meal. You can follow a cooking show that is more aimed at kids so that they can be more involved. Or you can teach them your family recipes or make new ones as you go along. Such as that of science experiments, except, hopefully, tasty.
You can teach them how to be careful with a knife and to cut slowly, how to mix in bowls, how to spread a spread on a tray, etc. Everything that you do when cooking can be very interesting and exciting for them to do. It could be the first time they are doing it. You can let them feel and taste the different textures and see the outcome of their “work”. And you would be teaching them not only cooking skills but also cleaning skills since cooking often makes a kitchen need a clean.
Fun and Educational Activities
You can use the time indoors to educate your kids about certain things. Now, we do not need that you sit them down and give them a lecture, but play a game with them to make them learn without them noticing it. For example, you can find pictures of animals and zoom in on their eyes or body parts and ask your kids what they see. If they make a “mistake” you can turn it into something funny, if they get it right, you can celebrate. This will teach them to take notice of details. As well as to learn about their animals. You can also find learning games online for them to enjoy but make sure they are supervised while they are playing.
Whatever you want to teach them you should turn it into a game. Another example can be that they can only color in blues. So they can get creative with the different shades of blue, for example.
Home Organization Activities
When your kids are at home, they can also “pull their weight around the house” by helping with organization. This can be a game such as asking them to put their clothes and toys away. They can put it in a certain order, such as biggest to smallest for toys, or by color for clothes. You would be teaching them responsibility as well as how to organize their items. Plus, they would be helping you with the housework. You can make a lot of sneaky games that are actually chores without them being any the wiser.
Entertainment and Exercise
Entertainment and exercise can go hand in hand for a young kid. Such as “Simon Says” where they are moving around, exercise while listening to instructions, and they are also entertained at the same time. You can also play “the floor is lava” or the game where they have to touch you without you seeing them do it. With a kid, any activity that gets them moving is good exercise, and they will get entertainment out of it since it is a game that they are playing with you. They can learn spatial awareness, listening skills, as well as become healthy.
In Closing
While you are locked inside you and your kids can have a lot of fun to pass the time. And it will teach them as well as let them develop important skills, that you may have forgotten about, for their future. But, just be safe. The both of you.