Kids stuck at home antsy with nothing to do? The pandemic has effectively changed the way classrooms (and the workplace) look for the foreseeable future. Suddenly, parents and their kids are finding themselves having to share a space. And there are a lot more hours in the day that have to be spent entertaining your kids- it’s just the way of the world now.
Keeping your kids entertained should be a breeze. However, when you also have work deadlines that cannot be missed, it can be quite a tall order. Though you may be tempted to, giving your kids unlimited screen time, no matter how much it will free you up to concentrate on other more pressing matters, just isn’t the way to go.
Don’t get us wrong; screens have been a godsend during this challenging period in our history. But it’s important to strike a balance. Otherwise, you might experience difficulties when you finally decide to make unlimited screen time-limited.
Digital media in most forms produce a drug-like effect on users, especially young ones. As such, when you take your kid’s devices abruptly, you can almost always expect a meltdown to ensue. So to avoid all this from happening, here are tips to help you keep your kids entertained during a pandemic:
Get a domino set
Domino sets for kids are not only super fun to play with but they are also very good for your kids’ development. A set of domino blocks is an inexpensive but very worthy investment that your kid will play with for years since they hardly ever break or get destroyed. What’s more, domino sets are great for when your kids want to make a bit of a mess.
But here is what’s so great about domino sets- they are just as easy to clean up once the play session is done. When buying a domino set for your kids, it’s important to make sure that you select a set with an array of colors. The more colors there are- the more enjoyable the experience will be.
Bring out the play-doh
Playing with play-doh can be such a great stress reliever, whether you are an adult or a kid. Much like a stress ball, play-doh is great for calming down jumpy kids. Playing with play-doh also helps to relieve tension while improving focus. If you have an upset child, just hand them a container full of doh and watch their troubles melt away.
Play-doh is the perfect plaything because it works well for kids of all ages. Plus, it is non-toxic, as well as reusable. It is also great for refining or developing motor skills. As your kids play with the dough, squishing, rolling, or flattening it, they strengthen the muscles in their hands which will, in turn, improve their fine motor skills.
Come up with a board game
Feel like you’ve exhausted every activity you can think of to keep your little ones occupied? Why not have them create their own board games that you can then play later. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy- just give them a theme and some design materials and get them to work.
You can choose from an array of themes, just make sure that it will easily involve the entire family. Great examples of themes that you can work with include Candyland, outer space, Winter wonderland, dinosaurs; you get the drift. When it comes to materials, go for some poster boards, colorful markers, as well as construction paper.
After the board games are complete, ask your kids to present them to the family so you can all take part to pick the best one. This is a fun activity that will boost your kids’ critical thinking skills. Plus, the games don’t have to be finished in one go. You can get them done in stages so that you never run out of ways to keep those little minds busy.
Plant a garden
The benefits of gardening cannot be understated. Starting a garden is an excellent way to teach your kids about their environment and there is nothing that kids love more than getting their hands dirty. It is also a nice way for kids to get a sense of how food is grown and where it comes from.
There are plenty of ways to make gardening fun for kids. For instance, consider planting a rainbow garden consisting of a series of colorful veggies, herbs, and fruits? plants such as tomatoes, yellow and red peppers, colorful edible flowers, are all easy to grow and take care of.
Camp in your backyard
If you have a backyard, then you have sufficient space to accommodate a range of activities for your kids. One of the best ones, however, is camping in the backyard. Have your little ones set up a tent so you can have a full-fledged outdoor experience.
If you can, go ahead and make a campfire that you can use to roast some s’mores and hotdogs for dinner. If your building code doesn’t allow you to start a fire, simply set up your sleeping area well so that you can curl up in sleeping bags and tell stories by flashlight.
Final Thoughts
Although the pandemic has presented parents a great opportunity to bond with their kids, it has also driven a lot of cooped-up parents mad. Add to that remote learning and working from home and parenting in a pandemic can become quite a daunting challenge. All families have been negatively affected in some shape or form by the pandemic; school closures, job loss, shortage of funds and supplies, and more.
Keeping your kids entertained should not be another challenge to add to the list. If you’ve been looking for ways to pass the time with your kids during the pandemic, these tips should certainly help. Just in case no one has told you lately; you’re doing so well! So hang in there; this too shall pass.
Author: Andrea Perulla is a content writer for LadyBug & Friends
