The threat of coronavirus has swept the entire globe. Many states and even countries have declared a lockdown to ensure the safety of their citizens. In such a scenario, being responsible is our primary role. However, we cannot forget the responsibilities of our families and kids. This lockdown has provided us with ample idle time and offered us a golden chance to spend time with our kids like never before.
Besides fun, you must not forget that the learning curve of your child must not slow down. Since schools are closed and there is no scope for extracurricular activities, we suggest helping your kid groom within your home itself. Here, we have listed some activities which you can enjoy with younger kids staying home. These activities will not only keep them engaged but also help them enhance their skills as well.
- Arts and Crafts: Engaging in creative activities can help kids in grooming their skillset. Now, crafts for kids can include basic origami wherein they can create fun things with basic paper folding. For the older age groups, crafting can be done with wool, cardboard, and other materials to create beautiful home ornaments. You can use these creativities to decorate your home and especially your child’s room so they get motivated to work ahead. If you are not sure how to proceed or what to make, then you can get excellent ideas on YouTube.
- Basic Cooking: Cooking is a fun skill that everyone should learn. With kids, think of simple things that they can decorate to make it their own. Pizza, cookies, and cakes are perfect for decorating! However, there are multiple recipes that you can experiment on. You can go for baking muffins and cakes with colorful patterns to make cooking all the more fun.
- Cultivation and Garden Planting: Staying indoors can make kids restless. In a scenario where going out is not recommended, you need to think of ideas where your garden can become more interesting. Planting and cultivating is the best option available in such circumstances. You can teach your child the art of basic gardening and ask them to do basic tasks like watering plants. This way they can feel more connected to growing plants and also engage their time in some “fruitful” work.
- Games and Puzzles: With mobile phones and video games available in almost every household, traditional board games have become a tool of the bygone era. However, this is the right time to revive the good old days! Spending too much time on digital screens can potentially affect vision and memory. However, games are necessary for the mental development of children. So, pick out some good board games which involve mental application and spend some quality time playing with your little ones. You’ll surely admire the progress and brainstorming skills that your child may eventually develop.
- Musical Instruments: Music has the power to relieve all your stress and negativity. Preachers of music greatly emphasize on the need for learning at least one musical instrument. It not only helps in brain stimulation but also soothes the mind. So, utilize these days of quarantine to teach your child some basic musical instruments they admire. You can even go online for classes or check YouTube for free instructions.
- Reading and Learning: Though schools are shut down, this doesn’t have to mean a break from books. Understand that your child may resist picking up schoolbooks in these virtual vacation times. However, you must try to keep a structure that they will be able to follow so when they have to return to school, they will already be used to it. Keep studying habits intact. Find some interesting reads for kids with animations and colorful pictures that can capture the interest of your little one.
- Clean Up Games: Now, last but not least, inculcating the habit of cleanliness is essential from a very early age. While you might have missed out on this important task previously due to busy schedules, use these stay-inside days to teach the value of being organized and clean. Enroll your child in some reward-based cleaning games for active participation. For example, you can offer them their favorite snack as a reward in exchange for cleaning their room or bookshelf. Such tiny steps offer great results in the future!
Hopefully, these activities will keep you and your children actively engaged in the days of boredom. These days of pandemic shall eventually pass. However, initiatives taken towards these activities may retain the interest of your children for their lifetime.
