Although time spent with your children is precious, every parent looks forward to those few hours when their little ones are in school or at their friend’s house and they have time for themselves. However, because of the coronavirus schools are closing their doors and not leaving your home is highly recommended. If being stuck in quarantine with your high-energy children seems like a recipe for a disaster, you are probably looking for ways to keep them entertained during the crisis. Of course, letting them watch TV for an unlimited amount of time is not the best option, so consider using these tools to kill the boredom.
Solve puzzles
Solving puzzles is definitely an old-school way to kill time, but it is still an amazing source of entertainment, as well as knowledge. That is right, you can find educational puzzles that will teach your little ones about our country and our planet. If your children are old enough, you can opt for those complicated ones with 5000 pieces. Just make sure you choose the puzzle station wisely, or otherwise you will end up moving a half-finished puzzle around the house.
Give them handheld games
No matter how much you want to minimise their screen time, your children will eventually ask to watch TV or play games. In this time of need, handheld games can come in handy. These consoles are easy to use and your kids can play them at any time or place. If you have no idea which ones are popular these days, check out the list of top handheld consoles on the market.
Teach them to cook
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should put sharp knives into their tiny hands or let them near a hot stove, but letting them help you in the kitchen can actually keep your children occupied. Give them tasks such as peeling fruits and vegetables, grating cheese with a box grater, greasing a baking pan, scooping batter into muffin cups or putting groceries away. If they know that all that work will result in their favourite meal on the table, they definitely won’t complain. Besides, using different cookie cutters and decorating cookies with icing in different colours can be really fun.
Create costumes
Kids love to dress up in different costumes, so why not use this time to create new ones? You can make them together with your children and have them write their own sketches and perform them for you. Dress-up play engages your child’s brain and memory and gives them a chance to expand their vocabularies. Acting like someone else allows them to use the words and phrases they wouldn’t ordinarily use. Since they have to decide who is going to be a pirate, a doctor, a fireman or a teacher, costume play can help them practise problem-solving skills.
Go nuts with Play-Doh
Maybe watching your kids use Play-Doh inside the house is not your dream scenario, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Spread out old towels or sheets you are not going to use anymore and let your children make cookies, animals and whatever comes to mind using this colourful compound. This kind of activity can keep them occupied for hours, so who cares if they make a mess? You will have time to watch your favourite TV show or read a book in peace, and you cannot put a price on that.
Get all the art supplies you can
If you want to spark your children’s creative thinking and allow them to express themselves, give them markers, crayons and other art supplies. You can also go online and check out those galleries that offer a virtual tour, or use art books to teach them about famous artists and their work.
These simple activities should keep your kids occupied and make this coronavirus quarantine a little more bearable.