Fun Activities to do with your kids at home
It isn’t easy to be holed up at home with only your family for the company. As the parent, though, you have the unique opportunity to set the tone in your home. You get to decide if these weeks will be a nightmare for everyone or filled with precious memory-making and family bonding activities.
Here are some fun activities to do with your kids and keep them busy while you wait out the pandemic at home.
Marshmallow Tinker-Toys.
For a fun twist on the classic building toy, take pretzel sticks and mini-marshmallows and let your child build a world of sweetness. Have them create pretzel-marshmallow people, houses, and entire towns. Then, they can eat their sweet creations!
Scrapbook.
Spend some quality time reliving precious memories by digging out the scrapbooking supplies and old photos for creating a timeless masterpiece. Need inspiration? Check out these simple scrapbook ideas.
Teach a Household Skill:
Instead of complaining about the endless housework, enlist your child’s help! Even tiny children can help sort laundry, load the washing machine, and press the buttons to turn it on. Have the older ones help bake, letting them put their math skills to use by adding fractions in recipes.
Simon Says, “Draw!”
Set up a table with paper, crayons, markers, stamps, and any other fun coloring supplies you have. Seat your kids around the table and begin an intense game of Simon Says, only instead of movements, instruct your kids to draw something. You can have them draw basic shapes in specific colors or something more complicated if they’re a little older. If anyone messes up, they’re out!
Balloon ping-pong.
Tape large popsicle sticks to the backs of paper plates, blow up a balloon and have your preschoolers play ping-pong with their makeshift paddles over your empty kitchen table!
Let it snow!
In a large pan or bin, mix 3 cups of baking soda with ½ cup of hair conditioner. Note: If you don’t have enough baking soda, you can also use shaving cream for your “snow.” Keep stirring until the mixture turns cold, soft, and feels like snow! Dig out the toy cars, beach shovels, and collection of Playmobil people and let the fun begin!
Scavenger hunt.
Set up hints around the house and have the kids race from clue to clue searching for the treasure you’ve hidden for them. If your kids are too young to read, this can work with picture clues as well.
No, it isn’t easy to be holed up at home with your kids. But with some creativity and a positive attitude (and lots of coffee and chocolate), you can fill this challenging time with warm memories your children will remember for the rest of their lives. It is easy to find fun activities to do with your kids at home. Like this post? Check out our MoneySmart Tips.
