Parenting in these times are rough and stressful, boredom is a part of staying safe. As the days roll on, creativity is what is needed at this time in order to stimulate your children’s minds and to eliminate boredom. Don’t forget to teach your kids about what is happening in the world so that they can feel more secure about why they can’t go outside and teach them the importance of good hygiene. Stay positive and become a good role model for your children.
1. Schoolwork
2. Educational Games
3. Arts and Crafts
4. Physical Activity
5. Schedule your Day
6. Socialize (online!)
7. Story telling
8. Watch TV together
9. Cooking/Baking Together
10. Create Videos and Take Photos Together
11. Karaoke and Dance
1. Schoolwork
A lot of schools have shut down or moved towards alternative online learning, this is the time for you to step up and help your children learn outside of school. Help your children with their schoolwork and go through their books with them. Teaching your children is a good bonding opportunity, figure out what they have been learning throughout the year and create an activity that would keep their brains active and would be a review of their lessons.
2. Educational Games
Other than schoolwork, it is important to keep your child’s brain active and engaged through fun word games and educational video games that can be played on gadgets you already have at home. Board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, and others that you may have at home is a fun way to spend time. Change up games like Bingo in a way to teach your kids new vocabulary and to help them with spelling as well. There are a lot of educational video games available on computers, smartphone, and consoles, and it is a great way to keep your kids entertained and learning.
3. Arts and Crafts
Give your kids a creative outlet and prepare different arts and crafts that you can do together. Painting, drawing, and origami are good ways to spend time together. Make it a game and see who can draw something better or do something faster. Science experiments with non-toxic ingredients are also a good way to teach your kids science and entertain them. Making non-toxic playdough to sculpt with is easy (1 cup flour, ½ cup water, a pinch of salt, and some food dye) and can provide hours of fun for children.
4. Physical Activity
Being cooped up at home is no excuse to laze around all day. Make use of your living room or backyard and do some exercise together! Create an obstacle course or play games like tag or have a dance marathon. There are plenty of activities that can help get your kids to release their pent-up energy and provide a good workout for parents as well. Staying physically fit is a must to stay healthy.
5. Schedule your Day
With school being off, the normal everyday schedule is thrown away. It is time to make a new routine in order to offer a sense of stability and reassurance, which is important in these times. Keep it real and flexible. Have a wake-up and bedtime routine, as well as scheduled meals, chores, and schoolwork time. Have some family time and keep the rest of the day open for online socialization with their friends and anything they want to do for entertainment. Give them choices so they don’t feel suffocated by the schedule.
6. Socialize (online!)
It is important to keep in touch with other friends and family at this time so there is no feeling of isolation. Let your kids know they are not alone and help them stay connected with their friends and other family members through facetiming and social media. In this age of technology, no one needs to feel alone in these hard times.
7. Story telling
This is the time to tell your kids stories. Funny stories about the past, how you met their mother/father, stories of what happened when they were babies, and anything else you want to tell them. Pull up family albums and talk about the story behind each photo and enjoy your time together as a family. You can even try building a pillow fort and telling ghost stories or fun made-up adventure stories with a flashlight. Take turns and have an adventure with your children.
8. Watch TV together
There are many online video streaming services to watch from. Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Hulu, and many more. Watch your favorite shows with them, let them pick out movies to watch, or binge some Disney films together. There are many exciting shows out there that can take up all day. Just make sure to take breaks in order to stay healthy.
9. Cooking/Baking Together
Go to the kitchen and bake cookies together or cook a favorite food together. It is a good way to bond and teach them the basics of cooking/baking. Give them instructions and help with the stove and knife. Play around but try not to waste food! Have some fun and cook some pancakes or waffles together. Let them help you make their lunch or dinner or even just a snack that they can enjoy eating. It’s also a way you can introduce food to them to avoid becoming a picky eater.
10. Create Videos and Take Photos Together
Make use of your smartphone or camera. Take photos together, use filters and edit them together. Making memories that won’t be forgotten. Roleplay and act out scenes, create videos. Post them in a family only private group or post it publicly. Have fun trying out new things on camera, the possibilities of what to record are endless. Make use of your children’s imagination and help them out with their ideas. Share with friends and challenge each other on who can snap the funniest pictures, it’s something everyone can enjoy.
11. Karaoke and Dance
Bring out the fake microphones (remotes, etc.) and have a sing-along with the help of YouTube. Have a concert with your kids. Learn to dance with video tutorials or follow along with an online Zumba class. It is good exercise and plenty of fun. Sing your favorite tunes or take turns picking out what each person should sing, do a duet or let everyone sing at the same time. Combine the two and sing and dance at the same time. Bring out a family band and have a blast! Be creative and spend quality time together.
Here at Back to Basic Christian Childcare Center, we are aware of how important it is for children to stay mentally and physically active and how hard parenting is at these times. This too shall pass and we plan on being here for the community and families we serve. Please feel free to contact us at (281) 997-2061 or fill out the form below to learn more.
