Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Activities For Kids Reviewed

What to do with the kids home

Are you struggling to find activities for kids to do while they are out of school? Let me review some ideas I gave my daughter to help keep my granddaughter entertained that did not involve sitting in front of the television set. With the schools closed across the nation, you might be pretty tired of playing board games and need some fresh ideas.

activities for kids
Keep the kids entertained
image courtesy of pixabay.com

I was talking to my daughter the other day and she expressed her frustration over how to keep my granddaughter busy and entertained after she has completed her online studies for school. I'm guessing there are a whole lot of parents who are feeling the same way. My daughter said that she was so sick of the board games they had in the house and needed some ideas on other things to do. So here are a few ideas that I tossed out for consideration.

One of the things I tried to keep in mind as I offered some options was that the activities needed to involve things that didn't require going out to buy new things. For one thing, we are supposed to refrain from leaving our homes but more importantly a whole lot of parents aren't working right now and money is tight. 

A Few Ideas To Keep Your Kids Busy

I suggested that on some days, my granddaughter could do some crafty type things. She loves to create all kinds of things so, I suggested that she make some things with the supplies she already has. A card to send to my Dad (her Great-Grandfather) to help cheer up his spirits. Cards for elderly neighbors that could be left at their doors keeping social distancing in mind. Pictures for her wall and that sort of thing. 

Another activity that would take up a little time was to go on an exploration for some fun facts. Have your child think of something they would like to know more about. Perhaps they are fascinated with Giant Squids. Have them do a search for those interesting creatures and then check out some of the sites that come up. While they are looking those over, jot down some other things to look for on another day. Perhaps it could be areas where Giant Squids can be found. Make it something they have an interest in so that they find it fun.

As I write this we are in the season where a lot of Bald Eagle's eggs are hatching. I suggested that my daughter might find one of the many nest cams so that they could watch for a while each day to monitor the progress of those eaglets growing. It is an incredible sight to behold! 

If you are able to, let the kids go outside in your backyard to play for a while. It can be like recess at school without their friends. Toss a ball, kick a can, skip rope, play hopscotch...anything to get their little bodies in motion to expend some pent-up energy. 

Have a good old fashioned scavenger hunt. Hide some things around the house with clues to the next item and then let them spend some time finding the items. Another option is to make a list for them to find the items on the list. Once you have done this, another day can be spent with them hiding the items and you have to find them. 

Try to think of activities you did as a child and introduce them to your kids, who are just as bored as you are by the way. Some you will be able to do and others might just make you smile at the memory. 

If possible, let the kids have some face-time with their friends or perhaps a grandparent. I love those video chats! We did one with my Dad the other day and he was thrilled to be able to see my daughter's and granddaughter's faces. She even showed him her progress with learning to play the fiddle...he loved it!

Look for inspiration either online or in books. A good source of ideas would be an activity book that you might have laying around or can buy for just a small bit of money.

Activities Book For Kids




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


5 comments:

  1. With so many children out of school right now, keeping them entertained while they are learning is a bonus for the kids and for the family. Activities are a great way to get to know your children too. Seeing how they respond to challenges may give you some perspectives on how to tailor an activity that won't leave them frustrated. I also like giving them some quiet reading time to keep their minds active without having to run around. Great ideas Beverly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really good ideas for kids' activities during this stay-at-home time, Bev. I'll share some with my son who is not only working from home, but trying to keep two boys 10 & 5 occupied while they are out of school.

    Your Facetime chat is a good one. My son texted me last weekend saying the boys wanted to talk to Grandma. They both got on and used that silly phone app that makes funny faces, etc. for 20 solid minutes. Grandma might have found it a bit boring after awhile, but the boys loved it. And it gave their parents 20 free minutes to do something else while 'Grandma' entertained the kids long-distance! :)

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  3. These definitely sound like great ideas! Our community is doing a "search for the teddy bear" activity. Homeowners put teddy bears in their windows. When parents take their children for walks, they seek out the teddy bears. When I was out a few days ago, I found myself looking for those teddy bears. It made me smile. One house had a teddy bear in almost every window. That really made me laugh! The funniest part of the little game, I was rather disappointed when a house didn't have a bear displayed for me to find.

    I know it is hard for the kids. I also know parents don't want their kids sitting in front of the tv or computer all day, every day. It was very thoughtful of you to offer a list of suggestions. I love the idea of the eagle cam. That is something I want to do!

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  4. These are some great ideas and very timely. Thank you

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  5. I was thinking the other day about how I would be handling this if my kids were young. Holy Hannah that would be challenging. Of course my step-kids are at home with young ones and they have their hands full indeed. These suggestions are excellent, and I'll venture there are moms and dads doing a lot of googling for ideas to keep the young ones busy.

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