With the COVID-19 virus going around quickly nowadays, families are stuck home as they are in quarantine to slow the spread. And even after this situation ends, there will be times when families will be stuck at home with their kids.
Perhaps it is due to a rainy day where playing outdoors is not an option. Or, during wintertime, it is often too cold to spend time outdoors.
Even though during those times you could still go out and take the kids to museums or theatres which you cannot do right now with the current situation – parents will need to know about activities they can do with their homes with kids.
The last thing that they would want is for their kids to become bored. And, kids can easily spend too much time in front of their screens. That is no good for their brains! Kids need proper excitement and stimulation. This is why you will about to learn about the 10 best indoor activities for kids at home.
Read also: 20+ Virtual Field Trips and Online Tours
10 best indoor activities for kids stuck at home:
1. Fun And Creative Arts And Crafts
Do you have art supplies for your kids? If you don’t have a lot, you can improvise. You don’t need to have fancy markers or construction paper for your kids to create a masterpiece. However, chances are, if you have young kids, then you will have those arts and crafts items.
You can have your kids use items such as tin foil, beads, newspapers, and anything you have that you don’t need in order for them to do some fun arts and crafts. Sometimes, we use the magazines we get in the mail from the supermarkets. Or the back part of those junk mails.
The kids can color, paint, cut, fold, anything! Tons of things to do!
This is a fun indoor activity so that they can use their imaginations, and kids love that. It is also great for them to utilize it so they can tap into their creative side. Using imagination and creativity will help them develop problem-solving skills as they get older which they will need in life.
2. Make Puppets Made of Paper Bags And Put On A Show
Kids love to act and they can put on a show by making puppets made of paper bags. They can get plenty of enjoyment out of doing that type of activity.
3. Baking
Since the pandemic, I think we have baked more than a dozen of muffins and cupcakes. My kids enjoy them a lot!
Supermarkets are open. As long as you stay safe and are careful, there is no reason to get some fun ingredients from the supermarket so you and your kids can have some fun baking. You can also use Instacart or grocery delivery if you don’t feel safe.
Look online for some simple and fun dessert recipes. Grab the ingredients, and start up a baking frenzy.
The key is to make it simple so that no one gets frustrated with the process. It should be fun, and enjoyable. And once the desserts are ready, they will be delicious.
4. Pop Some Popcorn And Watch A Movie
Why not pretend that you are in a movie theatre with your kids at home? You can pop some kernels, and then watch a movie that you all can enjoy as a family. This will make it an enjoyable afternoon or evening, depending on the time that you plan the movie time.
5. Read Some Books
It is a great idea to carve out storytime for your kids. Gather up their favorite books. Have the kids sit or lie in a comfortable place and position in the den or in any room. Then start reading, and encourage them to be interactive while reading.
Reading to kids is great for their overall development as it helps promote their language, listening, problem-solving, and social skills.
We have recently started using the Kids A-Z app to read books. The kids can listen to the story, then they will read them afterward. It has levels from A to Z thus the name.
6. Play Games Such As “Simon Says” or “Follow the Leader”
Kids enjoy “Simon Says” or “Follow the Leader” games. Why not have a fun time playing it with them and those types of games will end up tiring them out for a while. This way, you will be able to tackle things on your own if they are tired out.
7. Create A Mini City With Legos Or Building Blocks
Why not indulge in more of that creativity by creating a small city with Legos or building blocks? Just be sure that your kids put the blocks away when they are done if they choose to dismantle it. Stepping on those blocks is painful.
For toddlers, buy foam or soft blocks. My cousin who is a Kindergarten teacher also recommends Magnatiles to build kids’ imagination.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
8. Write Letters To Friends And Relatives
The kids will be able to see their friends and relatives through Skype video or can speak to them on the phone. However, you can consider writing letters to friends and relatives. And when the letters are sent out, the kids will be looking forward to when the recipients receive their letters.
Besides, this will be touching to the recipients. They are stuck in their homes as well due to the quarantine. Them receiving a letter from the kids may be the very thing that will help make their days better.
9. Do Some Science Experiments
Do you have a magnifying glass that your kids can use for fun? If so, they can look at blades of grass, leaves, and hair under a magnifying glass. If not, there are fun and easy science experiments that they can try. One example is that they can grow rock candy in a glass and learn about the crystalization process.
10. Do Some Working Out
Exercise is important for the body, mind, and soul, and kids would benefit from it greatly as well. They can get their heart rates up by exercising to Xbox One games or the Wii Fit or YouTube. Additionally, a good workout will occupy them while you get your duties tackled.
Have you tried Subscription boxes?
We have subscribed to a few of them, and they are a great way to teach and entertain kids. We have subscribed to Little Passports and Kiwi Crates. There are also Womple Studios, Little Global Citizens, Oyster Kit, Mel Science (for experiments which I love but my kids are still too young for this).
Final thoughts!
These 10 ideas for kids’ activities at home are interactive, stimulating, and fun – enough to keep them busy during the quarantine. And they are also good for kids at other times when they are unable to play outside. The last thing that parents want is that kids are glued to their screens.
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With these, kids won’t be bored at home anymore.
Excellent post. Plenty of useful ideas to keep children occupied during the current lockdown.
I don’t have kids myself, but I can see this being useful for many others, even if they already do some of these activities.
Such great ideas to keep kiddos indoors and engage them.
These are great ideas to keep kids occupied in these times.
Wow, I learned a lot from this post as I am always looking for new ideas on how to do more activities with my students in the classroom. (I don’t have kids of my own, but I do teach preschool which requires some creativity and play).
Good job!
You have discussed a good point, it’s really helpful for kids. well-written article
Baking is one of the best activities for kids. Making a cake is exciting and a fun idea and doesn’t take much effort.
I started Christmas shopping at the end of 2019. I bought my stepdaughter a DIY beanie and a headband kit. It definitely came in handy the 2 weeks she was here. She learned a new skill (sewing). She appreciates the crafts more because she put hard work into them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
These are great suggestions! Definitely going to be doing these over the next couple of weeks!
these will definitely lure kids to get busy and kill boredom…..and they’ll learn while doing something fun and worthwhile…..
These are great ideas to keep kids occupied in these times.
When I was a kid, I used to do only two things at home painting and science experiments. Thanks for sharing the huge list with so many creative options
These are great ideas to keep kids busy at home during such times. However, I am a dog mom, so I am using slightly different techniques to keep my boy busy…lol
I know staying indoors is difficult. Such amazing games.
My mom used to make the most amazing scavenger hunts for my sister and I. She called them “mysteries” that we had to solve. Those were definitely my favorite indoor activity as a little kid!
Great ideas! We have been doing a lot of cooking and playing games to pass the time.
I don’t have kids, but these look like some great ideas to keep them busy!
You know what, this is awesome stuff especially during this lockdown season. Very timely.
Have any ideas for a one year old? lol
A perfect post for all those having hyper active children. Very well written!