Pandemic has truly changed the way the world lived. Nature truly took over during the complete lockdowns during 2020. With the second wave sending a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, the government has imposed complete lockdowns in several states in India. This has been particularly harsh on children who are forced to stay inside their homes without being able to meet their extended family members or go on playdates with their friends. Being a parent, I am sure that we all are aware of the energy levels that children have and how tiring it can be to keep up with them. Apart from that, I am sure that to manage your children, it is essential to find out new and creative indoor activities for kids at home to keep them engaged.
Well, to help my fellow mommies and daddies out, I have created a list of family activities that you can enjoy with your kids while staying safe and indoors.
1.Involve them into Baking and Cooking
I am sure that you might think that they would create a mess in the kitchen rather than helping, but I am sure you can utilize this time to help them learn this basic life skill. You can give them duties while you make breakfast, lunch or dinner and encourage them to be independent. Instead of giving them any chores that involve any sharp objects or electrical appliances, give them duties like assembling salads, taking out cookies for snack time, helping you prepare a dip to go with their snacks or learning how to make the easiest of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! They can learn so many recipes with bread that does not involve any cooking or usage of electrical equipment.
Also Read: How Google is helping kids during corona quarantine
2. Have a Movie Marathon
Another great way to engage the children with some indoor activities for kids is having a movie marathon! I am sure there would be no one who wouldn’t want to watch movies. If you have some outdoor area in your backyard, throw some pillows, a projector and create a cozy movie night ritual with them. You can perk it up by making popcorns and giving them a beverage to drink in a sip-cup like they do at the movie theatres. Make sure that you include movies that are liked by activity kids so that they can feel engaged. You can in fact add this as a weekly bonus night for them if they do their chores correctly.
3. Plan a Fun With Family Night
Who doesn’t love some healthy competition in the family? Family fun game nights are a ritual that we 90s kids know too well. It’s time to grab and dust that monopoly box from the cupboard and show our little ones a good time. There are other games to play with family like charades or Pictionary. Don’t forget to ask them their choices before you involve them in these indoor activities for kids at home.
4. Write a Letter
I am sure that just like us, the kids must also be missing the members of our extended family. Though having a virtual chat and video session might help them catch up on regular basis, I am sure the family members would appreciate a hand-written letter all the more. Ask the kids to write a letter every week to their grandparents, uncles or aunts or write down messages in the cards to be sent out on special occasion. The kids would learn so many skills from this amazing indoor activities . They would learn penmanship along with improving their writing skills and vocabulary. They would also learn the value of kind words and putting efforts to make someone smile. Now, isn’t that thought truly wonderful?
5. Create an Exercising Session
One of the amazing indoor activities for kids is to burn their energy by involving them in an exercising session. The kids must be missing the physical activity they might be doing in the park with their friends and creating an exercising session for them every day could do wonders for them. This would create a routine for them, which is necessary to keep them engaged and disciplined. And don’t forget to join them during this session to teach them the importance of staying active and fit throughout their lives. After all, the kids learn what they see.
Also Read: How to develop skills and engage your kids during the Coronavirus Lockdown
6. Dance it Out
Okay, I know you might not always have the energy for it but get on the dance floor with your kids and enjoy some fun with family. Designate a dancing area and play their favorite songs. Make sure that they are not wearing any footwear that might be slippery. You can also ask your kids to put up a fashion show for the rest of the family members while doing the ramp walk and dance on the songs. This indoor activities for kids would be super fun for everyone as well as help them burn some energy.
7. Bring in the Fun, Science Element
Well, it doesn’t always have to be games, dancing or cooking to engage the kids. You can involve them with some super-easy, DIY science experiment at home! There are several online channels for parents which can help. This would not make their eyes open in wonder but would also keep them sharp and learn about various subjects in an interactive manner.
Also Read: Most Amazing DIY Origami Activities
Suggested Indoor Activities for kids & Family Fun Games
Apart from the above mentioned indoor activities for kids at home, you can also engage them with the following:
- Buy already made cupcakes and set up a baking station. Give them a theme, or you can keep it open as well, to decorate a cupcake in all the fun and imaginative ways.
- Buy a puzzle with a higher number of pieces and tackle it together as family members. You can buy smaller ones as well for your kids and ask them to put the puzzle together in a competition. The winner can be given extra candy as a prize!
- Okay, so your kids might not want to dance on an everyday basis but they sure would love to paint. It is one of the fun and interactive indoor activities for kids that I have seen them love at all times. Give them some drawing/sketching paper, crayons or watercolours (as per their age) and let them explore their imagination.
- You can pull out legos or play-doh and create imaginary characters and cities. You can foster creative storytelling by asking your kids to create one around the cities or characters they might create. Put both of these together and create a city with legos and characters that live there with play-doh and have some fun!
- Other good old-fashioned indoor activities for kids involve grabbing some sheets and pillows and creating the fort. Have some fun times and let them get tired right before it’s naptime for them.
The Bottom Line
I hope you liked all these suggested indoor activities for kids at home and would let me know if you and your kids enjoyed it! If you have some of your own family rituals and suggestions, write away in the comments section below.