Top 7 Activities for Children while They Are Stuck at Home

In 2021, the reality is quite ambiguous. The pandemic is not over yet, some adults have not stopped working remotely, and summer will bring back all the children from schools to homes. Since COVID is still out, not all parents are ready to let their loved ones leave the house. But what child wants to spend the warmest time of the year surrounded by four walls? Right, there are not so many of them.

In this case, the most urgent question is how to keep a child in a good mood? It’s nice when they are naturally calm and can occupy themselves with toys, games, or other activities. This may not work with hyperactive children who demand attention most of the time. So, how to put their energy in the right direction? We prepared some cool ideas for you!

Top 7 indoor hobbies to spend pastime with children

Being at home should not be tedious. Here are some ways that will help you and your children stay positive if you have to isolate.

1. Facetime with family

It may sound obvious, but constantly staying in touch with family members can inspire and motivate people. For some of us, family means everything. So if we stay away from them for too long, it can have a negative influence on our well-being.

If you are on good terms with your parents and they are far away, set a video call with them and their grandchildren. Have small talk, ask them how they feel, let children talk about their day. You can even organize a whole virtual party and invite even more relatives! It can be dedicated to someone’s birthday or has no reason at all – communication is what matters.

2. Make a fashion show

It’s performance time! Together with your child, you can pretend to be designers and make up a series of outfits. Use your old clothes as materials to create fashionable looks. If you are brave enough and have relevant skills, you can make them from scratch. You can also set a special topic or choose a color palette for a show. Here, the sky’s the limit for your and your kids’ fantasy.

After everything is done, arrange an imaginary catwalk and act in front of family, friends, or just each other. This will help children grow their sense of beauty and lessen the fear of public performances.

3. Play hide-and-seek

If you think that hide-and-seek is an old-fashioned and way too outdated game, let us change your mind.

Besides common hide-and-seek, when one person is looking for others, there are plenty of variations that will make this game even more fun. For example, instead of quitting the game, those who were found can join the seeker and team up against the rest of the hiding people.

Another way to play hide-and-seek is to turn it into a sneaky race by combining it with a tag. It starts all the same: One seeker is counting on a designated spot while everyone else is hiding. When the count ends, the seeker leaves the spot and tries to find the hiders. They, in turn, should try to sneak back to that very spot and touch it (you can assign a special word for this action). The seeker’s task is to tag others. If they touch the spot, they win, if tagged they are out.

If there are more than four people involved, you can play reverse hide-and-seek, or sardines. One person is hiding, the team is looking for them. When someone finds the hiding spot, they join it and now they are hiding together. The next person who finds the two hiders also joins them. The game continues until there is one siker left. Imagine being the last seeker and finding everyone else in one spot next to each other like a can of sardines. Team bonding all the way!

This simple game improves children’s agility, coordination and teaches them the concept of permanence. But don’t ignore security: Be sure that hiding spots are safe and routes between them are clear. Also, make sure children cannot reach dangerous or unfamiliar places.

4. Organize a TV or movie night

This may sound boring and common, but again, it’s the question of perspective and creativity. You can turn a usual TV-watching session into a fun game. For example, while watching a movie, ask your child to clap hands when they hear the name of the main character. Another way to make it more entertaining (especially with teenagers) is to ask them about their favourite movie. It will help you better understand the personality of your child.

Also, don’t forget to discuss with your child what they saw on the screen, what they liked and disliked, what they felt about characters and their deeds. It will help them develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Check out our ways to make a movie night more memorable.

5. Get a pet

If you already have pets, half of the task is done! If don’t, look at your capabilities and decide if you are ready to adopt a new family member. Maybe, it can be someone who is relatively easy to take care of like a fish or a hamster. Or you feel prepared enough to have a cat or a dog. Anyway, such a companion would be a great support during the pandemic.

Pets help children learn how to respect life, develop responsibility, and sometimes act like their personal psychologists. Also, they increase children’s physical activity and provide a comfortable atmosphere.

6. Engage kids in daily processes

This activity will be especially suitable for families with toddlers. For example, you can turn a simple bath cleaning into a lot of fun. Just take your kid with you and let them be creative with sponges and bath crayons. You can clean the sink and toilet while your kids are pretending to be the next Picasso. when cleaning is over you can just wash away all the mess your child made in the bathtub. It’s a win-win case: The bath is shiny and children are artfully occupied.

If your children are older, ask them to help you out with more complex tasks and get them involved with cleaning. Put them in the kitchen with yourself or show them how the washing machine works. It will make them more independent and familiar with simple daily activities.

7. Make a scrapbook

If you have some books and magazines that are too old to read but too good to through away, take advantage and involve your kid in scrapbooking. Discuss with them the topic of a scrapbook, choose the necessary elements, cut them out, and make a fascinating composition on each page. It will contribute a lot to your bond with a child and make them more creative. Note: be careful with scissors.

Wrapping it up

Spending time with your kids, especially when they are stuck at home, is crucial for their personality development. And sure, it’s also entertaining. The laugh of your kid is one of the most treasured sounds in the universe. Don’t forget to capture all those precious moments! You can send them to your friends and family or use a video editor to make a compilation of funny moments. Such a video will contribute a lot to memory and it will be extremely interesting to watch when they become adults.

But they will always be children for us, right?

If you are looking for more ideas then check out this post with 100 activities for rainy or too hot days.

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