We’ve all been struggling with ways to keep ourselves occupied and take our minds off of the pandemic since the beginning of the year. While quarantine was a chance to catch up on home projects and slow down a bit in the beginning, it’s quickly become mundane and we’ve all become a little restless at times.
Knowing how hard the pandemic has been for adults, imagine the toll it’s taking on our children. Depending on their age they may not understand exactly what’s going on in the world right now and why they’re forced to spend more time at home and less time with extended family and friends.
While adults can keep busy with puzzles, video chatting with loved ones, exercising, etc., it can be a little more difficult to keep children busy during these unprecedented times. If you’re looking for some new ideas to keep your little ones busy, look no further. Keep reading to learn about some activities to keep your children occupied during the pandemic separated by age groups.
Toddlers/Preschoolers
Keeping infants occupied is relatively easy since they aren’t constantly on the go just yet, but it sure is a different story for toddlers! If you’re the parent of a toddler or have gone through the toddler stage, you know just how busy these little humans are, constantly on the go and never wanting to sit still for long periods of time.
Luckily, there are some activities to keep toddlers and preschoolers busy for more than just a few minutes – activities they’ll find new and exciting. Here are a few creative options to help them learn and explore the world around them safely from the comfort of your home:
Sensory Bins
Every young child loves sensory bins! If you’re not familiar with what they are, they’re essentially plastic bins that you fill up with toys and objects that will ignite their senses. One of the most convenient things about sensory bins is that you really don’t have to spend a dime to create one yourself; just use objects around the house. Need some inspiration? Pinterest is a wonderful place to start. With so many creative ideas, you can find something new to fill your toddler’s sensory bin with often.
Start an Indoor Garden
We all know that toddlers love to get their hands on everything they possibly can. With winter approaching, it may be too cool outside to grow a garden, but you can certainly grow one indoors until spring arrives.
Make starting an indoor garden even more exciting for your toddler or preschooler – explain to them what you’re going to do and take them shopping to get the tools you need. Have them pick out the pots and plants or vegetables/fruits you’re going to grow. When it’s time to set up your indoor garden, let them get their hands dirty with some soil and help them push the seeds into the pots. From the initial setup of an indoor garden to caring for it and watching it grow, it’ll keep them busy and engaged all while helping them learn.
Easy Crafts
Crafts don’t have to be complicated and elaborate for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy them. Sticking with easy crafts like paper snowflakes and chain links will keep them busy for quite some time.
Simply gather some construction paper and other crafting materials like glue, child safety scissors, glitter, and anything else they might enjoy using and come up with something colorful and exciting! Crafting is a hands-on activity that will keep little ones engaged and will excite them for long periods of time. Need some ideas? Here’s a great resource with inexpensive crafting ideas.
Grade-schoolers & Teens
While they may prefer to hide behind their screens alone, grade-schoolers and teens also need hands-on activities to keep them engaged. Try any of the following:
Bake Together
What child doesn’t love baked goods? Allow your kids to choose some fun desserts to bake and have them be your sous chef! They’ll have a blast baking something from scratch, decorating it and of course sampling it. Baking is a great way for you to bond with your children and to teach them how to safely use kitchen appliances and tools.
Virtual Field Trips
Just because schools aren’t taking field trips to public places doesn’t mean that your kids can’t go on a field trip from the comfort of their own home. Many museums and parks offer virtual field trips to keep your children learning and exploring amid the pandemic. Check out the Louvre Museum, San Diego Zoo, and the Georgia Aquarium to name a few.
TikTok Videos
While we didn’t grow up with TikTok in our teen years, every parent of a grade-schooler or teen knows how popular this fairly new app is. Bond with your grade-schooler or teen by creating family friendly TikTok videos with them. There are plenty of options from learning choreographed dances to learning some scripts for voice overs – either way, you’ll be able to bond and reconnect with your child all while sharing some laughs.
Online Workouts
Keeping kids moving is a great way to help them stay active and less stressed during the pandemic. Do an online workout together to spend some quality time while staying active. There are plenty of free resources for online workouts on YouTube. Check your local gyms and library for free online workouts as well!
It’s easy for anyone to feel stressed and unmotivated during this difficult time, especially children. It’s also never been as important to keep children engaged and motivated as it is during this global pandemic. We hope you find the activities above helpful during this tough time.
Children whose parents are going through a divorce are even more likely to be less motivated during this time. If you’re a client of The The Kuhl Law Firm, LLC and have some questions about how to help your kids cope, please call us at (816) 246-9981 or send us a message.
If you aren’t an established client and have any questions about divorce, paternity actions or modification actions and need to speak with a family law attorney about your children, please don’t hesitate to contact the attorneys at Young & Kuhl. While we don’t give out legal advice via the Internet until we consult with you/establish an attorney-client relationship, we’d be happy to schedule a consultation.
All of us here at Young & Kuhl sincerely hope for the very best for your family’s mental and physical health during this difficult time.
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