The spread of the coronavirus has canceled school for millions of students around the country. We want to provide you with a variety of activities that will keep your children entertained so they can enjoy this time at home. It’s beneficial to change up the activities as much as possible, so your kids don’t get bored. These ideas are simple, and they incorporate things that you already have around the house since going out is hard right now.
Life gets busy, and we want you to take this time to do more family activities while the kids have an extended break from school. We picked things for the whole family to do together as well as something the kids can do alone when you need a little quiet time. We want to help you make this scary time a little more enjoyable.
35. Play Board Games
Board games allow the whole family to forget about what’s happening in the world and laugh and play together for a few hours. There are so many different kinds of games that create hours of fun. For a longer game that brings the family together, Monopoly is an instant classic. For a shorter game that levels the playing field, Sorry and Parcheesi are a great option. For a game that is bound to bring out the competitive side try Trivial Pursuit to put that random knowledge to the test.
34. Make Origami
Who doesn’t love the magic transformation of turning a piece of construction paper into a work of art? Origami is fun to make, and it requires your kids to focus on directions to get the result they want. It strengthens their hand-eye coordination as well as their ability to listen and follow instructions. There are so many different tutorials on YouTube that will help your children create anything they can imagine.
33. Spa Day
Get out the bath bombs and face masks and treat the family to a spa day. Put on relaxing music and drink a nice cup of tea. Hand and feet massages will also be helpful during this stressful time. Complete the day with a fresh manicure and pedicure. Moms, dads, daughters, and sons can all benefit from these activities, and it’s an excellent way to teach your kids that they need to take time to pamper themselves when they get older.
32. Sing Karaoke
Music has a way of making dark times a little easier. There is nothing more freeing than belting out your favorite song with people that you love. Make a playlist of your family’s favorite songs and gather everyone in the living room for a karaoke session. Music has a way of helping people express their emotions, which is essential during this scary time.
31. Read A Book
Reading has a fantastic way of helping you forget what’s going on and transport you to a new world. You can let your kids cuddle up with a good book and relax for a few hours if they need some time to relax. Creating a virtual book club for your children and their friends could also be an excellent way for them to interact with friends while they are away from school.
30. Jigsaw Puzzles
Puzzles can keep your kids occupied for hours. They can give your family a chance to sit around the table and talk. Puzzles also help kids work on their fine motor skills and shape recognition as well as their ability to concentrate on a task until they see the result. Puzzles can be put together multiple times, which is valuable when you don’t know how long you will be stuck inside.
29. Dance Party
Get your family up off the couch and have a dance party. Your kids can learn the dance moves to one of their favorite music videos or create their routine to their favorite song. Dancing allows your kids to express themselves beautifully.
28. Make a Sock Monkey
Everyone has a pair of socks in their drawer that have seen better days. Instead of throwing them out, turn them into a sock monkey. They don’t take long to make, and you can use this project as a way to teach your kids how to sew.
27. Coloring
Coloring is an excellent activity for your kids when you need a little quiet time, or you want to work on something else. It’s relaxing, relatively mess-free, it doesn’t require a bunch of supplies, and it lets them use them to be creative. If you don’t have any coloring books on hand, go online and print out some of their favorite things, and then you will have a custom coloring book that will keep your kids entertained for hours.
26. Organize
I know that organizing doesn’t sound like fun, but this is the perfect time to have your kids organize their room. You can turn organizing into a game and teach them the value of responsibility and organization!
25. Play Simon Says
Simon Says allows the kids to call the shots for a few hours. Take turns giving out orders, and you will be surprised how long they will be entertained. It gets them up and moving around the house, and it helps them work on their listening skills.
24. Make Tik Tok
Tik Tok is a social media platform where people post short videos. The videos are usually a dance, or a clip of them saying their favorite quote from a movie, the possibilities are endless. Help your kids think of a silly idea and spend the day filming them. Everyone could use a laugh right now, so send your tik toks to family and friends.
23. Play Dough
Squeezing and building with playdough has a calming effect on kids, which can be therapeutic during these difficult and confusing times. Fresh play dough has a soft texture which kids love to hold in their hands. It gives them the freedom to create anything their heart desires and lets them explore their creativity. It also helps improve fine motor skills, and it teaches them that actions have consequences when they smash it and manipulate it in different ways. If you can overlook the mess and their tendency to mix every color, it is an enjoyable activity.
22. Write A Letter
Right now is the perfect time to have your kids write letters to family and friends. Of course, you can still call and text people, but writing a message has a special personal touch, and it will make someone smile during this intense time.
21. Make Slime
Kids are obsessed with slime these days. It’s pretty inexpensive to make, and I’m sure you have most of the ingredients already, so whip up a batch of a new slime recipe or make an old favorite. Slime is perfect for kids and their sensory needs. Playing with slime helps keep them calm and release so of their bottled-up stress.
20. Activity Books
Some schools aren’t making kids do work during this extended break. Take this time to help them learn from home. Practicing topics, they were learning in school will help them transition back to school a little less stressful because it will keep things fresh in their mind. Activity books are full of fun games that make learning more fun and hands-on for kids that like to learn at their own pace.
19. Yoga
Yoga is a calming activity that will help release some of the stress that your kids have during these crazy times. You can pick out a yoga video on YouTube and slow things down in your house for a few minutes. Yoga can improve your kid’s flexibility, coordination, and strength.
18. Home Movie Theater
You can’t take the family out to see a movie theater right now, so make some popcorn and bring the movie theater to your living room. The benefit of watching movies at home is you can be cozy with extra pillows and blankets. There are so many different streaming services, so your family can pick something new to watch.
17. Build a Race Track
Children that are obsessed with cars will love creating a huge racetrack in the living room. You can cut up old boxes and wrapping paper tubes and build an epic track that your kids can decorate and create any way they want. The sky’s the limit with this project.
16. Obstacle Course
Move the furniture around the living room and create an obstacle course for your kids to do. There are no rules for building, and you can use things that you already have to create a challenging course. If you want to add a competitive edge to the course, get out the timer and see who can complete the course in the shortest amount of time.
15. Have a Fashion Show
Come up with a theme for the fashion show and have your kids go through their closets and see what looks they can come up with. The theme can be as creative and silly as you want. Decorate and area of your house as the runway to make the show feel more real. The final step is to create a playlist of music for them to walk the runway too and then sit back and watch the fashion show come to life.
14. Puppet Show
Turn some old socks into different puppets. You can use odds and ends lying around the house to give each character a personality. Your family can take turns coming up with silly stories and put on a show for everyone to enjoy.
13. Make a Vision Board
Creating a vision board is a good way for your kids to plan what they want to do when the quarantine is over. Visualization is a powerful tool because it inspires us to reach our goals. Help them pick pictures and other items from around the house that inspire them to put on their vision board.
12. Play Charades
Charades is such a fun game to play with the family. Each member of the family can write a few ideas down on strips of paper and fold them up and put them in a bowl. Everyone will take turns, acting out the silly ideas.
11. Play indoor Basketball
Get out the mini hoop or a laundry basket and let your kids see who can make the most baskets. It’s not going to be the same as playing outside, but it’s still fun to see who can make the most baskets.
10. Make Jewelry
This is the perfect time to use up some of those random beads you’ve been saving. Your kids can make bracelets to give their friends the next time they see them. There are no rules when it comes to making jewelry, so your kids will be able to make them any way they want. It’s a relaxing activity that will produce a beautiful gift for someone else.
9. Build a Fort
Let the kids gather up all the pillows and blankets in the house and build a fort. Things are always more fun in a fort. It will keep them entertained for hours, and it’s the perfect place to relax or play games with those you love.
8. Bake A Dessert
Baking is such a fun treat for the sweet tooth in the family. Get the kids involved and let them help you mix everything up. It’s more fun when you make something that they can decorate, like sugar cookies or any flavor of cake. Every sweet treat is better when it’s baked with love in the comfort of your own home.
7. Indoor Picnic
Change things up and spread out a blanket on the living room floor and let the kids have a picnic inside. Invite the stuffed animals for a fun afternoon full of delicious finger foods and a lot of laughter.
6. Write in Journal
Writing is an excellent outlet for your kids to let out their feelings and write about things that are bothering them. Give them a journal that they can decorate and make their own. This will be a very good thing for them to look back on when they get older.
5. Create a Play
Kids are very creative, so let them create their script for a play. You can help them design the costumes and then sit back and enjoy the show. This will be a great memory to record so they can look back on it when they are older.
4. Cook Dinner
Food has the power to bring the family together. Inviting the kids into the kitchen to help might spark a new passion for them. Learning how to cook from someone they love will make the whole experience even more special.
3. Make A Scrapbook
Scrapbooking is a relaxing activity that the whole family can enjoy together. Your kids can gather clippings from magazines and their favorite pictures to create
There are absolutely no rules when it comes to scrapbooking, so their imaginations will be able to run wild. Scrapbooks are the perfect gift for family, or they can keep it to look back on when they get older.
2. Scavenger Hunt
The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a scavenger hunt. Come up with a theme that your kids would love and make a list of things for them to find around the house. You don’t have to buy anything extra to have fun and that’s what’s important during this quarantine period.
1. Virtual Museum Tours
More than 2000 museums are offering virtual tours that give your kids the chance to learn about culture right from the couch. There all kinds of art and history museums that have created a virtual experience that gives your kids the chance to explore the topics they are interested in. Your family can travel the world in a matter of hours to explore all of the fantastic museums that each have their unique exhibits. You can visit the British Museum in London and then check out the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul.