As the pandemic outbreak spreads, abundant people are finding themselves at home to practice social distancing. Schools are closed due to the current situation and super energetic children are going bonkers whilst staying home for long. More time at home means more time using a phone or tablet to play games and/or watching their favorite shows to stay put, which is obviously not good for them. Even Kim Kardashian has shared on Instagram stories that her children are going “stir-crazy” during the quarantine. However, the diva put up videos of her children making a fort out of cardboard boxes with sheer dedication.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_a4snogbFX/
Well, cardboard boxes seem like a great idea to keep your young ones busy and it does not even cost much. We bring you all the ideas you could apply during the quarantine if you have got kids at home and you are busy working from home or in household chores.
Things we can do with kids during the quarantine
1-Make a fort with cardboard
Just like we mentioned, take notes from Kim Kardashian. That’s not all. You can also help children make a lot of other things like a car, furniture, a Mosque, your pick.
Related: Netflix Original ‘Sitara: Let Girls Dream’
2-A treasure hunt
A treasure hunt seems as easy as pie. All you got to do is, hide a few toys, let’s say 20, in different places of your house, and keep kids busy for hours.
3-Bake/ cook together
Find kids friendly recipes from the internet and make brownies, cookies, pancakes, anything. You can teach children measuring, the names of ingredients, and making scrumptious food easily.
4-Keeping a schedule
Schools are closed, but you all can make a schedule for your kids. It will teach them time management and the importance of time.
5-Start a story/ novel
Read a book with kids, discuss it, and ask them to start writing a story of their own. Children’s imagination is magical.
6-Printables
We have got a few here! You can download and print more from any source of your choice. Get kids to fill them.
7-Digital quarantine
If they want to use tablets or phones, let them, but limit the time they use these gadgets. A few professionals recommend limiting the screen time of children. When they are done with all the school work, reading, and other tasks, give back phones and tablets until the next activity.
8-Designate a place for learning
It will not help entertain the kids, but it surely will make them learn from home easier. Make a designated schoolwork/homework area at a specific desk or even at the kitchen counter if you want to keep an eye on them.
9-A letter
In the age of emails, social media, and text messages, break out the paper, pens, stamps, and envelopes. Help your children write grandparents or anyone living far a letter mentioning how they feel staying home most time and how they miss meeting them.
10-A travelogue
Remember the last time you visited a place with your kids? Well, start a travel journal and write from the start of the tour to the end. Match your travelogues later and see who got all the details.
11-Cleaning/ Organizing
We all know, it is not exactly fun, but it is essential for the kids to know cleaning/ organizing. Carve out a few moments, ask them to lend a hand when you clean and organize stuff. You can also reshuffle some light furniture if you want.
12-Cards
Play cards with children, be it Solitaire, Rummy, Uno, or any others. Teach them the tricks and tips you know.
13-Board Games
Ludo, Scrabble, Snakes, and ladders, Monopoly, whatever is convenient for you.
14-Puzzles
Break out puzzles and align it with your kids.
15-Checkers
They will love if you teach them the ins and outs of the game. If they think they are pros, challenge them a checkers tournament.
16-Chess
Your kid could surely benefit from the strategies of chess.
17-Walk
Go for a walk on the terrace or the rooftop. It literally costs nothing.
18-Charades
Stop talking for a while. Give them a word and they will act it out. Vintage boredom saver.
19-Have an art and crafts project
Just like starlet Sarwat Gillani is making most of the quarantine with kids, designing a variety of things at home, you could also involve yourself with the kids in designing and/or decorating stuff. You can start by organizing a paint night, and go on to make bigger projects.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9mHjyD6Zw/
20-Pizza
Eating a pizza sounds about right in all situations. Just take anything and everything you want to feed your kids put in on bread and make a pizza with their help.
21-Daily Diary
Penning down your thoughts about how you feel is the classic time spender. Ask kids to maintain a dairy.
22-Opposites
Not only an important learning exercise, practicing opposites can be really interesting too. Just say anything and they will say the opposite. For example, say on, they will say off, say out, they will say in, increase the speed as level up.
23-Interview
An interview can be an unprecedented way to communicate with your family. You all know each other, just figure out what you got to ask your kids and let them ask whatever they want to. Once the exercise is done, let them call grandparents or their friends to interview.
24-Opinion
You must have been watching movies, and reading books with kids, once they are over, challenge your kid to write an opinion about how they feel about the movie or the book and whether they will recommend it to someone.
25-Making Cards
One day, you and your family will be allowed to move out of your home and meet people. Get your kids to make greeting cards for the people they care and miss during the quarantine. Once this all is over, they can give the cards.
Well, which one of these have you tried yet? Did you do something other than these with your kids during quarantine? Have your say in the comments’ section below.