All across the world, more and more governments are ordering people to stay at home in a bid to stop the spread of the COVID_19. In the U.S. the general public is only just getting used to the shelter-in-place orders and are slowly settling into a new routine.
One of the biggest issues facing families during these challenging times is how to keep their kids actively engaged on an educational, mental and physical level, especially when living in tight quarters and in apartments. Here are some fun and exciting indoor activities that you can do to stave off cabin fever and get the blood pumping:
- Here are our picks from 87 Energy-Busting Indoor Games & Activities For Kids, www.whatmomslove.com:
- Tape Shape Game: Grab a roll of tape (the more colorful the better) and create a series of shapes and letters on your living room floor or throughout your entire home. Have your kids pick a spot, then give them instructions on how to get to the next shape. For example: “leopard crawl to the circle,” or “bunny hop to the letter Z.” Great for ages 3 to 8
- Sticky Note Wall Bop: Write out the letters of the alphabet on 26 sticky notes and paste them to a wall or door. Have your kids toss a bean bag, rolled up socks, soft ball or plushy toy at letters of your choice. If they miss start again. One variation is to give each letter a value and tally their scores after 10 tosses. Great for ages 4 to 10
- Cotton Ball Crawl: Make a pile of cotton balls and get your kids to race each other to see who can carry the most cotton balls to a neighboring room using only a spoon in a preset amount of time. Great for ages 3 to 10
- Potato Drop: Have your kids place a potato or orange between their knees and race each other to drop their load into a bucket or basket on the other side of the room or passageway. Great for ages 4 to 10
- Keep your kids entertained and moving with these activities from Mommy Poppins’ 50 Indoor Activities for Kids on a Rainy Day:
- Simple Simon: Play this perennial favorite and other copy-cat games like “follow the leader” to get your kids up and about and having fun. Great for ages 3 to 10
- Home made instruments: Get your kids’ creative juices flowing by having them make their own instruments and finishing off their activities with the formation of a marching band as they move through your home creating their own musical mayhem. Great for ages 4 to 12
- Popcorn pushups: Place a bowl of popcorn on the floor and get your kids to stick out their tongues and gobble up the popcorn with each pushup. Great for ages 5 to 12
- Sock Skating: Put on an old pair of socks and skate around your home if you have hardwood floors. If you only have carpeted surfaces, try placing your children’s feet in small plastic bags and make sure to move furniture out of the way to prevent spills and falls. Great for all ages
- Here are a few more ideas from Good House Keeping’s 20 Amazing Indoor Activities for Kids’ Rainy-Day Fun:
- Dance Party: Create a playlist of everyone in your family’s favorite songs and have a dance party. Add to the fun by creating different categories of moves like: “dance like a zombie”, “do a silly dance” or “dance like an orangutan”. Great for all ages
- Scavenger Hunt: Hide a series of objects or “prizes” around the house, write down some clues and send your kids on a fun, home-made scavenger hunt. Great for all ages
- Apps: Wind down the day’s activities by allowing your kids access to an educational app of your choice, where your kids can calm-down, rest and relax and learn something before dinner time. Kazutime and Kazu Adventures are wonderful apps that teach kids vital skills such as time management, increased concentration and focus, as well as basic math and reading skills. Kids learn from Kazu, an adorable husky dog and 3 of his friends who motivate them through healthy competition and using a point system for goal orientation and task accomplishment. Great for all ages
KazuTime and Kazu Adventures are great mobile applications created by professional educators and therapists to help increase the focus and concentration needed for optimum learning in children. Aimed at children aged 3 to 8, the apps feature an adorable Husky puppy called Kazu, with friends Milly, Faby and Sammy who all accompany the children during the duration of their tasks. Download the apps today to help you and your kids cope with the day-to-day challenges of living in isolation.
Do you have any cabin-fever-busting indoor activities that you would like to share with us? Get in touch, we’d love to hear your ideas!