DON’T GET DOWN ABOUT LOCKDOWN
Self-isolating at home with young children? DAISY FOX has some ideas to keep you and the little ones entertained
SO MANY aspects of our lives are up in the air at the moment but one thing’s for certain – if the school holidays are anything to go by, prolonged periods of time at home can equal very bored kids.
As society strives to beat coronavirus, and playgroups, youth clubs, soft play centres and cinemas close, it is up to parents to get creative to help keep children occupied.
TV, tablets and video games are all good in moderation but, if you are keen to avoid too much screen time, here are a few suggestions for family activities to help keep spirits up and boredom at bay.
YOU CAN MAKE IT
IF YOU have crafty youngsters, it can be hard to think of new ideas for things to make.
Knowing that a lot of families are going to be at home in the coming weeks, arts organisations have been loading up extra content online to keep little ones occupied.
Art and craft books and websites can be a good source of inspiration, often featuring simple instructions that older children can follow independently. Younger ones will love it if you take time out to sit and create something with them.
If you don’t want your youngsters sitting in front of a screen, why not watch a craft tutorial after they have gone to bed and get the bits you need ready for the next day?
Most activities use items you have around the house so there’s no need to buy in expensive supplies and materials.
You could get scribbling with some step-by-step drawing.
Younger children may enjoy sketching animals or their favourite cartoon characters or, for teens, seek out ‘how to draw’ guides with comic book, fantasy or Manga themes.
HAPPY HUNTING
SCAVENGER hunts can be great fun.
Write a list of all the things you would like your child to find and give them a box or bag to collect the items in.
Make sure you include things from the different rooms in your house eg an odd sock, a paper clip, a marble, a yellow Lego brick, a wooden spoon etc. Treasure hunts take a bit more planning, as you write a series of clues for your kids to follow, but the effort will be worth it. Usually the answer to the clue tells the hunter where to look for the next clue, but one of my friends added a maths twist to her treasure hunt and her daughter went around the house solving sums to find special numbers. It turns out she needed the numbers to open the combination padlock on the treasure chest!
THERE’S A WORLD OUT THERE
THE thought of having to stay indoors can be overwhelming so it’s important to remember that the great outdoors is still around us.
It’s business as usual in the natural world – spring is here and nature is waking up.
Insects are beginning to emerge and it’s about now that bumble bees start to buzz around spring flowers.
If you have a nature book, leaf through it to find some creatures and plants that you can find in your garden. There are plenty of websites with information about the natural world too.
Choose some plants and animals that your family can look for and, if you find them, make a field guide.
Draw your plant or mini beast from different angles, research it in your book or online and write down your findings.
If you don’t have a garden, you could write a field guide about indoor plants or some of the teddies and toys that roam wild in your bedroom.
MOVE YOUR FEET
DANCING and moving to music is a great way to keep active indoors, and you don’t need much space.
Everyone has their favourite tunes and there is lots of music online to download.
Try listening to the radio with your child – it might be fun to find a genre of music that they aren’t familiar with such as classical or world music.
Young children will enjoy making rhythms with simple shakers made
from grains of rice or gravel inside a sealed container.
Classical music and themes from films lend themselves really well to storytelling – ask your child to describe what the tone of the music says to them. Is it creepy, peaceful or joyful?
Most phones come with a voice recorder so why not record your stories and share them with your family?
GAME FOR A LAUGH
YOU may be in the house together, but make sure you actually get together.
Board games come in all shapes and sizes these days and you don’t have to be a master of strategy to enjoy them.
There are challenging games out there that will test your brain cells to the limit of course, but you might simply want to see dad get splatted in the face with foam.
Organise a games night for your family and break out some of those board games that have been gathering dust. Or, if you are avid gamers, get a few new titles in to refresh your collection.
GET SNAP HAPPY
WHATEVER you get up to, make sure you take lots of photos to send to your family members, particularly those who are in at-risk groups facing long periods without social contact.
Elderly relatives and friends will love to see what you are doing, so keep them up to date by sending messages and pictures of the things you have drawn and made. Engaging in regular communication will help everyone stay positive.