How to keep kids upbeat, busy and calm
It can be hard enough keeping children occupied in the holidays and now parents face months of no school. Here, parenting expert Tanith Carey shares her top tips on how to fill those long days
WHEN you’re in isolation with kids of any age, the weeks ahead will test your ingenuity to the limit. With schools closed up and down the country and social distancing rules in place, keeping children of all ages entertained will have its challenges.
However, don’t despair – there are plenty of fun, low-cost and free activities you can have up your sleeve to keep boredom at bay.
Here are our top tips and ideas on how to keep your children busy, calm and upbeat during this testing time.
AGE TWO TO SEVEN Build a fort
Families are likely to be getting more deliveries than usual, so put the boxes to good use by designing a cardboard fort.
You may have to help with cutting out the doors and windows but otherwise let your child’s imagination run riot. See space-station.co.uk/blog/ how-to-build-the-ultimatecardboard-fort
Colour your tablecloth
Colouring is a great way to help kids of this age develop motor skills. Invest in a giant colour-in tablecloth, which comes with wash-out fabric pens.
There are four designs to choose from, including World Map, Doodles and Fun at the Zoo. They are reusable and cost from £22.95 from littleactivepeople.com
Bird and squirrel watching
Encourage your child to become a mini David Attenborough by observing nature out of the window.
Whether it’s tracking the movements of squirrels or learning to recognise different bird songs, encourage kids to make a project of their observations with photos or drawings.
Show how they can encourage wildlife to visit your garden or windowsill with a feeder made of half an apple, scooped out and stuffed with a mix of peanut butter and seeds.
Make a ‘calm down’ jar
No matter how calm you try to keep things, at some point tempers are sure to flare. Becky Goddard-Hill, co-author of new kids happiness activity book Create Your Own Happy, suggests parents help youngsters by making a “calm down” jar. Dissolve three tablespoons of glitter glue, two teaspoons of fine glitter, a few drops of food colouring and some hand soap in hot water. Pour it almost to the top of an empty jar, and screw the top on tightly. When cooled, your child can shake it, then spend precious minutes watching the glitter swirl and settle, which should relax them.
Throw a disco
Children need to be active to keep their spirits up, says psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin. Suggest each member of the family makes a half-hour playlist, dims the lights and puts on a disco each day. Or try online dance classes and learn a routine. Dance class firm Diddi Dance is now putting up online lessons. Sign up at diddidance.com
AGE 13 TO 16 Write letters
Being stuck inside could be the perfect way to reintroduce the lost art of letter writing, says parenting expert Becky Goddard-Hill, who is also author of Be Happy, Be You, which has 50 science-backed happiness-boosting tips for teens.
It’s a great way to encourage teenagers to think of other people who might feel lonely during this time and reach out to them. With some calming music on in the background, writing letters can be a really relaxing way to chill out.
Take virtual tours
The museums and art galleries may be closed but if your teenager wants to expand their horizons, there are now virtual tours of thousands of the world’s most important museums, including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Guggenheim in New York.
The tours are so good it’s like you are actually wandering through the corridors and you can zoom in to view any masterpieces you fancy.
Look up the museums’ websites for more details.
Try moth catching
Moths are every bit as beautiful as butterflies and the easiest way to observe them up close is to hang a sheet outside.
Wait until it’s dark, then shine a light on to the sheet. Leave it for an hour before popping out to see your moth visitors. Take pictures and build an album on your phone comparing their amazing wing patterns.
Don’t touch them, though, as their wings are easily damaged.
Create a family tree
Researchers discovered that finding out about relatives and ancestors can help give young people more perspective and learn resilience.
Look at the lives of relatives who are in living memory and put together their pictures and stories to create mini biographies.
Ringing elderly relatives to ask for their recollections is also a great way to keep in touch if they are also in isolation. It can be a useful reminder of the difficulties your family has overcome. ■■Tanith Carey is author of What’s My Child Thinking? and What’s My Teenager Thinking? Practical Psychology for Modern Parents, published by DK.