How to Keep the Kids Entertained During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for people of all ages and for different reasons. One group which has sometimes been overlooked when it comes to impact, but a group that certainly has suffered, is kids. While restrictions are gradually easing, it has been a difficult few months for children who have faced great uncertainty over what will happen in terms of their education. Not only this, but they have been unable to meet up with their friends who they usually see every day at school and been unable to enjoy many of the fun activities that they typically enjoy. This has made it challenging for parents to find ways to keep them entertained, but here are a few good options that are worth trying.
A Creative Hobby
It is important for youngsters to be creative and it can be a great way for them to express themselves, so you should certainly encourage a creative hobby that they can easily do at home. It is also helpful to have a hobby that they can do by themselves unsupervised so that everyone can enjoy some peace and quiet (especially if you are working from home). It will depend on their interests and personality, but a few good options include:
Painting
Drawing
Photography
Writing
Animation
Exercise
Kids are used to running around and playing for many hours of the day so it has been quite a shock to the system over the last few months. Exercise is, of course, hugely important to their wellbeing so you need to make sure that they continue to use up energy whether this is going out for long family walks, playing games in the garden, cycling or anything else that will burn up some energy.
Gardening
Those that are fortunate enough to have space will have been making the most out of their backyard during lockdown and even now when things are tentatively re-opening as many people do not feel safe going back to normal just yet. Gardening is a great hobby to start with your children as it is active, outside and will teach them a number of valuable skills. Growing your own fruit and veg can also be a great way to improve their diet and reduce your grocery bill so this is certainly something that is worth doing.
Teach Them to Cook
Following this, now is a great time to teach kids how to cook as they will be spending a lot more time in the home with fewer distractions. Teaching youngsters how to make their own food is smart because it should ensure that they are able to maintain a healthy diet when the time comes for them to move out and it is a valuable life skill to have. It can also be a fun activity that you can all do together and you can try all kinds of different recipes to keep them interested.
Arcade Games
Kids these days love video games and these can be a great way to keep them entertained. If you are looking for something a little bit more special, old school arcade games are excellent fun and could be an activity that the whole family can enjoy while at home. It is quite different to modern gaming but they are sure to get the hang of it once they learn about the arcade game peripherals and there are many fun games which are still thrilling in today’s day and age.
Board Games
Similarly, board games are a good option for an activity that you can all do together when you are stuck in the house and can be much more enjoyable than simply sitting in front of the television for hours on end. There are all kinds of classic and new board games to choose from, so you are sure to find a few that you will all enjoy playing together.
Encourage Them to Keep a Journal
There are many benefits to journaling and this can be a good way to keep them occupied throughout the week. These are strange times, so keeping a journal will help them to express themselves but it will also give them an interesting memento to look back on in the future and to show to their children one day.
Hopefully, this will give you a few ideas for ways to keep your kids busy during the pandemic. Things are slowly returning to normal but many are still spending a lot of time at home, so it is important to have a few different ways to keep the kids happy and entertained with these all being good options.
