Engaging kids has become an uphill task for parents especially after Covid-19 pandemic struck the entire nation. With schools shut, managing the kids is perhaps a biggest challenge for them.
But how to keep a child involved and active all the time?
Getting creative in these hours is the best way to fill the time when going out is not an option for a while! But there are avenues with which the children could be engaged in a meaningful way. Below ways are some of them:
- TREASURE HUNT: Have you ever tried playing Treasure Hunt with your kids in the lockdown? Kids love finding hidden things. All you need to do is HIDE a chocolate, box, snacks that they love or any household item, making it the ‘final treasure.’ Write some interesting and funny clues, hide them at different places in your house and ask your child to find them. The more the number of clues, the longer and fun the game will be, and this would keep them occupied for few hours.
- BAKE A CAKE: Do not just let them observe, give them things to do. Make the kids an important part in the process. This lets them learn more about baking and cooking, ¬¬while they create a treat for everyone in the house to enjoy. This would help them learn every aspect of the baking – from buying the ingredients to cleaning up the kitchen once done Share general nutritional information during the session. And such baking/cooking projects will give your child tremendous sense of accomplishment with confidence to take up more such projects in future.
- DANCE/ZUMBA SESSION: Dancing helps a child’s emotional well-being, improves cardiovascular health, helps in socializing, boosts their mood, improves self-esteem, encourages an active lifestyle, helps improve behavioral issues, sparks creativity and enhances cognitive development. Dancing always helps to stay active in a fun and exciting way. Copy the choreographed dance moves or teach them the moves and rehearse a piece with them to perform for your next family function.
- VIRTUAL TRIPS: With digital, you have access to the world being stuck at home physically. With videos available about anything and everything, you can take them on a virtual trip to the biggest of the parks, zoos, museums, farms, aquariums, and places to visit worldwide. These virtual trips will have them gazing at world-class art, learning about history, and even checking out what it is like in outer space. Basically, kids can go from Disney Land to Mars.
- ARTS & CRAFTS: It may get a little messy but believe us, it’s the best way to develop those little minds and bodies. Art and craft activities fosters communication, listening, attention, and imagination. It helps in identification of shapes, sizes, textures, and colours. Encourage them for making their own musical instruments, to painting with forks and spoons, or making a puppet, to doing DIY’s with things available at home; there’s a wide range of ideas to suit one’s mood, budget and time frame.
- READ & ENACT: Drama teaches patience and commitment. It nourishes spontaneity & imagination. Ask your child to enact the story or a character’s role when you read the story. This adds to the fun, keeps them aware and active.
- INDOOR GAMES: With this, we do not mean video games or games on your mobile phones. Teach your kids how you enjoyed playing those indoor games with your siblings, ending up fighting with them. Games are a wonderful or rather priceless way to interact with your family. This creates lasting memories for your child. Plan for a night of entertainment, play UNO, Chess, Carrom, LUDO, Puzzles etc. Games often act like a stressbuster and ends your day on a happy note.
There are some educational websites for learnings full of videos, content, games and activities to keep children entertained while they learn. Below mentioned website names are some of them:
• Funbrain
• Miss Spell’s Class
• Starfall.com
• Spatulatta
• BrainPOP
• National Geographic Kids
• NASA kids’ club
• Young Ocean Explorers
• Shaun The Sheep Game Academy
• ABCmouse.com
• Discovery Mindblown
• ReadingIQ
• CoolMath
• Disney Jr. and others.
We would recommend readers to choose websites that require a parent to sign up their child. Or, go for websites that do not require any signing up.
Always remember, no matter how old your child is, it is always better to install a monitoring software that filters out the adult content. Also, if you are concerned about the screentime, you may consider installing Parental Control Software to monitor that.Go ahead and explore new websites with your children for better learnings & entertainment!