It’s not always possible to get out and enjoy the sunshine while also trying to exhaust your lively and highly active children. There are a variety of reasons why we may be unable to leave the house and play. The weather is always a factor; it can turn gloomy in an instant, sabotaging our best-made plans. You’ll also find yourself trapped inside if your child isn’t feeling well. It’s even more difficult to explain why your child needs to stay indoors and relax if they’re sick.
Their attention span won’t allow them to sit still long enough for a story to be read to them; instead, they’ll require indoor kids activities that will keep them occupied for a longer period, ones that are both calming and enjoyable. Fortunately, among our list of pleasant activities, you will undoubtedly discover an activity that meets your requirements.
Fun housebound treasure hunt game
Make a layout of your house and place little objects throughout it. On the map, circle each element of a hidden treasure. Describe the map to your child and provide your assistance with the hunting game if necessary. If your children are older, you can use word cards to describe a location where an item has been buried. “I’m cold and make a noise if the door is left open,” for example.
Of course, the refrigerator is the answer. Alternatively, there could be an emergency exit hatch. The combination of a quiz and a hunt is a hit with kids. It’s difficult not to join in the fun. Why not get them to plan their hunt even after they’ve found all the treasure? They can design a map or ask you cryptic questions to lead you on a wild goose chase. This game will help your kids stay entertained for a longer period and boost their sense of creativity but also make them think and use their logic.
Put together a puzzle
Puzzles are a great pastime for kids to do. They provide children with something to focus on for a longer period of time. Set up some wooden puzzles for the little ones. Set a timer for older children and challenge them with a puzzle that has more pieces. Everyone enjoys good jigsaw puzzles in their own way, and they will help your children appreciate the time and effort they put into putting all the pieces together to finalize the whole picture.
If you want to make it even more exciting for them, get them a puzzle with their favorite movie or cartoon character to inspire them to finish it successfully. You can even tell them it’s a surprise what picture will come up once the puzzle is done and give them a hint that once they are halfway through it they will see which character it is. This will ensure that they will complete it and never get bored of putting it together.
Puzzles are also beneficial to the brain. Jigsaw puzzles have been shown in studies to increase cognition and visual-spatial reasoning. Putting puzzle pieces together demands concentration and increases short-term memory and problem-solving abilities making them perfect for children and adults too.
Build a kid’s adventurous home gym
Do you need a pastime for the kids to do where they can let off steam? Create some entertaining and age-appropriate athletic stations in your living room and turn it into a kid’s gym. You can create a trail of paper sheets on the floor that the children must walk through without touching anything else.
A planking station is also a lot of fun. If you have a plush carpet or mattress, you can have them do some flips if they are old enough, but make sure they don’t harm their neck. Any other gymnastic exercise that is done solely with one’s own body weight is fantastic. You could use a stopwatch to time each exercise to make it more exciting. However, be sure that the lengths are age-appropriate. It’s more about having a good time and flipping between stations than it is about breaking the next world record.
Final thoughts
It’s no secret that keeping the kids entertained at home can be a huge challenge. Whether you’re trying to avoid rainy weather, self-isolating due to COVID-19 or simply planning a day at home, you’re probably looking for some fun ideas of things you can do with the kids that don’t involve screens. Keep in mind that you or your partner need to be part of the activities mentioned above as that would amp the fun and assure the safety of your child.