You’re afraid the kids are going to get bored staying home day after day, right? Let these 30+ boredom busting ways to have fun at home inspire you to keep things fresh and fun during this extended break.
No dining in restaurants, no going to the movies, no large groups, schools closed, and on it goes during this coronavirus crisis. What do you do for fun? How do you entertain the kids?
This is our world right now…for many of us. It sucks to a degree, yes, but it’s also a challenge to choose to be positive and creative.
Big group playdates are not an option now. Will the kids have to be home for school the rest of the year? What can we do to avoid the stress and worry?
It’s a Choice
How are you going to make the most of this difficult time? It’s your choice to make it a positive experience and you may have to work on having a positive attitude minute by minute.
Step one for stress-relief begins with a choice to look on the positive side. I’m choosing to be positive, how about you?
On a personal level I know I don’t need to worry because my faith is in God, Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-8 would be a great passage to memorize right now if you struggle with fear.
So I’ve brainstormed over 30 ways we can make staying home fun. This just gets the ball rolling, you’ll have to take it to the next step.
That’s okay, we’ve got this!
30+ Things to Do At Home
- Read books and write stories.
Read with your kids or to them. Do you have a struggling reader?
Tip: I used these simple hand made sticker charts and this more creative reading chart when the boys were young.
- Educational or fun websites online. Even Youtube tutorials can teach new skills. Tip: Use parental supervision, watch out for inappropriate content.
- Use Google Maps or Google Earth (will need Chrome for Google Earth) and take some virtual field trips online. Tip: Here’s how we did it – and some weird things to look for.
- Pinterest has endless crafty projects and recipes. Tip: Check out some crafts here.
- Write letters, make cards, color pictures to mail to nursing home residents who aren’t allowed visitors right now. Tip: Call ahead for permission and instructions. Do NOT lick the envelope seals. Consider putting each letter in it’s own envelope unsealed and send all the letters in one manilla envelope to the nurses station or wherever you are directed.
- Create this easy Indoor Sandbox (it’s even portable!) or make a simple sandbox outside. Tip: Add some plastic army men or animals, cars, trucks, plastic dishes…let the kids be creative.
- Bubbles, chalk, frisbees, hoola hoops, pool noodle wars. Tip: Stuff you can find at the dollar store.
- Basketball, baseball, kick ball, soccer, football in the yard. Tip: Improvise – bring it indoors if you can. Or wad up paper into balls to pitch into buckets.
- Crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolor paints, glue, odds and ends. Tip: Let the kids get messy and creative. Maybe buy some canvases or special paper. See my craft box.
- Dioramas – these are fun and very creative and it can take up some time. (I have a post coming up soon on this!)Tip: Give the kids a choice of biome or environment to create and give them access to all kinds of creative odds and ends. Use toys as props or to play in these newly created worlds.
- Movie time with snacks. Tip: Institute a two hour part of your day to show a special movie and make sure to have snacks, popcorn and maybe some hot cocoa. (40+ History Movies/Docs and 30+ Holiday Movies or these 6 Christian Movies I recommend).
- Games…card games, charades, guessing games, board games….let them make up their own games. Tip: Pinterest, anyone?
- Hide & seek, tag, freeze tag, marbles, jump ropes, run around the yard. Tip: You can call it P.E. if you want.
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- Spring clean the house. Tip: Give the kids appropriate jobs for their age and ability and make it fun (use a chart maybe).
- Call a family member or friend. Tip: Use Skype or Face-time.
- Start a Garden or do some easy cheap landscaping. Tip: Not sure how? Youtube it. Maybe make a small themed garden. I make a “sandwich” garden each year with basil, tomatoes and kale so I can have fresh items for sandwiches. Or just plant flowers.
- Fix up your home. Tip: Paint a room, rearrange furniture, redecorate a little.
- Cook or bake something new. Tip: Let the kids help…you can call it “science class”. Jello Cake, anyone? Edible Earth Layers?
- You can find lots of free worksheets and activities to print off at home for your kids. Tip: I use math-drills.com and teacherspayteachers.com .
Bonus: Download and print this FREE 25 Things to do this Spring list to hang on your fridge.
