Fun Indoor Activities for Parent and Child
Being stuck at home during this pandemic doesn’t mean that you or your child/children need to be bored. There are thousands of indoor activities that you can do together while staying safe inside.
With some children being unable to go to school right now for their own safety, indoor activities that are engaging and entertaining might be just what you need. Getting the little ones interested in simple-to-prep activities at home doesn’t require a lot of money or planning. You can develop them naturally and use your child’s interests to help keep them warmed up for when they can get back to school. Plus, while they are having fun, you can also share in it.
On a side note, personally, the only experience I have staying at home with a child all day is when I had to babysit my nephews or the time I spent in school as a teacher. Just wanted to give kudos to all the parents out there who do this day in and day out. Now, there are countless resources available online to use as a reference. But, I thought I’d put together a few interesting ones for you to try. Maybe you’ve thought of them, maybe you haven’t. Nevertheless, here they are:
Paint
Okay yes, I know this is probably one of the most obvious indoor activities, but hear me out. Rather than give them paper or a canvas to paint on, give this a try. Cover the floor, a low table, or even the walls with paper. Then give them free rein with their paints, paintbrushes, or even finger paints! The freedom to express themselves through art is so important at all stages, but particularly the early stages, of life. The benefits of painting range from creative expression to mobility.
Baking
Most kids love sweet treats, and many adults are no different. Now we’re all at home, why not pick up baking if you haven’t already. It’s like conducting a science experiment, but delicious. I suggest cookies, chocolate chip cookies to be precise. Let the kids gather the materials, measure them out, and place them onto the cookie sheet. Basically let them do everything, under your supervision of course, even putting the tray into the oven. Once the cookies are done, they’ll get to experience the joy of grabbing a warm cookie that they made with a cold glass of milk. Educational and yummy.
Forts
This is my personal favorite of all the indoor activities out there! As a child there was nothing better than having a cozy blanket/pillow fort to crawl into. Make sure to put away anything fragile, then pull out all the extra sheets, pillows, and blankets. Next step? Let them build! Under the table, over and around the couch, whatever takes their fancy. After the first fort, challenge them to make it even bigger or more complex. This activity is great for stimulating their creativity and spatial awareness. A variation on this is to set up a tent inside and simulate the camping experience. Roll out sleeping bags, make a mock fire and let them roast marshmallows over a candle or spice it up and make some s’mores, it’ll be an unforgettable experience.
DIY Art
Bring out everything you have. Markers, colored pencils, glue, paint, paper, and any other scraps, odds and ends that you have lying around that you no longer need. Set them loose on the materials and let them create whatever they want. When they’re done making their masterpieces, hang them up and display them all over the house. You could even set it up as a pop-up art gallery and let them play at presenting their art to you. It’ll encourage their creativity, ease their boredom, and give them a sense of accomplishment. If you need some creative boost – you can also revisit childhood shows like Art Attack and pick a project or two to have fun with the young ones.
Board Games
No – we’re not talking about just checkers or monopoly. There are actually board games designed for children of all ages. There are a multitude of benefits to playing board games as one of your stay at home activities. Apart from encouraging critical and creative thinking, they’re a load of fun. It’ll also entertain the kids while keeping them focused and off the screens. So break out the old games and gather around for an afternoon of fun. If you don’t have many to choose from then there are plenty to be found which you can order online and have delivered to your doorstep. Or, you can even get free print and play ones off of kickstarter. If you’re really stumped – you can also contact one of our board game makers by chatting with us, and we can quickly suggest some games for you to enjoy as a family.
Why Indoor Activities?
All these activities will hopefully allow you to bond and spend quality time together. I know that they’re no substitute for theme parks, the zoo or basically life as it was before lockdown, but for now this is the way to go to stave off cabin fever. We hope these ideas will help foster your children’s play at home and learn at home experiences. If you are looking for more ways to keep the kids engaged and fend off boredom – feel free to reach out and talk to any of us at Digital Playhouse via our Facebook or our website and let’s get through this together!