Tips for Parents Stuck at Home
When the sun is shining, it’s so easy to find things to do with your kids. Take a walk, ride bikes, go to the playground, the zoo, I could go on and on. It is a lot tougher to find things to keep everyone busy when you are stuck inside. Whether it’s too cold, raining, or you’ve been ordered to social distance, I think moms and dads everywhere can relate that staying inside for any extended period of time is not easy! In fact, it gets harder and harder each day. So, what can the kids do to stay busy? Sometimes it works to let them create their own fun. My daughter came up with the idea to find rocks (or shells), paint them, and then hide them. She left a note for our neighbors’ kids. They jumped right in and found the rocks, and then painted and hid their own for us to find. This has been going back and forth for days and all of the kids are having a blast!
Here are a few more ideas that work for all age groups, when adjusted accordingly.
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to pass the time. Each time one is finished, move a level higher and see how the kids do. Completing a puzzle is very rewarding and time-
consuming! Parents can help out, too, of course. I should include LEGOs in this category as well. If you child is into LEGOs, try to have a box or two on hand that hasn’t been put together before so you can break it out when you desperately need it!
Parent Tip: For younger children, give them a small section at a time to work on or it will get to be overwhelming.
Obstacle Course
My kids love to build obstacle courses and they love it more when I build it for them. Make it challenging but not impossible. Try to find something to climb in, climb under, climb over, and set up something that they can weave in and out of. Have them race each other, and when that gets boring, have them race you! A way to get math in is to have them time each other and figure out exactly who was faster/slower.
Parent Tip: Don’t use any furniture that you don’t want your kids putting their feet on.
Hide and Seek
Let’s be honest, this game never gets old. The best part is you can change up the rules as you go. Try limiting to one floor, then use the whole house. Play a Marco Polo version where the hiders have to call out every so often. Hide and Seek is also super fun to play in the dark. Turn off all the lights in the house and give everyone a flashlight!
Parent Tip: If you have little ones, make sure the older kids aren’t making it impossible for them.
Scavenger Hunt
The best thing about Scavenger Hunts is that you can make them as long and complicated as you need to! Give each child a list and have them work together or have them compete against one another (depending on their ages). Examples of thing to have them find are: something green, something new, something with wheels, something sentimental, four Matchbox cars, three stuffed animals … you get the picture.
Parent Tip: When everyone is finished, have them put everything back where they found it. The first one finished gets a prize!
Put on a Show
My kids absolutely love to perform! Whether it’s singing, dancing or being a standup comedian, it seems they always have something for us to watch. So, let it happen. Schedule a time that the show will start. Each child gets a few minutes to put on their performance. Tell them they have to decide what they want to do and then practice. This would keep my crew busy for hours!
Parent Tip: Video their performances for the grandparents to see and because you will enjoy watching them again someday – I promise.
These are some of our favorite things to do in our house. I reached out to other parents at the Seven Mile Times to get their favorite inside things to do as well!
We do schoolwork papers, board games, and lots of painting. We also do things ordered online like a fairy garden kit and sand art. While stuck in the house, she has been making drawings for her neighborhood friends. On the next nice day, we will take a bike ride and deliver them to their mailboxes with pretend stamps.
– Jennifer Forster, mom to Alexa (5)
Facebook has a Kids Messenger that is nice so they can talk to their friends and see when they’re online. We do a story and sing along with Emily Arrow each afternoon. The kids also like to watch YouTube videos that teach them how to draw things they love. Declan loves to do Math worksheets I find online.
– Patrice Davis, mom to Declan (5) and Emily (3)
My kids signed up for flexibility class online and a conditioning class, too. To help stay social, they FaceTime a friend for a specific amount of time and to ask specific questions – to hopefully create a good conversation. Zoe likes to read to the dogs each day, while Finn plays his cello and runs. We have the kids make us lunch, instead of the other way around!
– Kim Brooks, mom to Zoe (14) and Finn (12)
I have tips for big kids and little kids, since my wife Tracee is a sixth-grade teacher and my daughter Kristen has two younger children. Tracee sent her students on a “Virtual Field Trip” to the Museum of the American Revolution at amrevmuseum.org, which came with a classroom kit. Museums and national parks are offering virtual tours, too, just go to Google Arts & Culture. Kristen noted that many zoos have virtual tours and live webcams you can stream anytime. Among her other ideas: create a karaoke stage in your living room where everyone takes turns singing their favorite song; create spring crafts and post them in your front windows so the neighbors can see them; create a pretend passport and let your kids pick a country to visit, then make a meal specific to that culture, learn some native words, and watch videos of its landmarks.
– Doug Darroch, dad to Lauren, Kristen and Callie, and Grampy to Maddie (4) and Mikey (2)
We stay busy with movies, video games, Play-Doh, and painting. YouTube has Zumba and yoga (kids channels) that are great and we do 30 minutes of each every morning to start our day. We also enjoy story time with Emily Arrow. The kids like to take turns hiding a toy and the other person has to go find it.
– Anne Coskey, mom to Cecilia and Charlie (5) and Max (7 months)
Since we have been stuck inside, we are getting together every day at 5pm via Zoom. It’s a nice way for everyone to see each other, chat, and talk about their day. We also play Bingo, I distributed Bingo cards to everyone and we have an online bingo caller shouting out the numbers. Big and little kids can play!
– Mickey Coskey, mom to David, Michael and Steven, and Grandmom to Charlie and CeCe (5), Olivia (2), Max (7 months) and Michael (1 month)
