At-home fun

YOU may be able to take your little ones for a walk or a bicycle ride around the community now and then, but that won’t be enough stimulation for the long days that you’re alone with them. While you may be able to get out for grocery shopping, to put in a few hours at work, or to run other errands, if you’re extra cautious about COVID-19 you would have been keeping your kids at home for the most part. And this means that they’re probably climbing the walls out of boredom.

Not to worry, there are some tried and true strategies you can try for some fun indoor — or on your lawn or verandah — activities.

Kitchen science projects

You’re going to be in the kitchen a lot anyway, what with you finding your inner Nigella Lawson since you’ve been spending a lot of time at home. You can involve the children in cooking, and you can also use the time in the kitchen for some fun kitchen science projects. Show them, for example, how water and oil don’t mix, how food colouring works, and even create a bomb volcano with vinegar and baking soda.

Get out that kiddie pool

The days are getting warm, and what better way to cool down than to get out that kiddie pool? Dress the kids in their swimsuits, fill the pool (or washtub), and have some afternoon fun.

Create a play space

Many times parents complain that their houses are too small to have a toy area — but no matter how small, if you use your imagination you can create a play space. This can be as simple as using the nook between the couch and the corner wall, adding a blanket to the floor, and a blanket overhead to create a fort. Then throw in a couple books, a flashlight and other toys, and your kids will have hours of fun.

Start a garden

Since both mom and dad are home and neither can use the “I’m too busy” excuse anymore, now is a good time to start that backyard garden. Start by identifying a space that’s not too hot and not too cool. If you plan to plant in the ground directly, till the soil, and if not, you may have to build a crate or a planter and then buy soil. Then visit your farm store to get seeds and get to planting. Within a few weeks you’ll see your first shoots.

Put up a bird feeder

Encourage your little ones to care for animals by putting up a bird feeder or bird bath. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy — even a retrofitted cardboard box hung on a beam in your backyard can work. Add bird food and you’ll soon see the pretty birds coming for a snack.

Dust off those board games

Whether it’s Monopoly, Jenga, Twister or just plain cards, have family game evenings and teach your children to play. No matter how young, they can learn key life lessons from some of these games — including how to play fair and accept losses.

Get out the colouring books and sketch pads

Put down the phones and the tablets, turn off the TV, and get out the old school colouring books, Play Doh and sketch pads. You’d be amazed at how soothing colouring can be, even for an adult.

Do extra curricular activities

Your child might be unable to go to those extra-curricular activities, but that doesn’t mean that they have to forget all they learnt. Let them practise their karate kiais and moves on you, help them with their gymnastics handstands and walkovers, teach them fun ways to understand piano theory, and help them with those tricky dance moves.