“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” ~ Mr. Rogers
Right around the time when quarantine madness started happening, I was on the phone with a friend who has four children. She told me how excited she was about an activity she had set up for her children, but how her husband had laughed about her enthusiasm for it. He said something along the lines of, “Why are you trying to do this activity right now? Should we not wait a couple weeks for the time when they are bored and needing something new and exciting to do?!” My friend saw the wisdom in his question and immediately stored said activity for a later time of desperation.
Can you relate? Although I do not personally have children, I am lucky to see my nieces and nephews regularly. I have heard many of my clients share their frustrations that their children are bored of being home, and summer has not even started yet. To those of you needing some fresh and fun ideas to keep children entertained as quarantine continues, this post is for you! These activities can be done at home with what you have on hand, and for little to no extra money. And most of these are screen-free!
Without further ado, may I present 65 ideas to survive quarantine with children of any age:
- Put on a play or skit
- Create a poster
- Design a magazine cover
- Talk about stress as well as coping mechanisms
- Write a creative story or poem
- Do Mad Libs together (thanks, Google!)
- Cook or bake
- Hold an indoor scavenger hunt
- Do Just Dance, Wii Sports, or other active video games
- Do YouTube exercise videos for kids
- Hold a cup stacking competition
- Play balloon games (Google it!)
- Do target practice
- Make sock puppets and have a puppet show
- Make a photo collage (either with printed photos or digitally)
- Play games: Monopoly, pictionary, etc
- Play cards games
- Do a puzzle
- Make bracelets or necklaces with on-hand supplies (beads, noodles, etc)
- Indoor/outdoor movie night complete with snacks
- Create treasure maps leading to a surprise
- Teach your pet a new trick
- Give said pet a spa day–bathe, brush, blow-dry your animal (where applicable)
- Build a fort
- Play hide and seek
- Put on a themed fashion show
- Read together
- Play Simon Says
- Build Legos
- Create an indoor obstacle course with painters tape
- Have a picnic
- Use technology to contact friends/family
- Play a boardgame like Battleship to play virtually over video chat with family
- Use Google Slides to document a family vacation
- Start a family newspaper
- Sort through children’s clothing to donate
- Create Origami
- Use ARt for Kids Hub on YouTube for drawing tutorials
- Have your children create a playlist and have a dance party
- Hold a paper airplane folding and flying contest
- Go on a virtual field trip to a destination of your choice
- Write a letter to a loved one or friend
- Go “camping” in your backyard
- Have a lip sync/karaoke night (your littles know Disney songs!)
- Do a virtual museum tour and show your children famous art pieces
- Have a tea party
- Listen to Audio Books (Audible offers a free trial!)
- Create armor out of cardboard boxes and have a nerf gun battle
- Build a house of cards
- Make a music video
- Start learning a foreign language
- Create a hopscotch game out of painters tape in your home or yard
- Chalk your friend, family or neighbor’s driveway
- Watercolor painting
- Plant/pot flowers
- Disney themed food and movie nights (Disneyland is even releasing some of their famous recipes…like their churros!)
- Paint rocks
- Science experiments (Google and Pinterest to the rescue for specifics!)
- Catch bugs
- Go star gazing
- Spend time outside–biking, walking, hiking, roller blading, riding bikes, scootering, etc
- Turn on Cosmo Yoga for kids
- Sensory bins
- Any activity from @BusyToddler on Instagram
- Celebrate someone’s half birthday
As I did the research for this blog, I found a plethora of amazing resources that gave fantastic ideas I incorporated as I wrote. I highly encourage you to view the resources included below in the “References” section, or conduct your own Google search to find a myriad of possibilities! It can be so easy to get into a quarantine slump and do the same things over and over…so mix it up with some of these fun ideas!
Quarantine is hard. As it continues to go on and on, you may be losing steam. If you have children, I hope some of these ideas prove helpful to help you make it another hour and another day during this difficult time. Regardless of whether you have children or not, I urge you to take care of your mental health by trying new things. If you feel that you need help or guidance, or someone to talk to, please do not hesitate to reach out and schedule a virtual session with me. Although things are hard, I know we can make it through this!
Melissa Cluffis a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in North Texas, providing face-to-face and telehealth therapy options to clients in Texas.
References:
- Business Insider: “The best free online activities to keep you kids occupied, happy, and healthy while stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic”
- Cluff Counseling: Date Night at Home: Quarantine Style
- Cluff Counseling: Staying Close While Quarantine Keeps You Far Apart
- Cluff Counseling: Staying Connected with Yourself During Quarantine
- Dave Ramsey: “25 Free Things to Do With Kids During the Coronavirus Quarantine”
- First5la: “Activities for Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Quarantine”
- Happy Dress: “50 fun stay at home kid activities during the coronavirus quarantine”
- My Brave Guide: “52 Indoor Activities for Bored Kids”
- Parade: “Avoid Cabin Fever With These 125 Ideas to Keep Kids Entertained During the Coronavirus Crisis”
Wall Street Journal: “Put Down the Phone: 100 (Nonscreen) Activities to Occupy Your Kids in Quarantine”
