Collaborative post
There are plenty of things you can do on the weekend or after work to keep your kids entertained.
On top of keeping your kids happy, there are plenty of adventures you can have without hurting the bank account! With all of the virtual options in full swing right now, there are numerous fun activities to partake in from the comforts of the living room. Ranging from the living room to the backyard or a car ride away, here are six kid-friendly activities to keep the kids entertained!
Get Outside
Round up the troops and get ready for a fun-filled family day outside!
Whether it is a trip to the park, I drive around the neighbourhood, or a scavenger hunt in the backyard, your kids will appreciate the fresh air and time outside. If they can adhere to the six-feet social distancing guidelines and facial mask mandate (for any kids over the age of 2) recommended by the CDC, why not take a trip to the beach?
If you are looking to tire out the kiddos before you wrangle them back into the house, an hour or two of bike riding will do the trick! Also, skateboarding, jump rope and scooters are an active, enjoyable way to get kids out of the house for a bit.
Sign Up for a Fitness Class
If you are strapped on time but want to engage your little one in a high-energy activity for a while, look into a family fitness class. There are plenty of virtual gym classes and YouTube channels that encourage parent-and-child specific exercises. You get to kill two birds with one stone: quality time with your family while getting some sneaky exercise into your busy day.
Whether you have a little couch potato or a live ball of energy, there are lots of low-impact workouts that will get you all moving. These videos range from 10 to 30 minutes, and you can choose whenever you want to do them—in the morning before school, after lunch, or before dinner. Maybe you all need some yoga to meditate after your long day? This is a great thing to do with your little athletes whose practice is on hold for the time being.
Cook a Family Meal
Cooking is an irreplaceable life skill—one that teaches children, teenagers and parents alike how to make healthier food choices. What better way to create a bonding experience than chatting while chopping the carrots? Cooking encourages kids to take care of themselves while taking care of their family. Crafting a home-cooked meal is vastly different from throwing a pre-made lasagna into the oven and waiting for it to heat up.
Instead, you can sign your and your little one up for a virtual cooking class and teach them to pre-make food. If you set aside a day to make meals for the week, this encourages your young one to make time for the family. Along with family time, you can teach your kids how to handle sharp knives or dangerous kitchenware and boost their reading and math skills while exploring their creative side. It also gets your kid moving!
Make Crafts for the Home
Arts and crafts are an entertaining way to get kids thinking and moving. Whether it is painting on canvas to hang up in the living room, crafting house number plaques for the front yard, or working on friendship bracelets for the family, the opportunities are limitless!
Like many courses in a realm of topics, many virtual arts and crafts classes are popping up, , offering a diverse range of creative activities. Explore these classes and enhance your artistic skills by utilizing a drawing website to practice and refine your craft. You can learn how to make a clay pot, knit a blanket, or make holiday-themed decorations with your little ones.
Learn About Animals
Every opportunity is a learning opportunity with kids, right?
Many museums, aquariums, and zoos offer free virtual tours and limited operating hours for the most curious kids interested in the world around them. Set up your computer on the television for an even more exciting shot of jellyfish, penguins, the louvre, and many more exciting exhibits.
These facilities are a great way to encourage curiosity and sit with your child for a few hours and encourage a learning space. Many kids love the interactive exhibits at select museums and aquariums, but you can create your own interactive exhibit at home. While you’re taking a virtual tour of the zoo, you can encourage your child to take more interest in the family dog, cat, lizard, bunny, or any pet in between.