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Keeping kids entertained is difficult at the best of times. But between the various lockdowns we’ve been having, we’ve all been at home more, with kids needing to be kept entertained round-the-clock!
While it’s tempting to leave them to sit in front of the TV or on one of their devices, it’s important that kids get the opportunity to do other things. If you’re looking to keep the kids entertained without increasing their screen time, here are some ideas for some of the things you can do.
Get them outdoors
Kids can spend a lot of time indoors. But it’s important for them to get some fresh air and take the time to run around and play. Getting them outside will help them forget about having some screen time, and will help them have fun in more creative ways. Some great outdoor activities for kids include building forts, completing obstacle courses and playing with water. You could even ask them to help you in the backyard with some gardening jobs!
Create a fun box
When the kids are feeling bored, or you’ve run out of ideas, a ‘fun’ box could be a good idea to fill that time. You can fill it with all kinds of activities, including coloring books, puzzles and more. You can keep adding to it when you find new and exciting ideas, helping to keep things fresh. Include some activities they can do by themselves, as well as some they can do with siblings, friends and with you too.
Create a scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is a fun way to keep your kids busy, and it will get them using their brains too! You can find some great ideas for home scavenger hunt clues or adopt an escape room style approach to keep things fun and interesting. A scavenger hunt could go on for a long time, and if there are some prizes or treats to be earned along the way, your kids will be sure to have a lot of fun!
Have them help you out
Kids can enjoy helping you around the house, it can help them feel a little more grown up! From helping you with some cleaning tasks to other household chores, they can have more fun than you realize helping you out. But getting them to help you around the house will also teach them some useful skills for the future.
Getting kids to help you in the kitchen can also be a fun way to spend time together. Check out some sweet treat baking ideas to cook up something fun in the kitchen together!
Let them get creative
If you want to keep your kids busy and interested, give them a project to help them get creative! It could be drawing, some simple kids crafts, making jewelry and more. Don’t be surprised if there’s some resistance at first, but if you get involved with them or make it more exciting, it could make a big difference to their enjoyment so that they want to do more of it in the future.
Arrange a play date
A play date can be a simple way to keep kids busy. Whether they’re at your home or someone else’s, it’s important for them to spend time with other kids and simply have fun! Play dates can encourage kids to be more active and play games together, forgetting all about their screens and devices and just having fun doing what kids do.
Get them reading
Kids can spend so long watching TV or playing games online, they can miss out on some of the joy books can bring. There are so many amazing kids’ books out there that they can fall in love with, and it will keep them busy – especially when they’ve found a really good read.
This is something you can do from a young age too. When your children meet the age that kids learn to read, you can have fun teaching them, and getting older kids to help too. Reading them a story or playing an audiobook is another great way to help them fall in love with books, developing an interest that will grow with them.
Being a kid should be about having adventures and fun, but as a parent, you can struggle to provide this for them all of the time. While screen time can be an easy way to keep them entertained, it’s good to think outside the box to help them become well-rounded people with different interests. Have fun thinking of new ideas and get ready to enjoy the seeing the smiles on their faces.
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