When schools and many extracurricular programs are closed, parents are tasked with the challenge of providing their children with educational fun and activities while stuck at home.
Parents don’t need to worry, as there are so many options available to keep children entertained, educated, and engaged while at home.
Simple Educational Activities To Do With Toddlers
For parents stuck at home with toddlers, here are some simple activities you can do to have fun while also teaching your children important skills.
For the youngest children, hiding items around the house and having the kids search for them and name the items is an excellent way to help them learn pronouns and nouns.
Doing puzzles with toddlers and exposing them to shapes, colors, numbers, and letters will help to keep them engaged and is also a great way to introduce them to basic math and literacy concepts.
Also, children can practice their fine motor skills easily at home—speaking of which, when it’s meal time, having toddlers help out with simple tasks like tearing up lettuce can familiarize them with nutrients.
It is also a great way for them to hone their individual abilities.
In addition to these activities, parents can also use everyday objects to teach their toddlers about the world around them.
For example, you can use a magnifying glass to explore the outdoors and look at bugs, leaves, and other small objects.
This can help toddlers learn about the environment and the different creatures that inhabit it.
Parents can also use everyday objects to teach toddlers about the properties of objects, such as how a ball bounces or how a cup can hold water.
By engaging in these activities, toddlers can learn about the world around them in a fun and interactive way.
Arts and Craft Activities For Elementary-Aged Children
For elementary-aged kids, the possibilities are endless!
To help engage your child’s creativity and fine motor skills, create beautifully colored paper nests together or have your child paint or draw something.
A fun way to teach your child scientific concepts at an early age is by baking together!
Have your child measure various ingredients and count as they add individual items to the recipe.
To reinforce creativity and make it more fun, dress up as different characters and create mini skits or make-believe scenarios when doing the tasks.
Arts and crafts such as knitting, sewing, or hand-weaving can also strengthen a child’s creativity and fine motor skills.
Other activities that can help foster creativity in elementary-aged children include making jewelry, creating collages, and building with blocks.
These activities can help children learn to think outside the box and use their imagination. Additionally, these activities can help children learn to problem solve and work together.
Science Experiments To Do With Kids At Home
Parents can also try science experiments with their kids at home to teach them about concepts like chemical reactions and gravity.
A simple baking soda and vinegar reaction is an excellent science experiment for elementary-aged kids.
To make it more fun, let them decorate the experiment by adding food coloring or sparkles to the mix!
For older children experimenting with rockets or making a pom-pom launcher is a great way to demonstrate the power of air pressure or force.
The power of winter gardening is also a great way to introduce children to the concept of photosynthesis and botany.
Another great experiment for kids is to make a homemade lava lamp.
This experiment is a great way to teach kids about density and how different liquids interact with each other. All you need is vegetable oil, water, food coloring, and an Alka-Seltzer tablet.
Kids can watch as the tablet fizzes and creates a lava-like effect in the oil and water mixture.
Finally, a fun way to teach kids about the power of electricity is to make a potato battery. All you need is a potato, two different types of metal, and a voltmeter.
The little ones can watch as the potato creates a current and the voltmeter measures the voltage. This experiment is a great way to teach kids about the basics of electricity and how it works.
Outdoor Activities To Do With Kids
When the weather permits and it’s safe to go outdoors, there are lots of fun activities parents can do with their kids.
For younger children, playing sports such as soccer or badminton is a great way to have fun together while getting some outdoor exercise.
Starting a garden is a great way to show kids how vegetation grows and how food is produced. Bird watching from a safe distance is also a fun way for kids to observe wildlife,
Parents can even download an app for more guidance when doing this activity. Planting trees or even cleaning up the local parks are also excellent outdoor activities for family bonding.
Indoor Activities For Rainy Days
When it’s raining and the outdoors is not an option, parents need not worry as there are several activities they can do with their children indoors.
Board games such as Monopoly or Chess can be a great way to have both fun and healthy competition against each other.
Building forts with blankets or pillows is an excellent way for kids to use their imaginations and create something unique.
Hosting a movie marathon at home with your children’s favorite films is also an excellent way for some quality family bonding time.
Games To Play With Young Children
Parents can engage in all sorts of classic games like “I Spy” or competitions like Charades.
Afterwards, head into the kitchen and give your children their own dessert recipes so that they can get familiar with rule-following and simple mathematics.
Additionally, bring out a big cardboard box and have your kids design fantasy vehicles together.
You can also make a simple petting zoo in your living room by asking kids to pick up stuffed animals around the house.
Educational Apps And Websites For Children
As technology has become such an integral part of life, parents can now access educational websites and apps that help make learning fun while still helping engage their children in learning something new.
Some great apps geared toward younger children include Storybook Universe, LEGO Duplo World, TinyTap Kids Games, IckLe Timers ABCs for toddlers, etc.
For older kids, apps such as Prodigy Math Game and Coolmath Games can help ensure that kids learn vital math skills while playing engaging mini-games.
Cooking Activities For Kids
Cooking allows kids to learn how to follow directions and use basic measurement skills in addition to exposing them to new ingredients—and of course, allows them to enjoy some delicious treats after the activity is over!
Kids can help out when it’s adult cooking time by counting out spices or cutting vegetables; this allows them to learn about food safety while creating something creative.
If you have older kids, they can even try their hand at making some simple dishes themselves.
Reading And Writing Activities For Kids
Gaining literacy skills is an immensely important part of child development and there are plenty of activities parents can do with their kids at home to promote literacy.
Reading stories aloud or taking turns telling original stories is a great way to help them build up their reading endurance while also cultivating creative thought.
You can also encourage the kids to write their own stories or create their own comic strips using pencils and paper.
Music And Dance Activities For Kids
For families looking to get active while indoors, encouraging children to dance along with music from different countries or cultures is an effective way to help teach them about world music while helping them improve coordination.
Taking turns playing instruments like drums and maracas is another excellent way for kids to learn how different instruments make sound.
Also, having parents show off some of their own moves is an excellent way for kids to let loose for a bit!
Creative Projects To Do With Kids
One great activity that both children and adults can enjoy is creative projects such as creating masks, creating greeting cards using scrapbook materials, and constructing puppets dress-up dolls out of recyclable material–the possibilities are endless!
Additionally, various craft kits such as jewelry-making kits or paint-your-own-pottery kits can fuel the creative minds of children while giving parents a chance to spend some quality time with their kids.
Making The Most Of Family Time
When circumstances place limitations on our normal activities, they also give us the chance to slow down, bond as a family, appreciate what we have, and find new ways of having fun together.
Enjoy your special time with the children – there are so many opportunities for learning new skills and discovering new ways of connecting in this family time.
