Let me start this by saying, I do not have it all together. I’m just one mom sharing ideas to other moms about ways that have helped my kiddos stay engaged at home. Hear me on this one mamas, I have moments of failing and patience lost, but some of these tips and ideas have helped me so much that I wanted to share! Phew, okay, ya ready for some ways to keep your school aged kiddos entertained without screen time and so you can stay sane and get things done while they are home? Yah, me too!
If you’re reading this when it was published, you undoubtedly know about what’s happening. This crazy spread of a virus that has taken so many countries by storm. Events, sporting events, schools all have been cancelled. Which means moms all over our country find themselves with little ones and big ones at home. Myself included. I never viewed myself as a homeschooling mom but here we are! Here are some ideas that have kept us entertained in the past and have helped at this time of home schooling.
As always, take what you want and let the rest go. ❤️ Make them your own and please let me know in the comments which you did and/or your favorite at home ideas for your kids!
7 Home Activities for Kids:
- Kids in the kitchen– Let them create simple recipes with your assistance or without if they’re older. This has helped me so much with time as they’ve gotten older. I’ll admit this was harder when they were younger, but now that they are older I’m so glad I started this young. Now this helps so much with dinner prep and them making their own lunches! Here are some recipes that are kid friendly: Sea Salt PB Breakfast Cookies, Kid friendly chewy granola bars, Gluten Free Banana Bread, High Protein Energy Bites, Mango Salsa
- It takes a village– My kids love combining all of their toys together and turning it into a “village”. Train tracks, L.O.L. Dolls, Super heroes, Barbies, Magnet tiles …whatever they have. They take over the living room and create a huge city of all their toys and they play for hours! Here’s our favorite reasonably priced Magnet tiles
- Lego build– We have so many Lego sets that have been built then destroyed so the amount of pieces we have are insane.🤪 One of my kid’s favorite things to do is to create new things using old sets. We have a book that gives TONS of ideas! There is also a 30 day calendar that you can print out for new ideas to create. You can find lots of Lego create books on Amazon. This is the one we have here. If you’d like the 30 days of Lego creating calendar head here.
- Against the Grain– This tip has been a lifesaver since my kids were preschool age! It still entertains them for long periods of time and they love it! Containers of dry rice or kinetic sand! Yes, it’s a bit messy but to me it’s worth the fun they have and the time I get to accomplish things that have to be done. Lay a sheet on your floor for easy clean up or take it outside. We keep ours in tubs with toys specifically set aside to play in it with. Measuring cups, ice cube molds, diggers, plastic characters, whatever makes for fun and won’t get ruined in the sand or rice. I get 2-5 lbs. of the cheapest rice I can find and dump it into a tub. You can also get kinetic sand in lots of colors here or make your own using this recipe.
- Happy Campers– I mean really what’s more fun then “camping” at home? Some of my favorite memories are setting up forts and cozy nooks at home. Use blankets, chairs, tables, whatever you have for indoor camping and make some s’mores over the stove top. Wanna take it outside? If it’s nice out, why not! My kids love using sticks and branches and our patio furniture to make forts. Let them get creative! We also have a s’more maker that they think is awesome, so we do this outside too. You can grab one here for something fun to do.
- How does your garden grow...- One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to get our seeds started for our summer box garden. I do not have a green thumb, but it has been fun learning as we go. Whether you do a big garden or just a few plants or herbs, this is a fun project to do with kids! I purchased seeds (here ) and we sow them indoors to get them sprouted before we transplant them to our box garden. They think it’s awesome and they are more willing to eat them when we grow it ourselves. There’s something about going to the backyard and having fresh veggies to munch on!
- Oh so crafty– Seems obvious, but allowing our kids to get creative and crafty can bring entertainment for a long time. We get dollar store items and have a tub full of things they can dive into and make whatever they can come up with. Pom-poms, popsicle sticks, glue, glitter, colored paper,etc….We also have gone to the fabric store and picked up scraps for cheap and have made fleece tie blankets. It’s super simple to catch on to and when they finish it, they feel super accomplished! They also have these as blanket kits you can purchase too.
I truly hope these ideas help you and your kids enjoy your unexpected time at home, mama! Take it one day at a time and savor these moments as they come and let go of the moments that maybe weren’t our best! I’m here for you and am praying us through this time of uncertainty.
XOXO-
Heidi
Passion for the Pure by Heidi Staley 