The past few weeks or so have been a bundle of emotions. On Sunday my children’s school called informing us they had made the decision to close until the beginning of April. I am beyond blessed to work fulltime from home so in cases like this I am able to stay home with them and work as well. I won’t lie though, two toddlers at home while taking on work can get overwhelming. My kids are so used to our normal schedule and routine that this has definitely been a bit of adjusting the last few days. It has also been raining and snowing which means we haven’t been able to go outside which we regularly do. I typically keep a handful of things for the kids to do indoors on hand for after preschool and on the weekends. Last week I made sure to have my husband stock up on a few supplies and activities to ensure the kids had plenty to do. Yesterday was our first official day of being at home and we definitely had a few moments I had to take a deep breath, but what mother doesn’t? I worked from home with both kids up until last August so I have done this before but it is going to take adjusting to again. Having a solid routine is vital to our days going smooth and I’m hoping by the end of this week we have our schedule down.
Most schools are out a minimum of two weeks but many are beginning to announce they will be out longer. Although having screen time and watching TV is fine, my kids tend to get bored with watching movies plus I don’t want them to just become couch potato’s the next month. I have compiled a list of ideas together with my husband to share with you all to hopefully make life a bit easier during this time. Many of these can be done indoors and require little to no supervision. These activities are perfect setting the kids at the table or living room while you get some work done, clean, make a meal, or just relax.
50+ Ideas to do with kids while Social Distancing:
•Make homemade play dough. I have an easy recipe here.
•Play with Kinetic Sand.
•Coloring books and color crayons. Some stores like Dollar General having coloring books with magical markers that my kids love.
•Paint a picture on construction paper.
•Make paper airplanes and color them.
•Salt painting.
•Paint on recycled jars.
•Set up a play store with old cardboard.
•Bake cupcakes, muffins, or cookies.
•Build a fort.
•Play in sensory bucket(rice, beans, foam, etc).
•Do yoga or a online kids workout.
•Dance party! Turn on KidzBop and dance away.
•Play with water in bathtub with measuring cups, bowls, mixing spoons, etc.
•Make a sock toss game with old socks and rice, flour, beans, or oatmeal.
•Bake granola bars and eat them for snack.
•Play I Spy.
•Read a new book each day.
•Make necklaces with string and beads.
•Build houses with popsicle sticks and glue.
•Melt crayons on paper with heat source such as blow dryer to create a fun art project.
•Circle skittle in plate and add a little water. Watch as the colors fade into the water and talk about what colors they see.
•Build an obstacle course in the hallway, bedroom, or living room.
•Practice learning new words. We choose one word a day and try to use it when talking.
•Make ice cream in a bag.
•Bake homemade bread.
•Do one household chore.
•Make hand print art.
•Paint rocks from outside.
•Stamp paint with celery, sponges, and other fun items.
•Make a thankful/gratitude jar.
•Play a memory game.
•Clear table off and play with shaving cream writing letters, numbers, and creating pictures.
•Sort laundry by colors.
•Create Toilet Paper Roll dolls with crayons, markers, and any crafty items you have.
•Find old white t-shirts and use markers with create fun new shirts.
•Play restaurant.
•Make superhero costumes.
•Get on your favorite streaming service and have a movie day.
•Build a city with legos.
•Make a homemade meal together.
•Go on a treasure hunt through the house.
•Have a tea party.
•Learn about a new animal and find facts about them. Finish off the activity drawing the animal.
•Indoor bowling with old 2 liters, water bottles, and jars.
•Write a daily journal.
•Make your own instruments with pots, pans, old jars, and kitchen utensils.
•Play with magnetic tiles.
•Do a science experiment. Google has many easy experiments that are easy to do.
•Make homemade puppets out of paper bags or construction paper.
•Have a living room camp out! Perfect for naptime or a fun family night.
•Pillow fight!
•Play fun classics in the hallway such as “Red light, Green Light”, “Leap Frog”, and “Simon Says”.
•Tackle a fun puzzle.
•Use the kitchen sink to let the kids learn how to do dishes. Fill with dishes, water, and sponges.
•Have a balloon fight! Blow up balloons and fill the room.
•Write letters time friends and family.
•Bake a mug cake.
•Let the kids get into the closet and put on a fun fashion show!
•Make a batch of slime and add glitter, sprinkles, spices, etc to add to the fun.
•Make Shadow Shapes.
•Have a living room picnic!
With over 50 ideas, I hope these bring some ease to your days at home. If the weather is nice, play in the backyard, go for a walk or hike, or have a picnic in the grass outside. Still getting out for fresh air is so important. Social Distancing may begin to get tiring or make you and your family feel restless, but just remember this is such an important time to keep your family safe and healthy as well as others around you.
Xoxo
Christian
Memories With The Mulkeys 