Kids at Home: finding fun during quarantine

Being at home for a long period of time is hard on all of us, and for kids especially this time in our lives has been confusing and difficult to handle. I've been sourcing info for coworkers to keep the kids occupied when typical entertainment avenues may be unavailable. Some of that includes:

Have a pamper session 

It’s not only you who can enjoy a good old pamper session, the kids can benefit from this too! A good pamper session can be great for your well being and health and great for your kids too, and you can use your own natural remedies. 

For skin: a mask made from yogurt, honey and avocado is perfect and okay for everyone's skin.

For eyes: some aloe vera gel on a cotton pad under the eyes is great. Cucumber slices on the eyes are refreshing and it will provide great care for the eyes stopping you from needing to buy kids glasses. 

For hair: some coconut and olive oil works as a hair mask. 

Nail painting is always an option and obviously a favorite of mine. Depending on your kid's age, you can do that too. 

Get baking 

There’s nothing better on a boring and rainy day than baking in the kitchen, and the kids can get creative here too. Why not create some easy shortbread with a 1:1:1 ratio of flour, butter, and sugar? You can decorate these with whatever you want or even make millionaire shortbread with caramel and chocolate. The kids will love being around you in the kitchen and they can learn a few good skills too. 

Teach them cooking skills 

Speaking of skills, one great opportunity during quarantine times is to teach the kids some simple cooking skills. When they get older, your kids will need to know how to prepare simple meals and it is important for you to teach them these skills early. You can teach kids how to cook rice, pasta, and how to cut certain fruit and vegetables, depending on age and skill level. 

Make a fort 

What’s one of the best ways to spend a day in isolation when you have children? Build a fort! Go on and grab every blanket and cushion in the house and start getting creative in your living room. This paired with some snacks and a few movies, maybe a flashlight or two and some books is the perfect way to have fun with the kids this week. 

Grow your own plants 

If you have been hoping to spend more time in the garden during quarantine, you have a great opportunity to do this now with the kids. You can get hold of some flower seeds such as marigolds or sunflowers and let the kids sow the seeds and look after them. Lots of tiny lessons about life and science during the time it germinates and grows, and once the seedlings are big enough you can plant them out in the garden, allowing your kids to feel the pride of having their own plant in the garden. 

Have a treasure hunt 

If you have more than one child it can be especially difficult for you to keep them entertained for a long period of time over quarantine. A treasure hunt can be the ideal way to keep them occupied for a few hours and give yourself a little bit of peace! When it comes to treasure hunting, you can place a prize such as chocolate or a present at the end for the winner with some backup treats for the other kids a treat too. There are a lot of resources online for this right about now. Thank you for always giving, Internet.  

Get arty 

Arts and crafts can be a great way to spend time with the kids during quarantine, and they can get super creative for hours. Lay out a table with all of the paper, paints, glitter, pencils and other art supplies you have, and to make things even more fun you can write the names of animals in a hat and allow the kids to pull them out so they have an animal to draw or paint. There are also places that are doing online art at certain times during the day via their social media channels. You can find a lot of videos on this page. 

Try DIY

If the house is looking a bit boring at the moment, why not bring the kids along  on a DIY odyssey? Get the kids involved and allow them to help paint the walls and rearrange the furniture in their own bedroom, sort through books, anything that will hold their attention based on age. It will be a good way to spend some hours and also will make the house feel brand new.

Tips for me to pass along to my peeps?

Happy Wednesday!