Activities to Do With Kids While at Home and Giveaway

With school getting cancelled and kids needing to stay at home, some families are panicking and wondering what to do with their kids at home all day. In our household, we only have one car so oftentimes we'll have long stretches of days where were at home. I want to share some of the things that we do to manage our time in the hopes that will give parents ideas:

• Read Books: We love to read books. My kids like me to read anything from picture books to chapter books. My oldest loves to read on his own as well. It's recommended that children read at least 20 min a day.
• Art/Craft Projects: There are tons of ideas online or you can create your own project. We love to use paint, stickers, markers, crayons, paper, etc. Even practicing coloring is fun for kids. I usually color with them and it's fun to comment on how nice their picture looks.
• Play with Play-dough: We like to make play-doh together. One of our favorite play-dough recipes is Kool-Aid Playdough. The recipe can be found here.
• Create Science Experiments: We also like to create science experiments. This is one of my favorite boredom busters. There are so many fun things that you can do in the kitchen ranging from chemical reactions with baking soda and vinegar to making elephant toothpaste to watching mold grow.
• Play Games: Card games and board games are really, really good for kids. It's a great way to interact with your kids and teach them patience, taking turns, math skills (counting, colors, etc.), and good sportsmanship. You can also play games like Sardines, Hot and Cold and Hide and Seek Inside. 

• Homeschool Preschool: We spend half an hour during the week doing homeschool preschool. We use More Than Counting, Learning without Tears, Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons (after learning the alphabet really well and learning how to sound out letters). We also utilize free printables from numerous homeschooling blogs. Sometimes, I even create my own printables to use.
• Sensory Bins: Sensory bins are a great way to break up the day. I've filled a bin with shaving cream, black beans, rice or even snow. My kids love playing with plastic spoons, cars, or cups in something fun and different.
• Teach a New Skill:  This summer when we were staying in to avoid the heat, I taught my son how to sew. Kids can learn the beginnings of skills like sewing, baking, cleaning, organizing, hand-knitting, woodwork and more. Just make sure that you are patient and teach them in easy, simple steps.
• Free Play: If kids are bored, let them be bored and step away from entertaining. Kids will often figure out their own game to play or to play with their siblings. Let them create their own game and use their imagination.
• Clean together: Most of my time is spent cleaning and re-cleaning. Some of my kids like to help. I like to make sure it's something that's age appropriate and controlled. I've learned that when you have three kids "helping" to scrub the floor things can quickly spiral into chaos, but easily remedied by teaching them to wring out rags and limiting how many times they can dip rags into water. It's also good to use cleaning products that are safe and not harmful. Dusting, floor cleaning and window washing are fun for kids. I use a vinegar/water solution to clean the floor if they're helping.
• Write Letters To Friends and Extended Family Members: Help your kids develop their writing skills and expand relationships with others.
• Call Family Members: Have your kids call extended family members, learn to use the phone and how to have a phone conversation.

What are some of your ideas?


There's a giveaway on Instagram right now with fun activities that you can do with your family! Check it out by clicking here.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links.