With the winter months upon us and the weather turning cooler, many of us are spending more time indoors. In this article we share some tips for keeping children entertained at home.
Having a routine can help a lot but there is no need to stick too closely to your plan or schedule. Be flexible and let your child spend time on the activities that are engaging them the most.
Physical exercise and time outside are important so if the weather allows, make sure you get the family outside each day for some playtime in the garden or nearby park or a walk in the neighbourhood
Cooking Together
Cooking together as a family can be a great way to get a meal on the table while also keeping children entertained.
Tips to Make it Work:
- Choose simple recipes without too many ingredients.
- Raw food recipes or one pot oven recipes that can be prepared and then left to cook work well.
- Give older children the more ‘responsible’ parts of the recipe to complete.
- Safety first. Make sure young children are kept away from hot surfaces and sharp utensils.
Balanced Play
Try to create a balance of outside and inside time and a balance of physical play and quiet play. Here are some ideas:
- Go for a walk and count how many animals you see. Collect leaves or rocks and sort them by colour and size.
- Turn on some music and dance together.
- Leave messages and pictures for neighbours in chalk outside your home.
- Make a blanket / pillow fort and be ‘kings of the castle’.
- Create toy / activity ‘stations’ in different locations in your home for your children to move between.
Making Music
This can be as simple as tapping a teaspoon on the side of a few glasses filled with varying amounts of water, or banging two pot lids together as cymbals.
With a little extra effort, you can even make tambourines: Give your child two paper plates to decorate (on the underside).
Place a handful of buttons, shells or pebbles on one plate, and glue or staple the other plate on top. Staple tissue paper or ribbon streamers on the bottom for extra flair.
IMPORTANT: If your child is under 3 use larger items that won’t be a choke hazard.
Purchase a selection of different sized bells from your local craft shop and sew them on to an old pair of gloves – or wide strips of elastic that your child can wear around their wrists or ankles.