Activities for Kids at Home During Covid-19 School Closures
As the world comes to grips for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and more school closures become the reality, many moms (and dads) now face sitting at home with their children attempting to keep them entertained whilst some parents still try to juggle working from home WFM.
Social media, whilst often gets a bad rep, has certainly helped society as we exercise social distancing and yet still try to maintain some sort of normality many have turned to social media to communicate and share experiences.
We’ve highlighted activities suggested below for activities for your kids to do at home during the Covid-19 pandemic and school closures:
-
Timetables
Kids love routine, we know this from when they are babies, and it’s no different when they’re at school. The only way to stay sane is to set up a daily schedule with hourly activities to keep them from nagging you every 5minutes to go on their iPads!
Here are a few great schedules being shared:
The novelty of staying home from school during the #COVID19 outbreak quickly wears off for kids (& for the parents who have suddenly taken on the job of teacher, principal, & classmate). One way to feel structured is setting a schedule! Here’s a suggested one to get you started. pic.twitter.com/Ne3qr76aie
— MI Senate Democrats (@MISenDems) March 18, 2020
We either are at work/school or we travel while on vacation.
This is the first time we will all stay home for an extended time.
So we started ‘Coronial home school’😂
Plan-
🔵 Get kids on a schedule
🔵 Set up work desk for each one (SEPARATE)
🔵 Fit in time for outdoors#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/rEEEcfQral— renumathyd (@renumathyd) March 14, 2020
Williams home school boot camp #COVID19. Kids no school til mid April…Kids make daily schedule. More English/spelling needed 😉 but 3 kids 7-10 yrs will give a pass for now. Bless my wife 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Nyg3tSRZyx
— Stephen B. Williams (@SWilliams_MD) March 18, 2020
Running a not-for-profit arts org from home w kids while isolated is an adventure… Here is our version of the #COVID19 schedule w kids by Jessica Mchale Photography. Find a routine, stay active, wash your hands, and cut back your time on social media. #SocialDistancing#Canadapic.twitter.com/KwRFDTFFm0
— Green Light Arts (@GreenLight_Arts) March 18, 2020
2. Screen Time
When they do have screentime on iPads/Phones etc, look to encourage brain training apps like Suduko, Word search, Minecraft, Tetris.
If your children are young enough, take a look at all the apps they have available right now and do a necessary mass deletion of any that will not challenge the mind. Then install new apps that will help keep their mind active and help them to not become zombies.
Here is a great list of brain app games:
Elevate – Brain Training
MentalUP Educational Games
Lumosity: Daily Brain Games
Peak – Brain Training
Memorado Brain Training Games
CogniFit Brain Fitness for iPad
Eidetic – Learn & remember anything
Brain Kids
Math Brain Booster Games
Peek and Seek
If you child, like many, love to watch YouTube encourage them to watch a video on how to properly stretch to do a split, or how to do a cartwheel, or how to do tricks on your skateboard – videos that will get them active and fit. Instead of watching mindless Carter videos!
3. Excercise
About the most important part of the daily schedule, without it be prepared to have kids with too much energy. Include in your daily schedule, a walk, run or swim and be sure to put targets in place. For example:
Swimming: 2 x lengths in the pool for crawl and breaststroke. 5 x practise dives. 1 x butterfly.
Walking: 3 laps around the pool, or house or complex.
Running: Run for 5min, walk for 10min, run for 5min.
Yoga/Pilates – there are many, many youtube videos you can play to do a 20min yoga or pilates class with your kids.
Check out this live session your kids can join:
4. Virtual Playdates
Organise Skype/Facetime/Zoom calls with friends, make a 20min call and help your child to prepare for the call if they are younger – like giving them things to do or talk about. If your child plays Minecraft, organise them to join worlds and limit the time they can play together but organise it exactly like a playdate – a start and an end.
