What to Do When Kids Are Bored During their Free Time
By Thomas Jackson
Nasty weather and dangerous communicable diseases can keep children stuck indoors. Staying at home for extended periods can be frustrating for both parents and children. In most instances, children spend most of their time using gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, playing video games, or watching TV to pass time. During such periods, kids can get easily bored.
There are a lot of activities and games that you can play with your children instead of allowing them to use gadgets for hours. Whether it’s fun learning activities or simple crafting, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep your children active and entertained indoors. At the end of the day, your child will not only learn a lot of essential stuff but your relationship will them will get stronger. Here are some of the best things that you should do when you are bored.
1. Boredom Jar
Most creative parents have made a boredom jar for their children. If you want to join the herd, all you need to do is cut a piece of paper into small pieces and write different activities for your children in each piece. On each scrap, you should write different fun activities such as making paper boats or play a toss game.
When your kids start getting bored, they can start choosing the papers from the boredom jar instead of watching TV or playing with gadgets. It’s one of the best things for your children to do during a boring day. If you can’t come with these activities, feel free to use the internet. Write simple and easy activities that do not require a lot of items. You can also fill up the jar with activities over time.
2. Imaginary creatures
Give your child an opportunity to come up with an imaginary pet. It can be a creature they’ve always wanted to have at home or even a creature that doesn’t exist. Sometimes, made-up or mythical creatures are funnier than those that exist in our world. The creature can have the tusks of an elephant and the body of an eagle or a fish with limbs. Have your child name their creatures and encourage them to tell stories about them. Your child can also draw pictures to help in narrating the story of how their creatures came to be.
3. Scavenger Hunt
Who said that scavenger hunting is an outdoor activity only? You can play this game indoors with your child. All you need to do is place clues around the house and have your child look for different objects around the house for the next clue. These objects can be a pair of socks, a paper plate, or a tissue roll. After finding everything they were hunting for, reward them with a prize such as a bar of chocolate or ice cream. If things get better outside, you can always go for a scavenger hunt. There are a lot of things that you and your child can do in nature.
4. Write a letter
Did you know that coloring, handwriting, and cutting are some of the best ways for children to practice and develop great motor skills? Grab a piece of paper and fun stationery and allow your children to start decorating the papers. Help them write a letter to a loved one or friend. Writing a letter or drawing something can help in developing communication skills which are essential to any person who aspires to grow and thrive. If your child is too young, let them create cards with illustrations. Educate them on addressing letters and how stamps and postage works.
5. Sock puppets
Here is a simple activity that will keep your child busy and entertained for hours. Do you have a pair of old socks that you don’t wear anymore? Give them to your child and have him or her turn them into sock puppets. You can also participate in this activity. Use markers to draw different faces and scissors to cut a nose and mouth. You can then have a puppet show in the house with your child.
6. Tea Party
Allow your child to put on his fancy clothes and bring all their stuffed buddies to the playing area. You can pretend to be the butler and serve tea as your child socializes with their counterparts. This activity helps in developing communication skills and developing language especially when your children are starting to learn how to speak. However, learning shouldn’t end here. Your child learns how to communicate and hold conversations when they play with their counterparts and adults.
7. Indoor obstacle course
Obstacle courses are amazing activities for both indoors and outdoors. They’ll force your children to move thus helping them develop their motor skills and burn those extra calories. Children will need your help in setting them up depending on their maturity level. Try moving under, over, and around things or hopping. Since children look up to adults, when they see you doing this, they’ll start doing the same.
These exercises will help your child reach important motor milestones in no time. Ensure that you allow your child to think of the changes that need to be made to keep their imagination active. Get involved and keep your environment safe. Keep away from sharp corners and ensure that all fragile objects are kept far away from children.
8. Guess game with your eyes closed
This is one of the best games to play if you want to boost the sensory development of your child. As the name suggests, you’ll be required to take turns and close your eyes while playing this game. Brush an object on your child’s hand and let them describe it and guess what it is. Some of the best objects include a piece of fruit, feather, or book. This game helps young children use their senses instead of relying on their vision all the time.
Conclusion
As you have seen, there are a lot of activities for stuck children indoors. When your child starts spending too much time on screens, take the gadget away and play some of the games that we’ve discussed here.
Author Bio:
Thomas Jackson a professional freelance content writer and also an active member of several writing clubs such as college papers online, best writing service and buy dissertation uk service. He has written several songs since he was a child. He gets inspiration from the live concerts he does in front of close friends and family members.