This article lists 11 indoor activities for kids, 9 outdoor activities in the yard, and 3 limited out-of-home activities to keep them occupied during the pandemic. Find one, two, or more indoor or outdoor activities that work for you.
Generally, parents have considerable challenges on how to provide assistance for their kids on managing with Modular Learning or Online Learning. Some parents are somehow baffled because they’re not enormously techie with computers and gadgets.
It’s in the adeptness of parents with the great responsibility of finding many efficient activities for their youngster. Mommies convey an abundance of warm affection and love for their kids. They take into panoramic consideration a balanced diet, to help make their kids grow healthy and strong.
Mother’s food prep entails a lot of effort and patience as well. They always excel in food preparation and plating—to be at par with the local restaurants’ chefs. So the food set on the table would not only be healthy and delicious but also pleasing in the eyes.
Mommies take extra effort in cooking and food plating. Mommies, you are simply doing a great job. While you are lovingly taking care of your kids—you are likewise under the Mighty Wings of the LORD our God. You, too, are loved and taken care of by the Sovereign Lord.
Here are 11 indoor activities for kids, 9 yard activities, and 3 outdoor activities that will work for your family during the pandemic. The activities will help relieve boredom after months of isolation.
11 Indoor Activities for Kids
1. Music Lessons
A Guitar or Piano Music Lesson for youngsters promotes their intelligence and brain processing, enhances their skills in math and counting figures, and encourages innovation and creativity (Bilhartz et al., 1999). It requires a deeper focus, discipline, and patience.
Further, music assists kiddos in cultivating sensitivity, considering the feelings of others, and expressing empathy. They become capable of determining subtle differences in the tone of music and speech and eventually become good listeners.
2. Baking
Baking Lessons elevates the cultural awareness among your kids and gets better searchable matters. Our kids and teens can learn the basic knife skills in the kitchen, food decorating, outdoor grilling, and basic baking methods.
3. Cooking
For kids who love cooking, cooking lessons enhance their skills, connect with their peers, provide a sense of fun and accomplishment, get educated on life skills, and encourage family bonding.
4. Painting
Engaging in the arts like painting enhance your children’s emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills. Painting reduces cortisol levels among those who engage in art making (Kaimal and Muniz, 2016). Also, it enhances your child’s talent and creativity.
5. Viewing a Movie
These days, there are legions of ways to enjoy movies without necessarily stepping into movie theaters. Subscribe to an online movie provider like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc.
Your kids learn concerning the significant world out there and ourselves. It connects family and people and helps break the ice.
Seeing wholesome movies as a family during the weekend entertain and educate at the same time. Have a good laugh.
6. Take Care of Pets
Obtaining pets helps lower your stress levels (Allen et al., 2001). It can impart knowledge to your kids on accountability and responsibility at an early age on how to take care of pets, healthcare, safety, and family.
7. Play Board Games
Engage in board games like chess and dama. Indoor activities for kids like this improve their logical reasoning.
8. Make Balloons
Children love balloons and play with them for hours for some reason. Perhaps that’s because the color of the balloons attract them. Or, balloons filled with helium stretches the string right up and amaze them. Well, if you want to be more scientific, ask them why.
9. Cross Stitch
Cross stitching and embroidery making together with the kids can make you more useful items at home. Teach them to knit their own caps or simple glass holders.
10. Read the Bible
Set a Bible Time and bedtime stories too. It builds their vocabulary and enriches language development on multiple levels. Hence, they can communicate well. The bonding time encourages engagement and conversation. The activity enhances the kids’ cognition, thus enabling them to appreciate stories and empathize with humankind.
11. Pray as a Family
Always set a prayer time for the family. Teaching children to pray introduces them to Jesus and reinforces their relationship with God. Their spiritual life is cultivated.
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you, you shall be comforted over Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 66:13
Salute to all the Loving Mothers out there for all the love and affection you endlessly shower your family! Yes, You—you are also loved by our Heavenly Father.
9 Outdoor Activities: Yard Space
For families with ample space next to their home, the following outdoor activities for kids will add variety.
1. Basketball
Build a mini basketball court next to your house and play with the kids. It builds up healthy bones and a healthy attitude for your family.
It further strengthens the muscular endurance and stamina of the young ones, improves balance and coordination of the body. Playing basketball for an hour burns down 630 to 750 calories, and develop self-discipline and concentration of your children.
2. Gardening
Let your kids join you in your gardening activities which can greatly relieve their stress during this pandemic especially with the temperamental kiddos. In addition, gardening burns down a lot of calories in your body as you get to move to and from many times and thereby lowers your blood pressure. Likewise, promoting a better relaxation mode for your loved ones—family and kids.
Plants clean the air—the precise God-given oxygen that gives you life and makes your breathing much better when you’re outdoors. It also improves endurance and promotes relaxation mode for your kids. So absolutely a win-win situation for you as a parent and for your child’s well-being.
3. Swimming in a Home-Made Pool
Buy a portable rubberized mini swimming pool or make a mud swimming pool—not costly at all for your budgeting. You will be able to host an exclusive family late-night swim which is always enjoyable when you have your pool. You will be able to host the best family get-together ever right at your doorstep or backyard.
4. Build a Tree Playhouse
A Tree Playhouse—serves as a 2nd home for kids, connecting with nature. It’s something people may take for granted, but it’s eco-friendly and therapeutic. It multiplies outdoor exercises and activities.
5. Tennis and Badminton
Playing table tennis and badminton improves your children’s strength, muscle tone, and flexibility. Best thing ever—- it wholly lowers your body fats and your blood pressure, plus it increases your body’s aerobic capabilities.
6. Create a Maze
Create a maze of small plants or thin cloth in your backyard. Surely, it will excite the kids.
7. Create a Mini-Fishpond
Creating a mini-fishpond teaches kids the significance of comparatively less mowing, fewer pesticides, fewer fertilizers which are harmful to the environment. It creates environmental awareness, mindfulness, and cognizance.
8. Build a Mini Hanging Bridge
Have a mini hanging bridge in your backyard. Just make sure it’s sturdy and low to prevent accidents.
9. Put up a Tent Next to Your House
A state of dreamable tranquility, peace is absolutely FREE. Unplug, relish and enjoy the simplicity of nature. Sometimes you just need a break from too much technology as this helps in relieving stress and experiencing the therapeutic wonders of mother nature for you and your family.
Camping next to your house will enable kids to commune with nature. It provides a release of energies and uneasy feelings in growing kids.
3 Outdoor Activities
Families can go out together engaging in outdoor activities that are not susceptible to contagion. For the last tip, make sure that you’ve been confined at home for seven days or more. Doing so reduces the possibility of infecting the seniors.
1. Go Biking
Biking admirably improves the body posture of the youngsters and the coordination of their bodies. Mommies, if you want an exercise session that’s gentle on your back and knees that improves your heart and lungs circulation, then go biking with your kids; an excellent choice for you and the entire family.
2. Explore Nature
Momsies, visit an open space nearby for an hour or more as greeneries are relaxing for the eyes and soothing to the thinking of your youngsters.
3. Visit Grandparents
Visiting Grandparents makes them feel connected with their roots and family. It further promotes good mental well-being. Lastly, this reminds them that they are loved. They have a family they can go to in good times and bad times.
Additional Information and Tips
1. When you and your kids play any sports such as table tennis, biking, basketball, swimming, jogging, rock climbing—the nervous system in the brain releases HAPPY hormones. Indoor and outdoor activities for kids produce happy adults.
2. Any sports for an hour or more helps the blood circulation in your body and lower blood cholesterol. Engage in sports once or twice—in moderation.
3. Have a handy dandy bag of water, fruits, or biscuits and a towel for wiping sweat for the family’s activities.
References
Allen, K., Shykoff, B. E., & Izzo Jr, J. L. (2001). Pet ownership, but not ACE inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress. Hypertension, 38(4), 815-820.
Bilhartz, T. D., Bruhn, R. A., & Olson, J. E. (1999). The effect of early music training on child cognitive development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 20(4), 615-636.
Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016). Reduction of cortisol levels and participants’ responses following art making. Art therapy, 33(2), 74-80.
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