How to Keep the Kids Happy During Lockdown

The coronavirus that has spread to the whole world has brought with it new ways of life. The entire world is on lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. This means even schools are closed during this period. Kids now have to learn a new schedule of doing things. They miss their school friends and teachers; they miss their usual routines. This might cause a kid to be restless and even feel lonely. But parents have to come up with ways of keeping the kids entertained and healthy during this period.

Here are some of the ways one can keep their kids happy during the lockdown:

Games

You can engage the kids physically and mentally during lockdown by letting them have their playtime. As a parent, you can join in once in a while. The family can also enjoy some games together, which ensures that the family is getting some bonding time and getting entertained while at it. While choosing games for your kids, ensure that you take into consideration their age, interests, and gender. It is advisable to choose gender-neutral games in the house to make sure all the kids can play and enjoy them. 

Some of the games that can engage the kids physically include battery-operated vehicles. Both girls and boys would enjoy riding and driving these vehicles because of their curious nature. It would keep them entertained for hours on end and thus happy. Contrary to the traditional belief that girls would not enjoy battery-operated cars as opposed to boys, the power wheels for girls have become very trendy, and girls are enjoying these toys as much as the boys too. Parents have a wide array of options for such wheels for their daughters. The specifications and design vary from a range of different themes. Girls like it stylish and colorful. For example, some wheels are painted using the Disney characters, take note if your daughter is a fan. 

It is important to engage the kids mentally, too, and knowing kids get easily bored after a short while of concentrating, it has to be fun in a full way. Board games can keep kids engaged mentally; for example, monopoly, chess, and draughts are some of the few games a parent can use to entertain kids with.  

Cook Together

As the kids stay indoors, one can engage them in the kitchen, preparing fun meals. It has to be for fun because once it is made to look like a chore, kids will naturally abhor it. Look for fun and simple meals a kid can enjoy preparing. Be ready to have a messy kitchen, but cleaning up after the fun will all be worthwhile. Other than the usual meals, try to prepare other snacks too, especially the ones they like. For instance, you can make yogurt, juice, ice cream, or even bake a cake together! A parent has to be present in the kitchen as the kids prepare these meals to keep them safe from open flames, hot things, and sharp objects.

Art and Crafts

Art and craft help children to be more creative. There are thousands of art and craft activities for children of all age groups. The leading art and craft activities include drawing, collage art, painting, color projects, and 3D projects. The different art and craft activities will not only make your children happy but also creative.

Internet Time and Facetime

Kids can be kept happy by giving them some time on the internet. As a parent, one has to be very careful and supervise the things that the kids get exposed to their kids on the internet. Make sure they are only accessing the kid-friendly sites on the internet. They can use this period to face time with their friends from school. Arrange this with other parents to ensure that the kids are not getting too lonely. The kids can also engage in video games with their friends, and thus they get to talk and have fun as if they have met. Younger kids can enjoy the internet by watching entertaining cartoons and animations online. 

Schoolwork and Household Chores

While keeping the kids happy during this lockdown, parents have to make sure that they are bringing up responsible and well-rounded kids. This includes making sure they pick up after themselves in the house. Household chores for kids may appear as punishment, and that is why a parent needs to invest in making them as fun as possible. For example, introduce a reward system when one completes a certain chore. E.g., arranging the toys or the bedroom earns points that can be redeemed for something tangible after they have accumulated. The bigger the chore, the more the points a kid should earn. 

Reading books and doing school work also has to be rewarding as well. This is why schools have the grading system for kids while at school. Encourage them to read and appreciate them when they make any progress, however small. 

The lockdown is getting even to the best of us as adults, so you can imagine how hard it is for the little ones. Listen to your kids and be patient with them. Let them know it is normal to feel lonely and bored and show them how to deal with those feelings with the activities above. Explain to them as much as possible why we have to stay indoors for now. Teach them how to wash hands and how to sanitize, it will be over before we know it.