While you continue to stay safe through self-isolation with your family, you may wonder what to do with the many free hours you have in your hands. Adults are more equipped to deal with boredom, but it is not the same for children. The current situation presents an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your children, form long-lasting memories and help kids release some energy. However, you may struggle to come up with original ideas to keep your kids occupied, so here are the suggestions we picked up from Herbalife Nutrition.
Cook Together
Involving your children when cooking presents excellent benefits, and it is also a fun activity. Since kids learn through observation, by cooking and eating with them, they can start to develop an appreciation for healthy foods. When kids prepare a meal—no matter how simple it is—and share it with the family, it gives them a sense of pride for accomplishing something, and that boosts their self-esteem. Take this time to guide and introduce your children to fresh and simple recipes to try and allow them to assist in choosing the ingredients.
Cooking also helps to spark children’s creativity, so allow them to come up with their own recipes. It also helps kids to stay focused and attentive while learning to make a good meal or snack.
Engage in Stimulating Activities
Use this time to bond with your children by taking part in various indoor activities since there is plenty to do inside the house. Use your furniture to create an obstacle course that incorporates both physical and mental challenges. Such an activity can not only help the kids keep moving and burning energy while also learning new skills. Movie nights are always excellent for enjoying time with your family. Choose age-appropriate movies that children will enjoy, so seek their opinion when picking them. Another idea is putting together a scavenger hunt by hiding some items all over the house.
Find New Hobbies
While your children continue to discover what they like and what they do not, use this time to help further the process by introducing new hobbies. You may stumble into something your child will enjoy for the rest of their life. Some of the activities you can try are chess, solving a puzzle, creating origami figures, developing videos, and even listening to podcasts. Use photographs of your family and use software to convert them to a slideshow. It is an endeavor that allows you to relive key moments in your life, such as your kid’s first day of school, and also help your child develop a new skill. Chess helps to improve the concentration capacity and visual memory of your kids while origami figures build spatial awareness, motor skills, concentration, and brain development.