2021 certainly began on a positive note with light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccinations across the globe is like the silver-lining on the clouds. However, until everything gets back on track, we continue to keep ourselves and our little ones active and creative. I hope these ideas will help all parents, teachers, care-providers support in planning their days.
For more tips and instructions on these activities be sure to read the below listed blogs :
- How to Keep Your Child Away From the Screens?
- 10 Unique Quarantine Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- 15 Quarantine Art & Craft Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Here is a complete list of activities, games, crafts, etc. for you to do it with your little ones.
- Hand/Foot/Finger Painting
- Pistachio shell art/craft
- Play Dough creations
- Popsicle stick art/crafts – Hand Puppet, Super Hero, Picture Frame, Popsicle Stick Tree, Shapes Learning, Random Design Play
- Pine Cone Activities – Chandelier, Pine Cone Painting, Pine Cone and Twigs Camp Fire
- No-mess Canvas painting
- Recycled plastic bottle Fire Fly
- Tissue box Old-Style Dial-Up Telephone
- Tissue box Guitar
- Paper Plate and Pipe Cleaner Octopus
- Recycled Bottle Cap Activity
- Paper Roll Projector
- Q-Tip Cotton Ball Painting
- Recycled-Container Piggy Bank
- Thumb Paint Balloon Bouquet
- Rock Painting
- Recycled Can Bunny
4 - Popsicle Stick Snowflake
- Initiate Mental Health Conversations with Your kids
- Make a See-Through Book
- Fairy Jar Night Light
- Pencil Shavings Craft
- Recycled Crayons (Make candles or recycle old crayons into new crayons)
- Fuse Beads Design/Creations
- Creative Painting (Just let the little fingers roll on paper/canvas)
- Teach/Learn a Second Language
- Read Affirmations
- Plantation/Home Garden/Terrarium
- Exercise
- Yoga/Meditation
- Ride a Bike/Scooter
- Skate/Ice-Skate
- Go for Walk or Stroll
- Singing and Dancing Session
- Movie Night at Home (With Pop Corn and Juice)
- Play Time with Pets
- Assign Chores to Kids
- Introduce/Practice Religious Beliefs
- Host a Grooming Night (Moms and Girls can do some nail paint/give your boys some mani or pedi)
- Have a bubble bath
- Read Books
- Play Musical Instruments (Drum, Guitar, Piano, Trumpet – nothing fancy then may be just a whistle)
- Build with Lego/Mega Blocks
- Create Puzzles – Challenge your kids if you see they are getting good at it (size and complexity of the puzzle)
- Race with Cars/Arrange them in a disciplined fashion
- Play with Drill Set
- Magnet Creations
- Bubble Play
- Blow and Pop Balloons
- Flash Card – Design Your Own or Play/Read the Cards
- Theme Play with Trains
- Uno Card Games – Standard Game of Uno, Memory Games, Play and Learn Numbers and Colors
- Board Games – Snakes & Ladders, Monopoly, Scramble, Chess, Dice Pop, etc.
- Carom Board
- Sports – Basketball, Football, Badminton, Tennis, Cricket
- Organize Kids Play/Activity Area
- Bake Some Cake/Cookies/Cup Cakes
- Design Your Own Sweaters (On Paper)
- Tell A Story – Start with an opening sentence, e.g. There was a Lion who lived in the mountains. Now let each family member add their own sentences and complete your own story!
- Play Pictionary – great for young kids to help them learn to draw and also fun for the family night
- Enjoy Quiet Time – Let everyone be in their own and enjoy the quiet time
- Play Memory Game – Player 1 starts with a word, next player repeats the first work and add a new word, it continues until one or more players forget the sequence or the word and is eliminated. Last person to remember all the words in the correct sequence wins!
- The Color Game – all you need is to pick a color and have your players find anything of that color. One who finds the item first, wins the game! No prep/supplies needed.
- Scavenger Hunt – make a list of items at home or outdoor and let your little ones go for quest
- Water Ball Sensory Play – Great for color sorting activity, science experiment to see the water balls grow, put them in your plant and watch how they keep the play moisturized for days, scoop those balls into baskets
- Pretend Play – Be a Chef, Food Truck Owner, Policeman or Doctor
- Host a Karaoke Night – Let your inner voice heard
- Write letters to your friends & family – relive the old days without Social Media
- Talk to friends and family via phone/video
- Do Nothing! This is also sometimes a life saver. When everyone is too tired and wants to just do nothing, it is ok to leave things aside and lie down/rest and relax!!
I cannot deny the fact that the pandemic has changed our lives in ways we could have only dreamt of. But it has given us all the opportunity to bond with family in very different ways. I hope these activities can help you get through the tough days and bring some smiles on the faces of your little ones!
Babies n Mii 