Top 5 Lockdown Activities for Kids

The coronavirus pandemic is becoming a strain on all of us, especially parents. The superhuman feat of juggling work and home school needs acknowledging. Parenting can be intense under normal circumstances, but during a pandemic, when everyone is in the house almost 24/7 it can be a genuine struggle. With the demands of paying the bills and education taking precedence, sometimes it can be difficult for parents to find the energy to create meaningful play times. Or if the energy is there, thinking up new things to keep children entertained in no mean feat.

Here are five tried and tested activities to relieve some of the stress and boredom of lockdown.

Baking

Nearly all children love baking. Your only issue here is a messy kitchen and stopping sneaky fingers stealing too much cake batter. It might seem like an obvious activity to include, and it’s likely you’re no stranger to baking with your children, however, it never gets old. It can be as simple as pouring melted chocolate over cornflakes to make a school fete classic or creating intricately decorated cupcakes and sponges. Whatever you feel up for.

Because baking is such a hit, make sure to keep your cupboard stocked with cake basics—and you’ll always succeed in brightening lockdown.

Nature Walks

Even before the pandemic children’s lives, like our own, were becoming more and more digital. Especially in terms of entertainment. Back in the day, we’d plug in an Atari, Nintendo, or Sega and a 2D gaming experience would commence. Colourful, fun, but ultimately a distraction from our true love—running wild outside with our friends. The beautifully designed, fully immersive computer games of today are something else. Designers have created vibrant worlds for children to lose themselves in, and so they do.

This is not to say children don’t play outside anymore, it’s that the lure of digital entertainment was never so strong. This is one of driving factors behind a new term, Nature Deficit Disorder, where a lack of nature impacts a child’s mental and physical health negatively. This isn’t something to worry about. It’s an opportunity. Lockdown is a tough time for children, and now more than ever they need to be engaging with nature. The positive effects of being amongst trees and wildlife are timeless. It is considered an antidote to anxiety and has been shown to significantly increase happiness. Nature walks should be a big part of your lockdown arsenal. Read our previous blog '8 things to try with kids on your daily exercise' for more outdoor adventures.

Tea Parties

An oldy, but a goody. Children have been enjoying tea parties with their cherished soft toys for many generations. Not only is it an excuse to munch the delicious cakes they’ve helped bake, but it’s also a way to start understanding adult social events and graces. More tea, Mr. Bear? Granted the formality is a little Jane Austen. Though, politeness and attentiveness, are virtues worth learning. 

Arts & Crafts

Few children dislike trying their hand at creativity and crafting. Some ideas could include painting crazy patterns on pebbles and varnishing them, making milk carton bird feeders, sketching over interesting shadows on white paper, making carboard forts, and designing card and tinfoil robots. This is scratching the surface of the possibilities. A quick Google search will provide countless wholesome arts and craft projects.

Letting children create is an inherently rewarding activity for them. It helps them develop their concentration, patience, and gives them a sense of achievement.  

Garden Treasure Hunt

X marks the spot. Few things are as exhilarating for children as a meticulously designed treasure hunt. This could be in your garden or in the house. The size, scope, and treasure are up to you. The basic premise is that they must follow a series of clues that lead them to different treasure hidey holes, with the final clue revealing a grand prize. For extra points, a pirate dress code could be fun. Or give them little explorer hats.

Long Barn Holiday Cottages

Thanks for reading our blog and we hope it gives you some starting points to keep your kids entertained during these difficult times. If you’ve enjoyed this, why not check out some of our other blogs? We have lots of useful and interesting content for you to peruse.