Activities For Kids During Coronavirus School Closures
As millions of children are displaced from schools across the country, parents and caregivers are all asking themselves, what will my children do all day? Here at Punkin Butt, we’re mothers ourselves, and we’re asking ourselves the same question. Along with these tips and activities we’ve provided here, organizations and institutions are sharing resources online. For example, your library may be live-streaming storytime or providing access to other online resources. You can also try virtual playdates, to keep them connected and hopeful.
In today’s post, we’ll be sharing some activities you can do with your kids or that they can do independently, giving you a chance to catch up on work, make plans, support family members, and whatever else you have on your todo list. Continue reading to learn more, and if you’re looking for homeopathic products for children that you can order online, shop Punkin Butt collections today.
Make a Routine
All parents know how important a routine is. We start setting sleep routines with infants, but it’s also important to keep a routine for children of all ages. This is especially true when children are home from school and their normal activities, like sports or play dates, are canceled. If you are quarantined inside your home or apartment, a routine is even more important.
Use your child’s school schedule as a framework. When are they used to having a snack or eating lunch? When is recess? If they are doing homework or online work, do they work best in the morning or afternoon? Be sure to dedicate unstructured, child-led playtime. Depending on the age of your child, it may be in 15-minute or 30-minute chunks. Try creating a space in your house where this play takes place and limiting your child’s options. Limit your involvement and put the responsibility of cleaning up on them.
If possible, and safe, have time for outdoor play at least once a day. Even if the weather isn’t great, letting your child go outside and burn off some energy is a vital part of keeping everyone happy! Go outside in whatever way works for you, whether that’s a backyard, a balcony, or even a garage.
Easy Indoor Activities
When thinking of how to plan activities for your children, remember that it doesn’t have to be complicated to be engaging. Have a back pocket full of activities that you can use during the day is vital to keeping everything running smoothly. Here are a few we love here at Punkin Butt, and we hope that you find them useful!
Art Time
Plan a time for art each day. It can be as easy as putting out paper and crayons or you could spread out a sheet and have kids paint. We really like having kids paint weird shaped objects, like oatmeal containers or egg cartons. Kids love decorating random objects and you’ll be surprised at their creations and how long they’ll be engaged!
Toy Washing
Here at Punkin Butt, we love when you can make a game out of something that needs to be done. That’s one of the reasons why we created our Natural Bubble Bath Dough Set — bathtime becomes much more fun when you add this homeopathic product! A great game that can engage kids for hours — and disinfect grimy toys — is a toy washing station. Fill a container with safe, all-natural bubbles, like our Natural Bubble Bath and Body Wash, and give them sponges, towels, and any other supplies they need to wash their plastic toys.
Reading Time
When you’re making that routine, be sure to put in blocks of time for reading. 15-20 minutes a day is a great goal to start with. Depending on the age of your children, this may mean reading aloud or silent reading time. If everyone is home, try making it a family activity and sit down and read with them.
Puzzles
If you have space, set out a puzzle that everyone in the family can work on when they feel like it. Put it in an area that people walk by regularly, and you’re sure to see your child sit down and try to fit in a few pieces throughout the day. Or, depending on your child’s interests, they may be engaged for hours!
Post-It Note Math Or Reading
Schools have considerably more learning tools at their disposal than the average family, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t create your own games at home with the materials you have available! Write letters or numbers on post-it notes and let kids use them to fill in the blanks between words or number problems.
Punkin Butt Homeopathic Products
We started Punkin Butt because we wanted to help other parents like ourselves. We primarily do that through providing safe, all-natural child care products. But we also do that through our blog, and we hope you found these tips and activities useful. If your kids are at home with you during this challenging time, we hope that you’re finding ways to keep them happy and healthy.