After our wonderful Christmas vacation, 2020 seemed to start on such a positive note.
But then things began to spiral from there. The pandemic hit, changing our everyday lives. And now, because of isolation and social distancing, my kids will be out of school for at least five weeks (spring break included). Out of these five weeks, they will be homeschooling for two. This is a long, long time, and we’re just getting started.
It’s not an easy time for anyone—I know. There’s so much to worry about, but all we can do is take care of ourselves and be responsible for our safety and the safety of others. So how do we survive being indoors with kids (whom we all love very much…) without going crazy for a prolonged period?!
The answer? Introduce unique, creative, simple games and activities to your kids! Thankfully, I am blessed that the school is providing the online homeschooling material for the kids, and it’s on a normal school schedule, which leaves me with… entertainment!
And I’ve learned some entertaining activities over the last couple of weeks! Want to know which games I’ve discovered? Continue reading to find out! Some will definitely help you and your kids pass time!
Activities That Will Help You and Your Kids Stay Sane During COVID-19
Challenges:
We did challenges and fun, light-hearted competition between siblings! My 13, 11, and five-year-old have enjoyed taking part in the following challenges (and I think you and your kids will, too).
- The three marker challenge:
My youngest loves this game!
How does it work? Just choose three markers, and that’s all you can use for your artwork! I like this one because my youngest can do it by herself. So if I need to work on my own projects, I can always get her to try this one with the help of my two older kids.
- Last to challenge:
Everyone can take part in this challenge. It’s super simple, and you can apply it to anything.
How does it work? Well, you basically say “Last to stop doing star jumps loses.” Or something like that! You can apply it to anything: last to leave their room, last to do their artwork. You can add cheeky rewards too!
- Twin Telepathy challenge:
This challenge is an excellent way to pass the time! And all ages can play it too—including adults.
How does it work? You can either have two teams or two people “competing” to win the most points. A board will separate the two teams, and we will give both teams the same items and ingredients. It works best if you use three options per round. To win the most points, you must choose the same item that the other team chose.
Board games
I’ve been playing some board games with my older kids, and we’ve really enjoyed sitting down together and spending time away from screens. Our favourites?
Catan, Cluedo, Chess, Monopoly, and Pictionary.
What does my youngest do when we play? Well, she tries to play some games! She enjoys playing Pictionary with us, and she’s getting better at it, with some little help, of course! She also holds the cards and moves the objects in Cluedo and Monopoly, and then whenever she gets bored, she’ll gladly move to play with her dollies right next to us.
Reading time
It’s always been a rule that my kids must read for half-an-hour each day! Reading is so beneficial. It can help to enhance the mind because it grants the reader a chance to transport to another world, where they can learn about another culture or time in the past.
Art
Set up an art station and let your kiddos get creative. My kids usually end up competing, and I have to judge their creations. I love it! Sometimes I get to compete against my two teens, giving my (very biased) five-year-old a chance to judge. It’s safe to say that I always expect the win! (And I love seeing the reaction from my teens. One complains, while the other rolls their eyes knowingly—lol.)
FaceTime playdates
Have you guys tried this one yet? It’s hilarious! Whenever I FaceTime my cousin, who has a four-year-old and a toddler, the conversation always ends up shifting and turns into an accidental, long-distance playdate. It’s adorable!
Movie nights
I want to keep movie nights for the weekends since bedtime doesn’t change. However, when you watch a movie, you can always amp up the home cinematic experience! Pop popcorn. Let your kids create previews before the movie starts. You can even recreate a concession store beforehand, where you’re the worker, and the kids order popcorn from you.
Their entertainment, your time
At the end of a productive day or somewhere in between, I give my kids some screen time for almost two hours a day. I try to space it out so that I can take a moment for myself without being interrupted. Promise me one thing: if you do this, don’t feel bad about it! This is how it looks like most of the time:
My 5-year-old daughter goes for YouTube or Netflix, my son goes for Fortnite, and their big sister chooses social media and TikTok.
I pray this pandemic will end soon so that we can all get back to our normal daily lives. A piece of advice? Don’t obsess over the numbers and take care of yourself and your loved ones. We will all get through this. What’s happening is happening whether we like it or not. And don’t forget that as an adult you need to take care of yourself and take time for yourself (if you can). Doing so will make your life much easier—especially if you have kids!
Stay safe!
Until next time…
Lucie xx
Interesting … definitely will try them all