Alright, guys. We’re stuck inside, and it looks like it could be for a while. So what can you do to entertain you and your kids when you’re done homeschooling for the day?
I got you. Let’s find some easy activities that will keep you from getting bored, and tire them out at the same time.
Create some bubble wands.
As it turns out, there’s lots of different ways to make your own bubble wands. This article at KidSpot lays out a lot of different options.
One involves reusing plastic drinking straws, so hey! You’ll be helping the planet out at the same time!
Turn on some zoo or aquarium live streams.
There’s nothing better than seeing the wonder on a child’s face when they get to see animals up close. While that’s not an option right now, there are some alternatives!
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Zoos and aquariums have set up live streams to help bring that wonder indoors. The Vancouver Aquarium has tons set up, including one of their hilarious otters .
Make slime.
We all knew this was coming, let’s be real.
The slime craze may have slowed down a little, but I suspect a resurgence is on the way thanks to self isolation.
Expand their creative imaginations with comics.
Artist Jarrett Learner posted half-drawn panels on his site for free! The task for your kids is to imagine how the other half of the comic would go. The sky is the limit!
Try out some at-home science.
If you never got to do the classic science fair staple that is the volcano, now’s your chance.
This tutorial has simplified the process and made it super-kid friendly. Erupt away!
Read along with Olaf!
Actor Josh Gad, aka Olaf from Frozen , set up a live stream of him reading Hooray for Diffendoofe Day! on Twitter.
He’s planning on doing even more to help entertain and encourage kids to read! Throw some requests at him here .
Learn some garden basics.
Your kids don’t have to go outside to learn all about gardening! Using some egg shells and some seeds from your favorite herb, you can make a little herb garden right in your kitchen!
Get the tutorial here .
Get into indoor hockey.
Specifically, flyswatter indoor hockey! Frugal Fun 4 Boys posted some incredibly creative at-home activities you can do with things you already have in your house.
Anyone else want to try flyswatter hockey now?
Learn along with Alexa!
If you have an Alexa-enabled device, you and your kids can use her to do some fun learning activities! From math problems to reading stories aloud, Alexa can actually do more than just play the random song stuck in your head.
There‘s a list of commands and questions you can ask her here .
Turn any table into a ping-pong table.
You already have the table. So all you need now? The net and paddles. You can buy a portable ping-pong set on Amazon for under $20, and bam! Instant ping-pong fun.
Put soap in the microwave to make soap clouds!
How cool is this?
Using Ivory soap (any other brand won’t work), follow this tutorial from This is Lady Land and entertain your kids for hours with soap clouds!
For older kids: learn to make actual soap together!
Soap making is about to become a crucial at-home craft. Gather your kids together and learn to make soap in bright colors and fun shapes. It’ll help keep you healthy at the same time!
This one might get messy.
But it looks so fun, how could you resist? All you need is bubbles, food coloring, and a lot of space to make a mess.
You’ll also need frames to put up those masterpieces, of course.
Two words: laser maze.
Okay, it’s not actually lasers. But there’s no way you can pass up the opportunity to watch your kids try and sneak through this red crepe paper maze, right?
Why are kids obsessed with water marbles? We’ll never know.
But the good news is that they’re fairly inexpensive and don’t make too much of a mess. Squish them, play with them, use them in crafts — the options are really endless here.
