How to keep your kids busy (and learning) while schools are closed!

The global pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. As well as that, it’s made us limit moving around and getting out of our house. For parents, the fact that their kids are quarantined and won’t be going to school for a while can be quite scary. Anyone who has kids will tell you that keeping your little ones busy, entertained, and challenging their minds is essential for keeping things in order and maintaining peace.

1 – Are you ready to rock?

There’s no better way to tire your kids out and keep them busy for the whole day than to throw a dance party. You can let them help you transform the living room into a dance floor by moving furniture and putting pillows at its edges to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

The only thing left to do now is to dim the lights and find the best songs to dance to. Let your kids choose most of the playlist because it will make the whole experience more fun. If you add a hairbrush to the mix, you can even have a concert in front of an audience of stuffed animals!

2 – Little architects

With a free afternoon and a house full of pillows and sheets, there’s only one thing you can do- build a fort! Remember how fun those used to be when you were a kid? This is the perfect way to keep your kids occupied, as they’ll absolutely love designing the fort and building it with their own two hands. Try not to control the design and building operations too much, as this is the perfect chance for your kids to exercise their critical thinking, creativity, and motor skills.

Once the masterpiece is done, you can all decorate the interior with some fairy lights or a small disco ball and have a world of fun. Let them take their favourite toys and download some movies or shows to your tablet or laptop and you’ve got a home cinema just like that. Remember that kids sometimes need some time to themselves, too, so don’t be offended if they use this chance to process things and have a little me-time in their new safe space.

3 – A lesson in world culture

Since the whole world is affected by the current situation, it’s the perfect time to teach your kids about other people, traditions, and cultures. Instead of just reading articles on the internet about it, you should make the cultures come to life. One of the most engaging and interesting ways to do this is by making a fashion show in your own home.

The Indian subcontinent and East Africa can be represented with beautiful sarongs, while you can use the stunning kimono to teach them about China and Japan. Research other interesting traditional garments of the world and see if you can add them to the show. Don’t be afraid to do your kid’s makeup and hair in the style of the country, too. You can be sure they’ll remember this lesson for the rest of their lives and that you’ll bond more than ever in the process.

4 – Museum hopping

Obviously you can’t take your kids to an actual museum in a time like this, but you can take advantage of virtual tours around the world. Now you don’t need to spend a lot of money to travel to places and see amazing exhibitions. This is an excellent way to enrich your kids’ minds and teach them how important museums are from a young age.

If your kids end up liking the virtual tour, don’t be afraid to use google street view on a daily basis. Imagine how many cities you can walk together without actually moving an inch. To keep things positive and focus their attention on something lighter than the current situation, you can use this as inspiration for your next family vacation. This activity will also show you how your kids think and what they like, thus improving your relationship.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways your kids can keep learning, even if they aren’t in school. It’s your job as a parent to give them an intellectually challenging environment and show them just how much they can do with the free time they suddenly have. An online class might be half of the solution for this situation, but it’s definitely up to you to find the other half. We’re confident these tips will help.