Staying at home does not only take a toll on grown-ups. Because of the global crisis that the CoViD-19 incurs, children were also stripped of their chance to freely socialize, have fun outside, and learn from experience. In schools, kids get to experience developing hobbies apart from the ones learned at home, learn basic etiquette, do extracurricular activities, have access to quality academic resources, and adopt good educational philosophy. They may be well-adjusted to Online Distance Learning (ODL) from a year of experience, but it does not mean that it is less hard. Aside from the inability to physically interact with classmates and teachers, long screen time is not ideal for everyone. Being always exposed to gadgets may cause anxiety, increased impulsivity, sleep deprivation, and even cognitive delays.
There are ways to combat the mentioned negative effects of home isolation on kids. One of them is to try to provide a healthier and more conducive learning environment for them. A house and lot where they can roam around and have fun while smelling the fresh air is the best reward after a long, tiring class. Study nooks also create an ideal learning atmosphere for them,
On a different note, pressuring them to learn beyond their pace does not help since they may see learning as a mere task and not a fun thing to do. It is ideal to conduct indoor activities that will help enhance their skills in communication, problem-solving, and creative and critical thinking. Most importantly, do activities that bring them joy and memorable experiences at home.
Here are some indoor family activities that the kids will surely enjoy:
Travel to the past
If you have photo albums at home, bringing your children to a memory lane is a good idea. You can show them some photographs of your childhood (or theirs) and some relatives that they haven’t met yet. Along with showing those pictures, try to tell a fascinating story about them and take note of the kids’ questions and reactions. By doing these, you allow your children to know you more and know some facts about their younger years, too.
Indoor Games
Copy the cat is a fun movement chain activity that requires two or more people. The first person will create a movement (like jumping twice or blinking thrice) and the person next to him will copy his movement and then add his own. The third person will copy the two movements and add his own too. See if everyone can memorize and follow as the movements increase. Activities like this one help release happy hormones and make everyone sweat.
Hide-and-seek may be classic, but it is still very exciting for kids. The thrill of hiding or seeking and the feeling of anticipation is what makes this indoor game timeless. Just be mindful of the hazards at home and make sure that they are not within your children’s reach.
Singing and dancing helps
Learning a song and a dance does not only enhances comprehension but also helps release endorphins to make anyone feel better. Studies show that these two activities help release tension and build confidence among kids and adults. Upon learning a thing or two, give kids a reward that will make them feel good about their singing and dancing skills.
Origami, Jigsaw Puzzle, and Rubik’s Cube at your service
One can never go wrong with these classics. These three activities help develop spatial skills, motor skills (eye-hand coordination), and good memory. Children’s orientation to details may also improve.
Arts and Crafts
Kids are naturally creative in their unique ways. When you have children at home, it is important to have sets of art materials for them to work on. Try asking them to draw their face (or yours) and let the fun begin. You can also provide some cut-outs to have those painted.
Some parents also try teaching their kids to crochet. If you don’t know how to, there are plenty of YouTube videos on crochet for beginners. This is an opportunity to teach or learn with your children and praise them.
Do some kitchen stuff
Kids are always curious and they will want to know how their food is made. Try baking or cooking with them. You can teach them an heirloom recipe of yours and ask them to keep it a secret. This will make them feel trusted and it exercises their sense of responsibility. Also, involve them in activities like tidying up and washing the tools. Cooking and cleaning are both essential skills and it would not hurt to allow them to get used to these basics while they are still young.
Try some DIYs
Do-It-Yourself projects involve creative, organizational, and critical thinking skills. Children’s capability to solve problems may also improve especially when there are setbacks while doing the task. This activity is also an opportunity to initiate a conversation to make your children more comfortable with you.
An example of a good DIY project is a set of jars. You can try creating a gratitude jar where the things that they are grateful for will be written on paper and be placed inside. The wishing jar would be for the things that they wish to acquire (e.g. shoes, art materials, socks) while the Jar of Goals will be for the accomplishments that they want to attain soon or in the future.
Virtual Tours around the World
Schools now try virtual tours for the students to still experience virtual campus life. Just the same, there are a lot of museums and tourist attractions all around the world that conduct virtual tours for free. You can search up Van Gogh Museum, British Museum, the Vatican Museum, and all other museums that you wish to see.
For other tourist attractions, you may also visit Machu Picchu in Peru, Louvre Museum in Paris, and Georgia Museum in Georgia, USA.
Homes are supposed to be a place of love, comfort, and fun, especially for kids. Make every day count by creating memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
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