Edutainment
10 Non-School Activities To Keep Kids Engaged & Happy
Let this pandemic lockdown be fun and full of learning for the kids.
If you’re an educator who’s worried about a potential “brain drain” happening in your students’ lives due to coronavirus-inspired school closures, this one is for you.
Apart from following the curriculum religiously at home, you can ask parents to engage kids in activities that can keep cheering them when they are not spending time with the books.
We have gathered some options that will entertain, educate, and distract your little ones during these hard times. Have a look!
Origami
The art of origami must have been invented by people with a lot of time and patience. Even if you have neither of those things, you and your kids can try a few new paper creations. Instructional videos can be found easily on YouTube.
Scavenger Hunts
This is the absolute best way to get your kids to quietly concentrate on something without your help. Pinterest is filled with printable scavenger hunts for your house or your backyard.
Mad Scientists
You may not want to turn your kitchen into a full-on laboratory at the moment, but a few safe science experiments might liven things up. National Geographic Kids offers videos and written instructions for hands-on lessons.
Playzone-fit Stepping Stones
Have you forgotten how much fun it was to play “hot lava” in a playground or your own living room? Plastic blocks/matts make the game considerably safer and offer more opportunities to strategize without having to move the couch.
The Grandparents
Grandparents aren’t too pleased with this social distancing thing either. Let's make sure the kids call them frequently. Having grandparents is a blessing, be certain to remind them and keep them in habit of being around their grandparents.
Turn Their Bedroom into a Classroom
Kids thrive on familiar routines, so how about encouraging them to re-create their school life at home? Maybe they would like to organize their toys as if they are their fellow students. The more involved this game gets, the busier (and more comfortable) they’ll feel.
Start a New Book Series
Get them into something truly addictive and you won’t hear a peep until dinnertime. So many eBooks and audiobooks, now due to the circumstances, are available for free.
TedTalks
Usually, it is believed that TED talks are for grownups, but older kids will understand many of the videos on TEDed’s YouTube pages. Most are only around 5-6 minutes long, but if you select a whole playlist you’ve got long stretches of solid educational viewing.
Puzzle It Out
Maybe the simple act of putting together a 1000-piece puzzle doesn’t teach much more than patience. If that concerns you, put on educational podcasts for them to listen to while they sort through those tiny pieces.
Break Out the Board Games
Now is the time to bring out those Monopoly, Scrabble, and everything else in your board game arsenal. Why else do you own them? Let us make new some family game time traditions.
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