Keeping your children entertained during school holidays has arguably never been easier thanks to technology. But technology can be a double-edged sword and screen time can become a crutch – one that parents inadvertently rely on too often and one that children get accustomed to too quickly.
To make things harder (interesting?) the outbreak of COVID-19 has seen almost the entire country – and indeed the world – seek the safety of their homes in order to help ‘flatten the curve’ of infection. Now that we’ve been placed in a 90-day lockdown, things could escalate to a Lord Of The Flies-type situation really quick.
To help you out, we’ve come up with 10 activities that you and your children can enjoy that don’t revolve around a screen.
#1: Create a home library
Create a library system for your home. The kids will be able to create and decorate their own library cards and each day they can ‘check-out’ a batch of books to read. Create a reward system for the number of books read.
#2: Chalk art gallery
If your children just want to get outside, find a cement or concrete surface in your front or back yard and set them up with some chalk so they can create their very own chalk art gallery. Tapping into your child’s creativity does wonders for keeping them entertained. The best part is the canvas can be easily cleaned and ready for another round of art the next day.
#3: Paper craft
If you’ve got a printer, paper, scissors and glue, then you’ve got all the essentials for paper craft. Websites such as Cube Craft offer templates for all their favourite characters that you can download and print out for free. Simply search for ‘papercraft’.
#4: New skill challenge
Learning a new skill can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. Set them a daily task of learning something new. Choose things outside of their comfort zone. If your child loves reading and writing, get them to practice kicking a ball or shooting hoops, and vice versa.
#5: Take a walk
Use Google Maps to plan a route with stopping points for your child. You can then either print out the map and check off the points on the way or use a smart device and follow the instructions as you go. Step by step instructions can be found here. There a plenty of walking tracks throughout Catherine Park Estate to explore.
** Please take into consideration the mandated social distancing rules for NSW regarding walking outdoors for exercise, which is no more than two people at one time. Walking groups larger than two people are permitted provided that are ALL from the same household. More rules around social distancing can be found here **
#6: Get board-gaming
Board games have sadly become a lost form of family entertainment in the digital age. Dust off your board game collection and show your kids the fun that board games offer, or shop online and get your children to pick new board games. Either way, there is endless hours of entertainment here for kids of all ages.
#7: Family colouring project
Need something a little more long-term? What about a family colouring in project? A quick online search will point you towards poster-sized works that you can attach to a wall. Whenever your kids want something to do, they can just wander over to the wall and start colouring.
#8: Garden project
Sometimes kids just need some good messy fun, and gardening is the best there is. It will give them the chance to create something living that they can take ownership of. Up the ante and creates a vegetable patch that they will need to constantly monitor and care for.
#9: Have a camp-in
Want to take your kids camping but not sure if they’re ready for the great outdoors just yet? Clear the lounge room and bring all the sleeping bags in and have a camping experience. Make your tents from bed sheets and use your pillows to make forts.
#10: Create a comic book
With the ever-increasing popularity of comic books and movies based on comic books, if your kids like drawing why not get them to create their own comic books. Get them started by printing off these free comic book templates.
Get started today
We hope that these 10 thought-starters help to get you and your kids through the holidays and beyond safely and together.
With a little imagination and effort, you’ll find that there are plenty of ways to engage your children that don’t involve excessive screen time or lead to the family dividing into warring factions due to the stress of being isolated under one roof.
