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For many parents, sunshine and warm weather has been a godsend amid the coronavirus crisis. But with rainy days and the fast-approaching colder weather, you may need some fun and unique indoor activities to educate and entertain your little ones from the safety of your home. These activities from Mom’s Turn Journal will be just the thing you need to entertain your kids and stimulate their growing brains throughout the coming months, so keep reading and make the most of your time indoors!
Exciting Online Activities for Kids
While your kids’ screen time should definitely be limited, the online world has a whole lot to offer when it comes to educating children and encouraging healthy brain development. For kids between three and 13 years of age, for instance, Scholastic shares a full activity round-up on its website — complete with artistic activities that promote creativity, puzzles that boost critical thinking and problem-solving skills, word games for vocabulary building, and so much more. For toddlers, Insider recommends online resources such as KiwiCo Kids, Zdoodle, Cubcoats, Baby in Tune, PBS Kids, and Google Arts and Culture.
For kids of all ages, other great online activities for rainy/cold weather days include:
- Various exercise videos on the web.
- Music streaming services like Spotify, LiveXLive, and iHeartRadio.
- Free drawing and sketching classes through Kline Creative and ArtyFactory.
- Online games, videos and books through websites like Funbrain, Boomerang, Sesame Street, and Disney.
- Virtual field trips to museums, farms, historical landmarks, zoos, and aquariums around the world.
Put Screens Away for Offline Fun
As great as online learning and virtual entertainment can be, your little ones shouldn’t spend all their time in front of their smartphones, tablets, and televisions. By combining online projects with offline activities like book reading, storytelling, imaginative play, board games, hide and seek, and scavenger hunts, your kids will avoid the negative effects of excess screen time — like behavior and sleep problems — and they’ll build important life skills.
For two-year-olds, the experts at Parents.com recommend indoor games and activities like playing dress up, Simon Says, and “red light, green light”. Books, puzzles, craft kits, playing cards, and board games are all great indoor activities for young kids — while older children and teens can enjoy offline activities such as the following:
- Playing classic board games like Monopoly or Scrabble.
- Handwriting letters to nursing home residents.
- Jogging in place, lifting lighter weights, and doing jumping jacks.
- Planting an indoor herb garden.
- Coloring in a coloring book.
- Putting on a talent show or performance in the living room.
With a bit of imagination and creativity, the possibilities for offline fun are endless!
Don’t Forget About Yourself
As a devoted mother, it’s easy to forget about your own wants and needs — especially when you’re putting much of your time and energy into your children during the pandemic. However, a quick kid-friendly yoga practice can be just the thing you need to care for your mind and body in a chaotic time — while also keeping your little ones active and entertained whenever you’re cooped up indoors.
To incorporate yoga into your day, Rachel Costello of Yo Re Mi shares several great partner poses for moms and kids — or you can follow along with a child-friendly yoga video. Just don’t forget to splurge on a versatile and uber comfortable pair of leggings for yourself, as these can be worn while practicing yoga with your kids, cleaning the house, chasing your little ones around, and doing just about any other activity you can think of. From leggings and lounge shorts to tanks and joggers, activewear and loungewear are the perfect types of clothing for busy moms.
A Final Word
Until your kids can safely return to school or spend more time in public spaces amid COVID-19, these cold weather/rainy day activities will help to keep your little ones entertained — all from the safety of your home. As soon as the sun comes out and the weather begins to warm, you can once again head outdoors for some much-needed fresh air and time in nature.
Mom’s Turn Journal offers additional great information, insights and goodies to include in your parenting journey.
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