How To Engage Kids When The World Is On Hold

 

“Mom, no school today?” asked my 3-year old in a sad tone.

This time I kept numb, not knowing what to answer as I was tired of giving him explanations he hardly understood.

My kid likes going to school and staying at home was making him anxious day by day.

So, this time, I tried to explain him the pandemic situation around the world in a very different way which was easy for him to understand. I gathered all my super powers and replied to him.

“There’s an insect roaming around in the air, outside and it survives only inside human bodies. So, if we go outside, they will see us and get inside our body. Therefore, we all are hiding our homes, so that the insect can’t find us and will eventually die when it doesn’t find any human body to survive. And then we can freely roam about. You can go school; papa can go to his office.”

I was ready with to answer his numerous questions after my lecture on coronavirus, (of course, in layman’s language.)

But I was surprised to hear just two words from him, “Okay, Mamma” and he went to his room. I also started my household chores. But this incident left me in dismal. I kept wondering as to how long, for how many days will I be able to keep my little one engaged in other activities.

Staying at home with kids during the lockdown period has its own pros and cons.

On one hand, it creates a strong bond among the family members and on the other hand, at the same time, it built up a certain level of stress and anxiety for parents.

In such times, keeping the child engaged with something new and creative activities that they enjoy doing is tough.

It is highly important to keep one’s cool and have patience. Success lies in how the families operate during this tough situation. So, why not utilize our precious time in the best way we can, why not invest our time in unique activities that will boost our thinking power.

 

The next few days of the Covid-19 lockdown can be a good time to engage kids in activities that will boost up their energy.

Of course, engaging the kids with some challenging activities that they find interesting or making them talk with their grandparents through video calls is itself the perfect medicine of happy life.

 

With limited or no access to playgrounds, kids get easily bored which results in increased screen time, so to limit their screen time, here is a flow of fun and engaging activities for your toddlers which can be followed per day for a week:

 

1. Theme based:

Make the activities theme based. It will be easier for you to allot activities. Decide on a theme and give activities related to it for the whole week.

You can take for example, Week 1- Theme: Family.

 

2. Thought of the day:

Start the day with a quick briefing on a nice thought of the day. Teach them the moral values, healthy habits, good manners, etc.

 

3. Exercise:

Then you can move on to teaching them some exercises. Telling them the benefits of doing exercises.

 

4. DIY:

DIY’s are the best part, I feel. The kids enjoy a lot with these DIY’s. You can make finger puppets using coloured paper, rolling them, inserting it in your fingers and telling them stories. You can also teach them origami. Kids gets fascinated by making colourful paper bags, etc.

 

5. Drawing/Painting:

Playing with colours is another favourite thing which the toddlers enjoy. Let them explore their imaginations with different colours. Let them have fun with their favourite colours.

 

6. Games:

Decide on some interesting games like Treasure Hunt, basket the ball, hurdle race, hopscotch, etc.

The kids will love playing these games.

 

7. Experiments:

Show simple experiments to them. They will get fascinated to see the results. You can also sow a seed and let your child see how the tiny seed grows into a plant. Tell them to water every day.

 

8. Dance and music:

Decide on a song, teach them some easy steps every day and at the end of the week, let them perform on their own.

 

9. Fireless Cooking:

Flameless cooking not only helps young kids explore with their senses but also Boosts up their confidence and build their basic skills. You can teach them to make bhel, sandwiches, lemonade, cookie sandwich etc.

 

10. Story telling/Riddles:

Last but not the least, tell them fascinating stories. Ask them riddles according to their age. Also encourage them to tell stories. You will be surprised to see their figments of imaginations.

 

Let your child explore, let them learn new things. Tell them it’s okay to fall. Tell them rise up and run fast. Always praise them for their efforts. Join in their discussions, encourage them.

Create a positive vibe in the house and then you will experience the sweetness of their innocence.

 

This is the perfect time to create beautiful memories for a lifetime. I have specially curated this flow of engaging activity for my little one. And he enjoys himself a lot. What’s yours? Do post your comments below.