There are so many reasons you might want to stay at home together with your little ones (not that you need a reason to stay at home) instead of bringing them out for playtime but little ones being the little ball of energy they are might end up getting bored very fast.
Before you start rolling your head, here are 14 things to do at home with your kids to keep the boredom at bay compiled from mummies!
Last updated: 18 May 2021
Some of the suggestions we received via our Instagram page while others were sent via PM and Facebook! Thank you Mummies (and Daddies) for sharing!
1. Get Squishy with DIY Slime
Source: McCormick & Company
Have you tried playing with slime? It’s so addictively squishy it’s no wonder kids love them. And if you’ve never tried making them before, they’re relatively easy.
While most slime recipes call for glue and borons, they are not safe. You can still have the same slimy, squishy and stretchy fun by substituting the ingredients with something a bit more kid-friendly. For some ideas to get you rolling, check out Little Bins for Little Hands.
2. Get Messy with Oobleck
Oobleck is a sort of slime that is inspired by Dr Seuss’s book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It is miles easier to create than slime but is just as fascinating to play with. You can mold it and shape it but when you stop pressing it, it trickles down in a slurry.
All you need to create this gooey substance is some cornflour and water. But be warned that it’ll probably get quite messy. By that we mean very messy so be sure to spread out some sheets of plastic or paper before attempting this.
3. Create Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Yes, you can create your own hand sanitizer and we hear from a mummy that this is a great recipe to follow, it’s simple and it’s natural. Now you don’t have to worry about the chemicals on top of germs when there are no sinks or soaps to wash your hands.
4. Design Colorful Beaded Jewelleries
Source: HonestlyWTF
Due to the multitude of possibilities jewelry crafts can be quite fun for little ones. You can keep it simple by stringing short straws together or bring it up a notch by creating pendants with polymer clay. Give your kids a little freedom with the materials and you’ll be surprised at what they come up with. You can get plenty of inspiration online, here’s one to get you started.
5. Put on Your Chef Hats
Source: LaterJay Photography/Pixabay
Get your little ones into the kitchen and have them involved in making lunch or dinner. It doesn’t have to be a gourmet meal, it could be simple food like making salad, sandwiches or eggs. For the younger ones, you can have them help you prepare the ingredients such as stirring the batter, assembling the sandwich and tearing lettuces. Not only will it boost their confidence, but will also give them a sense of accomplishment.
Also Read: 7 Immunity Boosting Recipes to do with your Child
6. Bring Out Your Baking Mitts
Source: Vickie McCarty/Pixabay
Blueberry muffins, banana cream pies, chocolate chip cookies, rainbow cakes . . . What’s not to like? Additionally, baking, just like cooking, helps to boost the confidence of children and gives them a sense of accomplishment. With a little supervision and guidance, you’ll easily end up with a yummy dessert for teatime.
7. Learn a Choreographed Dance Together
Source: Laura Fuhrman/Unsplash
What better way to release all that energy buzzing in your little ones than to have a dance party? Instead of just boogieing to the music, bring up the challenge by putting on a dance video and moving to its choreography. If you’re not sure where to look, there’s a whole bunch (and more) of dance videos on YouTube.
8. Warm Up with an Exercise Routine
Source: Intermountain Healthcare
If you’re not much of a dance person, you can opt for an exercise routine instead. You will still be moving your body about, which is also a great way for your little ones to release all that seemingly endless energy, plus you get to maintain a fit lifestyle. There’s a horde of videos you can follow along to on YouTube, so just pick one you’re comfortable with and get started!
9. Conduct Science Experiments
Source: Penfield Building Blocks
Science experiments like an erupting volcano, invisible ink and floating ping pong balls are more than likely to elicit some giggles from the little ones. What’s more, you don’t have to be a scientist or have access to a lab to do these experiments!
If that piqued your interest, you’ll be happy to know that there are more experiments you can try at the comfort of your home such as creating dinosaur tracks and finding out the dominant side of your body.
10. Create Toys from Scraps
Source: 7 Days of Play/Instagram
If you love getting hands-on, 7 Days of Play on Instagram is a treasure trove of ideas, from fake snow and rainbow pasta to cardboard castle, color sorting board and sensory play!
11. Get to the Scrubbing
Source: Vanessa Bucceri/Unsplash
Kid’s toys, like any other object, can gather dust and dirt over time, which can be unsafe. Even more so if you have tiny tots who love exploring their toys by taste. While you can clean soft plushies in a washing machine, plastic or wooden toys are a different matter. Since you have to get around to doing it anyway, why not make a playdate out of the chore?
Arm your little ones with either a toothbrush for the plastic toys or a damp cloth for the wooden ones and get them busy. This way, not only do you get to keep your little ones occupied, they get to learn about responsibility as well.
12. Make Believe Doctors
Mummy Jermaine shared this great idea! Create your own make-believe doctor's office to teach and familiarize your little ones with the temperature taking process. With a little bit of imagination, this can turn out to be both educational and endlessly fun!
13. Borrow Lots of Books
Head down to your nearest National Library branch and borrow lots of books! Not only is it a free activity but an enriching one too! Perhaps also a great time for Mummies and Daddies to pick up the love of reading too! And if you really don't want to head out, you can borrow eBooks on the National Library app and read on your device instead!
14. Time to Get Moving!
If you have active little tykes who cannot keep still, Daddy Lawrence suggests getting them to do the house chores (or at least teach them) or you could also (try to) get fit together with a family workout at home!
