While you’d rather be playing with the kids, there are just some times when you’re going to be too busy to get outside with them or play in the house. Instead of hearing them say they’re bored over and over until you can play again, make sure you have fun activities for them to do. When you can’t be around and need to keep your kids entertained, try out these ideas.
Educational TV Episodes
While too much TV time isn’t great for kids, there are educational tv shows that are great for all ages. Check out the various channel packages available near you to find TV channels with the right programs. Educational programs can keep the kids entertained for a while and can encourage them to learn something new. This can inspire them to try something new or to learn more about something they found interesting.
Look for shows that have an educational component and that are going to be interesting for your kids. Try to find ones that match their level and look for ones that have characters they’ll enjoy. This can help them with reading as well, as they may want to learn more about something they’ve watched or read books about their favorite characters.
Arts and Crafts
Kids love creating things. Arts and crafts can help keep kids occupied for hours. Find activities that are good for their age level and make sure they know how to use the different items they’ll need. For this, it’s best to stay as simple as possible. Give them supplies and let them use their imagination to create something. They’ll spend more time on their creation and will be pleased to show it off once they’re done.
Set up a table with all of the basic supplies. Have crayons, paint, paper, stickers, and anything fun they might be able to glue onto their paper. Have different colors, different sizes of paper, and more to make sure they have everything they need to create whatever they want.
Create an Obstacle Course
If you have time, create an obstacle course throughout the house for the kids to play on while you’re busy. You will need to keep an ear out to make sure no one gets hurt, but this can keep them entertained for a long time. Think about things to jump over or onto, things to crawl through, things to throw, and things to balance on. If the weather’s nice, you can create the obstacle course outdoors or indoors. Once everything is set up, you can let them tackle the obstacle course while you are busy getting other things done.
Think about what you already have in your home to set up the obstacle course. It can be as simple as moving around some furniture and tossing on a few sheets to create an obstacle course that needs to be conquered to get to a play tent. They’ll spend plenty of time running around the obstacle course and playing in the tent, though this activity may get a little loud.
There are going to be times when you need to keep your kids entertained, even if it’s just for a little bit. Try out these activities to make sure they’re going to have a blast while you’re busy and so you won’t have to hear them say they’re bored.
These are good ideas. I used to go to the library and look for books that had ideas, now we have blogs with good ideas like this to help!