6 Activities To Do At Home With Kids During Quarantine

Over the past few months my family has learned more than ever the values of shared activities. With Covid-19 ravaging the world, and the resulting Stay at Home and then eventually the Safer at Home policies, my husband and I found ourselves looking for fun but isolation-friendly things to do with our young kids.

1. Improvised forts   

The rain clouds filled the sky as cold liquid pellets hit me in the face. My kid’s disappointment grew as our plans for a bonfire were melting into puddles at their feet. Sadly, they dragged themselves back inside the house while I gave into the load of laundry in the hallway. 

“Can we build a fort Momma?” My youngest looked at me with anticipation. “Sure,” I smiled. It wasn’t long before the giggles began. My oldest daughter had the brilliant idea to try and build a fort that the rain could withstand. Before long cardboard boxes, blankets, an umbrella, and a whole slew of random items where pulled out into the rain. What a disaster! But the end result was a ramshackle fort worthy of stand up to the rain and three happy kids inside.

2. Gardening

I hauled the bags of soil from the car and planted them firmly on the porch. My youngest daughter had already ripped open the seed packages in her excitement, scattered them along the porch floor. I gingerly sorted them while my kids stuffed soil into their pots. I instructed them on how deep to place the seeds into the soil and they carefully added water to them. A couple weeks later I heard the kids squeal with excitement over the seedlings beginning to immerge. Gardening has provided us with many opportunities to learn and work together.

3. Dance Parties

Is there anything more fun or energizing than dancing with children? Dance parties in our family have been known to uplift sour attitudes, create laughter, get lazy bodies moving, and strengthen family relationships. If all else fails, turn up that dance music and tear up that living room carpet with your dynamite dance moves.

4. Cooking lessons

My kids have picky palates. I learned that selecting a dinner option we both agreed on and having them help make it changed their attitudes. They started thinking ahead about what they wanted to eat on “their turn” to make dinner and started feeling more adventurous with trying new foods of their choice.   

5. Fairy Gardens

My kids have reached their boredom limit and wanted new ideas. Enter the fairy garden. A fairy garden can be created in an afternoon with a few everyday items found in the yard and some creativity. My kids collected rocks, twigs, dandelions, and treasures from their rooms. We won’t talk about the jar of glitter my littlest found…

They spent quite a bit of time working on their fairy gardens and were excited to show me their ideas. The best part is that they can keep adding to their gardens throughout the summer.

Feeling stuck at home can give way to mild depression, apathy, and stress among other things. With a little creativity, Safer at Home can turn into Fun at Home Together. Be safe and stay healthy.