Here are a few super things to help keep the kids occupied during these lockdown times. From building wonderful and exotic wildlife animals from cardboard to growing your own chilli pepper plants…Lots to do to keep all entertained. Whether as treat or a special gift for yours or someone elses kids we have some lovely ideas for you to pick from.
We also chat with Chezzy Kennedy Creator of the Confident Kids® program and ask her advice for keeping kids (and parents!) happy….
“I recommend that parents create a timetable of the days structure, young children have no idea of time and an unplanned day can seem overwhelming. This can lead to anxiety and unwanted behaviour. When you plan the day, block it into sections so that you do different activities for different time blocks. Doing this will ensure that your child gets a good mix of high energy activity as well as screen time. If you can fill the day with activities that stimulate various parts of the brain you will have a much calmer home.“
Spice up family life with your very own chilli plant. Meals never need to be boring again when you have your very own chilli plants to hand. This Chilli Plant kit contains five different varieties.
Presented in a stylish gift box the Grow It – Chilli Plant kit comes with everything you need to grow your own chillies from pots to seeds and a booklet of growing tips so you don’t need to be green-fingered gardening expert to enjoy some indoor botanical fun.
“I enjoyed planting this with my dad. It was easy to follow the instructions and I can’t wait to see the chilli when it grows. It has made me want to grow more things.”
Little Cooks Co is a perfect isolation activity for the whole family. Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home.
The recipes have been designed by a registered child nutritionist, so each monthly kit’s ingredients are free from all refined sugar and processed ingredients. Subscription available to purchase at Little Cooks Co (From £8.33 per month).
“I liked making the lemon cookies. I would really like to make more from Little Cooks. It’s great that everything is easy to do and posted through your letter box!”
See the World Through Others’ Eyes
Have you ever wondered how a shark sees the world? Do you want to see like a T rex?
These unique glasses allow you to see the world in over 17 different ways – they have 22 interchangeable lenses in this optical science kit.
Lenses include wide angle, coloured, polarised, split vision, faceted, spectrum and more.
Did you know that a dragonfly has up to 30,000 lenses in its eyes! Did you know that an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain! Learn about the science of sight and includes fascinating information about seeing like a rat, eagle, bee and more.
“I have wanted to try this for ages! Animals and bugs see things differently to us! It is amazing! I feel like I have gt to know the animals a little bit better too.”
Build your own 3D models with this unique collectable. Beautifully detailed yet simplified miniature animal figures with a couple of spoons of cuteness added in. Made from environmentally friendly, biodegradable card with natural eco- friendly ink and non-toxic glue. Simply glue the pieces together in numerical sequence.
Collect them all. An alligator, a dragon, a wolf, a shark, a panda, a penguin, a unicorn, a stego, a tyranno, a clownfish,a giraffe, an elephant and a llama.
“We had so much fun making these and now want to collect them all. They look really cute and are now on display. There are loads to collect and it was really nice sitting here following the instructions with my mum.”
Travel to another galaxy and step aboard the HEXBUG nano® Space Discovery Station. Let your imagination take ahold of the story as your nano® becomes a deep space voyager. Created to inspire children’s interest in space, this deluxe set highlights elements of an epic space odyssey. Dress your nano® in a space suit, watch as it drives a rover and accesses the air lock passage.
Use your imagination to create a narrative for your nano® as they drive a rover and explore the surrounding area.
“I was pleased that I followed the instructions by myself. It took a little while to make and now it is in my bedroom. I really liked making this and I really like learning about space.”
Check out this free initiative too:
FREE activity sheets from and videos from Dopper.com that kids (ages 8-12) can access from home which encourages them to think about ways of reducing the amount of single use plastics. An educational, yet fun activity to do from the comfort of your own home.
Chezzy also advises that parents need to look after themselves too!
“It is important at this time to look after your wellbeing as a parent, your child does not need to be entertained 100% of the time. From a creative point of view, it is good for our children to get bored. When you create your daily time table have a set time when they have to entertain themselves. Use this time for yourself to do an activity that is important to you. Remember this situation is new to everyone and no one expects you to be super parent you can only do your best.”
Check out some of Chezzys super actives too – and worth giving them a go even if you think your child is too old….. it can revive old memories or make a fun change during this challenging time.
ACTIVITY IDEAS
Sensory Play
Sensory play and activities are brilliant for calming the nervous system, enhancing memory skills and an important part of child development. Such as:
Making jewelry from dried pasta
Water play – Play in the bath if you don’t want water everywhere
Make a mud pie – Use the garden for some old fashioned mud play
Freeze toys in water then use spoons to break the ice to set them free
Corn flour play
Make your own play doe there are lots of recipes online
Cooking
Movement/ Proprioceptive Play
Movement play, this kind of play is important to help children to focus and be able to burn energy and stay calm.
Jumping up and down make use of the trampoline or put the cushions on the floor and have a bounce
Do animal walks around the house, tall animals and small animals, jump like a frog wiggle like a snake
Walk the tightrope, put tape or a rope on the floor to walk across
Pushing exercises are great, can make the room bigger by pushing the walls?
Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is great for a 20-minute adventure.
Indoor disco make a playlist of songs that make you want to dance
Create an indoor obstacle course
Lazer room, wrap wool or string around the room like lasers, then try to move around without hitting a laser.
Thinking activities
Get the brain working and builds a sense of confidence and grows self-esteem
Puzzles
Reading
Sorting objects
Treasure hunts finding objects around the house for each letter of the alphabet
Small box challenge, give everyone a small box and see who can fill it with the most items
Learn a new game like chess
What’s missing, have a tray of items and remove one see if children can guess which is missing
Observation games
How many birds can you see out the window
How many blue cars go past
Making pictures from clouds
Creative play
Junk modeling
Cutting pictures from magazines to make college
Mood boards – finding images that make you happy
Vision boards – create a board of things you would like to do, places you would like to go
Potato paining – Make a stamp out of a potato and dip it in paint
Make a table den with blankets
