How to Keep your Kids Busy While Stuck at Home!

By now, I know for a fact we are all running out of ideas and ways to keep the kids occupied. Are you sick of hearing “mom, mom, mom, mom…” then turning around and your kid is just bored out of their minds looking for anything to do? At the beginning of last spring, we were all joking about upping our wine intake but now, that has gotten old and we all could use some helpful tips! (Hiding in the bathroom with the door locked isn’t cutting it either). Whether this is just relevant for this crazy time we’re in or you live in a place with brutal winters forcing you to be inside for the winter months- we all need some ideas to keep the kids out of our hair!


Crafting Time
Arts and crafts are a great way to keep the kids busy while simultaneously improving their basic life skills that are needed in day-to-day life. Keeping kids busy with crafts at any age is a positive; boosting self-esteem, promoting creativity and for the younger kids- improving motor skills. From glitter glue to colorful construction paper- crafting can be so much fun! Crafts can also be such an affordable way to have a fun time, you can find so many good supplies at your local dollar store. As far as ideas go, I could go on and on with craft ideas but as we all know, Pinterest is a great source for craft ideas for kids of all ages! Pick up a few things and clear the dining room table- it’s time for a craft day!

Cooking Together
I’m sure we all have this in common, but some of my favorite memories of growing up are cooking with my parents. Not only is it fun, but again- great life skills will come out of this! We have all met someone who can barely make a bowl of Top Ramen without messing it up in one way or another. This is also a perfect opportunity to pass along a family recipe or show your kids a piece of their family heritage. (or just stick to chocolate chip cookies, you can never go wrong there!) Cooking can be therapeutic for both you and your kids. We all can use some time to get our mind off of things and cooking is a great outlet!

Game Night
It seems like everyone watches too much tv or is addicted to some video game. A great way to switch things up but still have fun is getting together with your family members while stuck inside and play the board games that barely see the light of day anymore. Or maybe switch it up and buy some new ones off Amazon to keep the excitement going. From ‘Jenga’ to ‘Apples to Apples’, there are so many board games out there for everyone! Then sit down, put everyone’s cell phones aside, disconnect from social media, grab a snack and start playing!

On top of just finding things to do, another thing to keep in mind while being stuck at home is always your mental health! Being couped up can be difficult for anyone (including your kids). It is important to realize that keeping busy and your mind active is important. Getting fresh air is important too, talking a walk outside should be regular thing for everyone! Encourage your kids to get off of their gaming system and go play in the backyard or read a book! Everything is online now, make sure you are aware when you need to ‘log off’. I hope this gives you some encouragement on how to cope with now being a home-body if you weren’t before or just some ideas to keep your kiddos busy all day!