The whole world is panicking, schools are on lockdown, gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned, and even religious activities are on hold for now – all because of the covid-19 (coronavirus). Parents have a better knowledge of what this virus is about and how to avoid coming in contact with it. As for children, No! that is the reason schools have been ordered by the government to stay locked until this whole issue is figured out. Now that the kids are at home, the major struggle will be on how to keep them engaged while parents work from home. I have compiled some activities you can engage in with your kids during this coronavirus lockdown.
The first thing you should do is explain the situation on the ground to your kids. Explain to them in simple terms what coronavirus is, why they are not in school, and why they cannot go out to play with friends. You can read on Kids Can Learn about Germs Too to learn on handwashing techniques that would better educate your kids on how to keep proper hygiene and stay safe. Now back to the activities you can perform with your kids while you are at home;
1. To ensure that there is proper time management, set up a time-table with them. The reason why you would involve them is so they can know what to do at a certain time of the day. While your kids might think it is time to play and watch TV, have in the time-table time for play, food, study, etc. Also, fix in your own work time so you can also have time for yourself.
2. Play games like board games and card games like chess, monopoly, puzzles, etc. with them. Hide and seek is also a fun game to play at home with your kids.
3. Let them assist you to cook in the kitchen. They can do things like, measure out food ingredients, pass you the salt, spoon, or even watch plates. This does not stop them from doing house chores too. Like sweeping, laying their own bed, assisting in the laundry, all these activities should be encouraged at the start of the day.
4. If you have access to the internet, you can do fun cooking or baking with them while they take charge of the kitchen. They can bake things like cookies, prepare homemade popcorn, and make lemonade or kool-aid, etc. Trust me, they will be so eager to share this experience with their friends in school.
5. Do not forget their study time. You can be their teacher at home, and even though they are not in school, that does not stop them from learning. This is the best time to even access their school notes, give them tasks to do, and if possible learn new things with them online daily. You can engage them in learning a word daily. You would surprise at the number of words they will know after the end of everything.
6. For someone with a large compound, you can have sporting activities with your kids. Play soccer a little bit, and at the end might take a dip in the pool.
7. The internet is for your use. You have to be very careful with this so they do not end up watching content not meant for their age. There are many funny skits and videos about kids having fun online. The TV can also serve this purpose – let them have time to watch their favorite shows and channels.
Apart from all these listed activities, let your children have their own free time. This is the time for them to play and engage in their own games. Being on lockdown does not mean you and your kids cannot have fun. Remember, stay safe, keep an eye on your kids, and always encourage them to wash their hands.
[…] Since we are all here, we have to accept that part of our parental duty is to monitor and manage our kids’ screen time. How do you as the parent control your children’s screen time now that school and every form of socialization are on hold because of the covid-19 outbreak? Because of this, the use of digital devices has now grown to be part of our lives. If we are to look at it, the transition is increasing, with families already creating more ways they can spend time together. […]