Kids got cabin fever? Try these energy-burning activities!
One of the hardest parts of social distancing is trying to keep our kids entertained. By now, we all know that schoolteachers are basically superheroes! Handling kids' education, energy, and social batteries all at once--especially when their routines are disrupted--makes for a tough transition to home-schooling and working from home.
The fun in this challenge is finding a learning opportunity in everything: kids need to burn off energy while they're stuck at home, but they're not likely to enjoy an hour running on the treadmill.
We've collected some physical and educational activities that can be fun for the whole family. These games and activities help burn off energy, keep kids' minds and bodies active, and make social distancing fun for the whole family.
- Bust out the tape. Painter's tape is an unsung hero for families. Challenge your kids to create hopscotch courses, mazes, and obstacle courses by marking their paths with painter's tape. (Need more proof of tape's amazing possibilities? Check out these 12 options!)
- Make your own toys. This is a fun activity for future engineers. Bust out the crafting supplies and work together to model, create, and decorate simple toys like kites and paper planes. If the weather's nice, take a walk to an open area where your kids can put their new creations into action. (P.S. This is also a great learning opportunity for kids to find out more about the basics of thermodynamics! It's STEM at home!)
- Learn about local flora and fauna. Getting a little stir crazy? Take a nature walk as a family and point out the birds, plants, and animals you see along the way. As an extra challenge, start by setting older kids "research projects" to identify various plants and animals you might find around your neighborhood. Then, try to pick them out on your walk! If you've got the time, a family fishing trip is another great way to get out and active--just be sure to stay six feet apart from anyone else you meet!
- Make your party supplies work for you. Balloons are another source of endless indoor entertainment. Challenge your kids to see how long they can keep a balloon from touching the ground, or create an obstacle course they have to "run" while balancing a balloon on their hand. For added fun, try the challenges yourself!
- Host your own Backyard Olympics. This is a favorite of families around the world. Find your favorite "sports" you can do around the house: things like obstacle courses, "hockey" with brooms and paper balls, and balance competitions. Work together to make and decorate medals, keep score over a day's activities, and host a medal ceremony at the end!
- Make cleaning into a game. Babysitters love this one: Set a timer and see if your kids can "beat" the record as they put away toys, make beds, and wipe down counters. Each day, offer a new reward for beating the previous time. (A five minute dance party, a special story before bed, or a favorite meal for dinner are all great alternatives to sugar-based rewards!)
- Have a fashion show! This one is especially fun if the whole family gets in on it. Bust out old Halloween costumes, your winter gear, and clothes that are meant for the donation bins. Take turns dressing up in the wackiest outfits imaginable, and prancing down your living room "runway" to your favorite tunes. (P.S. Here are our favorite kids' shades to top off the Look!)
- Create a family dance team. Dancing is a great way to get the mind and body working at the same time. We all know how fun a five-minute dance party can be, but what about a choreographed family routine? Work together to create a dance everyone can get in on together, come up with matching dance uniforms from clothes you've got around the house, and film the result.
- Dig for treasure. This one takes a bit of preparation, but it can be a lot of fun. Fill a sand box or plastic kiddie pool with dirt or sand, and bury some "treasures" for your kids to find. These could include replica dinosaur bones, pirate coins, or artifacts from a long-lost civilization (that just happen to look an awful lot like your lesser-used dinner plates). Launch an archaeological expedition and challenge your kids to tell stories about the objects they dig up.
- Pop some bubbles. Bust out the bubble wands and dish soap--we're in for some sudsy fun! Playing with bubbles is a great way to get kids (especially younger ones) up and active. For added educational value, create a bubble recipe and experiment with different additions, like glitter, food coloring, and essential oils. Have your kids make predictions about the various additions: will food coloring make the bubbles too heavy? Which ingredients make them pop sooner, and which make them last longer? Then, run experiments to test your hypotheses!
Did you try something on our list? What did the kids think? Let us know on social media! We want to see your family dance videos and fashion shows--and don't forget the sunglasses as the perfect finishing touch! You can find us on Instagram at @bombereyewear.
What's your family up to during social distancing?