When we’re confined to our homes (both big and small) it becomes increasingly important as time goes by, to keep active and healthy.
This is a list of suggestions for activities to keep you and your family busy throughout lockdown, providing entertainment and keeping you all active.
Enjoy, and please share some other activities you may want to share with us.
- Reading
Encourage your older children to read a book. For the smaller children, set aside time every day to read them a story. This not only stimulates their imagination but also increases their vocabulary and spelling skills.
- Each member in the family gets to “Rule the day” (i.e. decides what to do with the whole family or the siblings).
This activity encourages empathy (through learning to accommodate and respect other peoples’ interests), as each family member will take turns sharing one of their own interests with the rest of the family.
For example: if someone likes to cook or bake, the “chef” then gives instructions for others to make lunch/dinner. This teaches leadership skills as well as teamwork and respect. Then the next time, someone else in the family gets to “Rule the day!”.
- Camp out in the living room or in your garden
Each one has a task that they are in charge of. This helps with working as a team. The camping also allows for a difference in the home set-up and not have a mundane daily routine.
- FaceTime or VideoCall friends and family
Make sure you still keep in touch with the outside world.
- Learn something new
Find something that you’ve always wanted to do or to learn. Now with YouTube and a multitude of online learning platforms, there is no excuse not to learn how to play piano, how to knit, how to make an Irish Stew, bang those drums and so much more. Want to learn to code? Kids go here, and adults go here! Or learn with Future Learning https://www.futurelearn.com/. Learn 100% online with world class universities and industry experts. Develop hobbies, new skills and career-changing expertise with their flexible courses. In 2020, they offered Free Online Courses with Certifications!!! Go on be curious and explore.
- Exercise
Do a Rumba or Yoga class with the family. Try to keep healthy and release all that pent up energy.
- Performance night:
Always considered yourself a budding actor/musician?
Each person can perform something in the evening after dinner, something they have been practising or learning during the week (in between their schoolwork), be it singing, reading a section in the book they want to share, playing an instrument, doing a dance, puppet show or mime, or a “how to…” and teach others.
- Games:
Charades, board games, card games, Minute to Win It, Playstation/ Xbox for the teens.
- Date Night…….
When all the children are finally in bed, get out the candles and chat over a glass of wine or Kahlua in candle-light and see what happens from there (nudge nudge, wink wink).
Sensory or Creative Arts Activities:
- Be it painting, drawing, colouring-in, building something, sensory play (sand-play, making slime, cutting and pasting, playdough)
- Get outside into the garden, chase the dog; play french cricket; bounce on the trampoline or run around the garden, climb a tree.
Enjoy and keep active!
