How To Keep Your Kids Busy During The Lockdown

We know that this is a strange moment for the UK. However, keeping your kids busy and entertained doesn’t need to be a struggle! 

So we’ve bought together some of the most creative and fun ways to keep children happy during their time indoors during the lockdown. 

Of course, it’s important to keep active and get kids playing, running, enjoying their time outdoors during the daily exercise sessions. 

But make sure you’re keeping 6-10 feet away from other people, not staying out all day in the sun (because this actually makes it easier to spread the virus to vulnerable people) and enjoying the fresh air!

However, for the rest of the time, why not:

Join In With Online Spanish For Kids Classes

Spanish is one of the best languages that kids can learn! 

It’s fun, engaging and is spoken in 20 different countries and territories around the world. In these, Spanish is taught as the primary language in schools and is used as the primary language of communication.

Learning Spanish for kids not only gives them amazing skills to put into practice in later life, but it can be taught in a fun, engaging way that keeps kids busy, motivated and entertained during their time indoors. 

Talk about two birds and one stone!

Our Spanish Classes For Kids are 30 minutes long, and completely online, which means you can provide your children with a routine they’ll love getting into for their weekly Spanish lessons! 

We create all of our Spanish course content ourselves, and our Spanish teachers are highly qualified in their fields of teaching, with professional backgrounds as teachers of young children before specialising in teaching Spanish. 

So why not see how much fun your children can have, and how much they will learn in our Spanish for kids? 

Turn Your (One) Exercise Session Into A Game

Whoever said that getting outside had to be boring didn’t try hard enough! 

While taking your family out for your daily exercise sessions, why not see if you can incorporate some of the games and activities that you might take on a road trip with you?

Of course, it’s important that everyone makes sure they stick to the strict measures in place for everyone’s safety during the coronavirus outbreak. 

Plus, it’s crucial to remember that this isn’t a holiday! 

Staying out all day in the park can increase the spread of the virus, so it’s best to stick to a good bit of fresh air then back inside to restrict the possibility of passing anything along to anyone who is vulnerable. 

But as long as everyone stays 6-10 feet away from other people and doesn’t go out unnecessarily (apart from your daily break for freedom!) then who’s to say you can’t have fun?

Why not take the games from their favourite TV shows outside, and turn the walk into its own activity? 

Bring out a game of Eye-Spy, or see how many objects, plants or animals they can spot on the walk. 

Maybe even create your own soundtrack perfect for walking, running, cycling or skating and turn it into a movie! 

Making the most of your outdoor time will not only bring some variation and excitement to the day, but it’ll burn off their excess energy…

Join In Virtual Read-alongs 

If reading is something that doesn’t appeal to all of your kids, or if you want something that you can all do as a family while inside, how about making reading virtual?

Storyline Online is an award-winning children’s literacy website, where you can stream children’s stories read aloud by some of the best actors and actresses out there. 

Each story has creative illustrations, and readers include Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin, Chris Pine, Kevin Costner and Betty White and so many more!

Plus, not only does this make reading something that all the family can do together, it’s available 24 hours a day for parents, carers and guardians. 

Storyline Online also receives about 100million views from children and families all over the globe, so they’re onto something big!

Reading is such an important skill for children no matter how old they are, not only to boost creativity and critical thinking, and other essential cognitive abilities, but reading is something that brings so much more than just stories into children’s lives. 

Once you find a character, a story that your kids love, there’s no holding back with how this can be brought into other activities and daily life!

Bring their favourite stories to life by recipes, bringing those characters into play, or even create activities inspired by the plot – encourage your kids to think about why they liked the story, and maybe even get them to write their own!

Explore Your Favourite Museums And Landmarks Virtually 

If you can’t go outside and explore the arts, culture and sights of the UK, then bring them to you!

Many of our favourite places to visit, especially in London, open their virtual doors to visitors armed with a computer and healthy curiosity! 

Places like the Natural History Museum, and the British Museum have loads of amazing exhibitions and items to see, history to learn about and new facts to wow everyone within their virtual tours! 

The British Museum has also put together a ‘Museum of the World’ which users can scroll through and see important cultural events, the art, religion and trade from the world during time.

Plus, while there are many UK-based tourist destinations that you can explore virtually, there are so many incredible places around the world that you can visit from the sofa! 

See places like the Louvre in Paris, the Smithsonian Museum in New York, and lots of other fun-filled places that you can bring right to your home. 

Check out this list of the 10 best museums around the world to visit virtually, and this list of family-friendly virtual tours from museums that all provide fun and education in equal measure for all ages!

What’s more, some of the most gorgeous and awe-inspiring landmarks around the globe have virtual tours – you can explore the Taj Mahal from the sofa! 

Have a look at these amazing landmarks that are all open for virtual tours.

Cook With Your Kids

Why not check out some new, fun recipes to make? Explore this list of Spanish recipes and see if anything takes your fancy. 

Cooking with your kids not only teaches them useful skills in the kitchen, but it’s a great way to while away a few hours inside with fun! 

Cooking new recipes is also an amazing way to bond as a family, and celebrate a new culture such as the vibrant, tasty world of Spain and Latin America.

Plus, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and want to set yourself all a challenge – why not see this list of traditional Spanish recipes that you can master in time for when all this blows over and you’re on your next family holiday. 

Maybe to Spain?…

Ditch The Screens

Of course, modern technology is amazing, especially in times as this where it provides almost endless amusement and distraction. 

But making sure that we, and our children, don’t rely on screens and technology too much for entertainment is so important! 

While the seemingly limitless amount of games, activities, facts, social media platforms, seemingly important information and general content that the internet provides is amazing, and useful in so many ways – having everything accessible and available 24/7 encourages a lack of attention. 

It makes us and our children expect to have constant entertainment that we don’t have to create ourselves. It encourages a disposable mindset where things can be discarded and replaced by something better almost immediately.

And connecting with family over social media or the internet is great in times where we might not be able to see them. 

But taking a break from the screens and technology also makes the time we spend together more wonderful, with deeper connections. 

Plus, what child doesn’t like getting a bit messy every now and then? Practical play and creativity is great fun, brings a new dynamic to playtime and gets children going.

Have a look at this list of creative, crafting ideas that your children can easily try for themselves while they’re at home. 

Whether it’s printing off colouring pages, designs or scenes and getting creative with how you colour, or setting up indoor games with a few household items, bringing creative games and activities into your home is simple. 

Physical creation just can’t be beaten!

The post How To Keep Your Kids Busy During The Lockdown appeared first on Battersea Spanish.