Let’s be honest. For many of us, this is an unprecedented time for us in parenthood. Many of us are working from home with little ones home from school and, with kiddos varying in age, it’s absolutely essential to have entertainment, education, and stay-at-home activities + fun throughout the day. I’ll be the first to admit. I’m a novice at this stay-at-home mom thing. I’ve been working remotely from home for six years now, but my children have primarily been in childcare and preschool that entire time. So, the idea of having my babies with me all day every day while still maintaining a career is moderately terrifying.
I’ll also say this though; I’ve seen some of the most amazing ideas from other parents around the world regarding how to entertain, educate, and keep the kiddos (and yourself) sane throughout the day. I’m not opposed to using the TV as needed, but my goal is to keep my babies moving, active as much as possible and, of course, out of my hair when need be. Today, I wanted to share some of both our favorite tried and true stay-at-home activities your kids will love.
10 Stay-at-Home Activities Your Kids Will Love
1 // Sidewalk Chalk
I’ve actually seen quite a few fun movements on Instagram with sidewalk chalk lately, which is cool, too! With social distancing in full effect and Washington State being ordered to stay at home, it’s imperative that we do stuff in and around our house – alone – most days. Sidewalk chalk is always a hit, and I couldn’t care less if they color outside the lines! Color where you will, my precious beans. Have at it! The neighbors will enjoy the view later 😉
2 // 3D Coloring
What the heck am I talking about, you ask? Well, if you’re a military family like us, I bet you have approximately 290384293 boxes on hand at any given time. We love emptying those boxes out, sitting the kids in them, and allowing them to color all around themselves. Again, they can do what they want, contained within those four proverbial “walls.” Plus, is there any better toy for young children than empty boxes?
3 // Mattress Surfing
I know this isn’t educational. Don’t @ me. I mean, I guess it could be, if we get into physics and gravity and all that. We have a two-story house, and we have a spare toddler mattress upstairs. Have you ever pushed one of those suckers and a little one gently down the stairs? Think of it like sledding…but inside. Trust me when I say that it’s at least an hour of endless entertainment.
4 // Take a Bubble Tub
This is a huge hit in my house! If you’ve been a follower of mine for some time, you probably saw them in full force during last year’s snowpocalypse. We also resorted to a bubble tub this past weekend when the weather was less than stellar. My kids love hiding Legos under all those bubbles, as well as toys, then building through all the bubbles. It’s at least an hour of good, clean fun for everyone.
5 // Do a “Drive-In” Movie
This is another huge hit with my kiddos. You know those plastic storage bins? We glue or tape construction paper wheels on the sides, as well as little yellow headlights on the front, then put a pillow in them, like a car seat. Give the kiddos each a little bag of popcorn, close the curtains, and turn on a movie. If that’s not a “drive-in” theatre experience, I don’t know what is.
6 // Nature Walks
Okay, so Washington is under a stay at home order, but Gov. Inslee made sure to say that it wasn’t the same as “shelter in place.” We can go outside. We can walk. We have to stay away from other people. The big difference now is that all businesses are closed, and daycares, while essential, are now only open for critical care workers’ children. For us, the outdoors heals everything. Even with all the rain in the forecast, nature walks are our musts. We’ll walk, bike, jump on the trampoline – anything we can – to get the fresh air we need.
7 // Do a Scavenger Hunt
These are great both indoors and outdoors! We’ve actually never done one of these, but both my boys are finally at the age where they’re willing and able to identify different objects, point them out, collect them, and share their prizes. I saw one on instagram the other day in which littles found pebbles, pinecones, leaves, and more, all of which they could share and identify.
8 // Paint or Color Rocks
This is one of my favorite things – ever. I’ve learned that my kids aren’t so good with paint, but they’re pretty good with permanent markers. Put some newspaper down on a table or flat surface, give them some flat rocks and bright permanent markers, and let them have it. Then, collect all those rocks to distribute later (hopefully when this all passes) for others to find and pass on some cheer.
9 // Bake Something
We’re big fans of fresh-baked goodies over here at casa de Moore. If you follow me on instagram, you’ve likely seen that I bake a lot of cupcakes. Like, a lot, a lot. Spencer, in particular, loves to participate in my baking challenges, and he loves to crack the eggs. There are so many easy and family-friendly baking recipes out there, and I’ll be sharing some of my favorites in the coming weeks. Try something sweet – and new! It might surprise you.
10 // Work with Shapes & Sizes
A good friend of mine posted something about this on her instagram stories the other day, and I love that it’s a mix between fun and educational. Essentially, you need three or four jars, and three or four different-sized/shaped objects (like felt balls) to separate between the jars. They’ll be able to see the patterns and differentiate between the objects, making learning fun!
Tell me; has your state had a stay at home order declared yet? What are your favorite stay-at-home activities your kids will love? I’m always happy to add more to our repertoire.
