As wise parenting experts always say, “Let them be bored”. Boredom will force them to be creative, to be independent and to be responsible for their own happiness. This is so true!
It is just that many a time, the working-from-home parents are the ones facing the pressure, trying hard not to turn into a monster while bearing with the endless whines and trying to meet their work deadlines at the same time.
This “Let them be bored” recommendation probably works better over the weekends when parents have more time to work on their own parenting skills.
Here are a couple of tips from me on keeping the kids entertained based on what worked for us during Phase 1 of the last Circuit Breaker.
Equipped yourselves with fun tools for this Circuit Breaker with kids!
With 4 active kids at home, I hoarded a cupboard full of tools that we can use at home.
Rackets
We did a ton of indoor sports at home! Decathlon was my best friend then.
Believed it or not, we played a lot of badminton and table tennis while seated on the floor. Nope, we do not have a high ceiling. We merely modified the rules of the game by sitting on the floor! Decathlon carries rackets in 3 sizes – preschooler, junior and adults. The preschooler and junior sets* work best with space limitations at home.
Balloons
Instead of playing basketball and soccer at home, try balloons. These light-weighted bouncy toys are low-impact and yet bounce sufficiently for a round of good work-out. Superb for honing their spatial and proprioception skills too according to our occupational therapist. Get the balloons from Shopee here*.
Paints
Depending on how your nest is configured and your comfort level with the mess, paints are a good way for the kids to spend their time meaningfully.
We have been using a lot of Crayola washable paints for years and I often purchase them in big bottles. The kids either paint on drawing papers or make cardboard models such as bus, house, robot, etc. We started our second Circuit Breaker with a round of painting in the morning.
Crayola washable paints* are super easy to clean. Just remember to rinse off the paint with water within the first 2 hours of staining the clothes/walls.
Board Games
Board games are awesome ways to get kids busy. But many of these games need adult intervention, especially if your kids are still preschoolers. It does not help you and your kids when you are working from home during this Circuit Breaker.
One way to reduce your stress level is by inviting them to play games that they have already mastered. In my case, I would give the preschoolers a stack of Uno cards which they are already used to playing. They may play the cards according to the usual rules, or they may start laying the cards on the floor to create whatever games or layout they fancy.
Check out my earlier post on some of the board games we play – Building Strong Connections with Kids Using Fun Games
Modeling Clay
If you have younger kids, clay is one of the best toys that young children should be playing with. Modeling clays build their tiny finger strength, creativity and problem-solving skills. My girls can go on and on with the modelling for an hour.
If you think that modelling clay is hard to clean up, you are mistaken. Our go-to modelling clay is the Crayola Magic Model*. This brand is super easy to clean up and it does not stick to the floor or furniture, nor leaving oily stains. Do stay away from fabrics though as cleaning gets a little tricky.
However, Crayola Magic Model is not one of those clays that you can squeeze through modelling tubes easily for decorating cakes, and you have to be mindful of storing the clays into airtight containers to ensure their longevity.
Check out my earlier review on Crayola Magic Model in this link.
Guilt-Free Screen Time
I won’t lie. The kids enjoyed more screen time during the last Circuit Breaker. These are some of the meaningful screen-based activities/programs that they enjoyed tremendously. I planned to let them do the same again this year.
Fitness Games on the Screen
I know Wii Fit* is outdated but it does not bother me as long as the kids are happy with it. According to this article, Wii Fit is now replaced by Ring Fit Adventure.
Anyway, the kids’ experience with Wii Fit during the last Circuit Breaker was sufficiently satisfying since we did not have any other gaming console to compare with. We ran, boxed, skipped, balance, etc. The kids were glued to the screen for a couple of hours in the afternoon and I was okay with it. At least they were working out.
I am recently exploring dancing on motion sensor mats*for this school holiday. These are popular amongst primary school kids too, especially those who love pop music.
Netflix
NetFlix is certainly a better option than YouTube as the latter randomly recommend a ton of rubbish contents to kids. I can certainly write a couple more paragraphs of unhappiness that I have with YouTube and even YouTube Kids.
Netflix hosts a huge selection of quality contents. My kids love animal-related documentaries as well as animated series. They are currently obsessed with 72 Dangerous Animals and its related contents. I love how beautifully the documentaries are narrated and thus I encourage the kids to read the subtitles while watching the show.
Watching this is definitely better than selecting a YouTube video created by some YouTubers and half of the time information from these random channels are not entirely accurate.
One way I curate TV programs is by checking Common Sense Media which review movies, TV series, games and apps. Check out one of the reviews they have on Blue Planet which is one of the best documentaries around but may not be suitable for all ages.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Cosmic Kids Yoga is one of the rare Youtube Channel that I allow my kids to freely turn on. With the kids cooped up at home all the long, Cosmic Kids Yoga is one of the best sources of entertainment my kids can turn to and get moving. My 4-yos love the channel. Each video has a theme, ranging from girly Frozen to adventurous Mindcraft.
While my kids are allowed to enjoy screen time at home, watching YouTube in their room are often frowned upon. I only endorse screen time on the TV which is located in the living room, and for a limited time. Not only this is a better option for their eyes and posture, but I also have better control over what they are watching.
Do you have any parenting hack for surviving the Circuit Breaker with kids? Please share it in the comments below.
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