#stayathome – Suitable Activity Ideas - How to Keep the Kids Entertained in the Living Room

Every family knows those days on weekends or during holidays – it's cold, wet, and unpleasant outside. On such days, children and parents need to get creative and find fun activities to do indoors.

The current restrictions due to the "Corona crisis" present parents and children with entirely different challenges. It's no longer about bridging just a few days. Parents are forced to juggle childcare, jobs, and household tasks, which means both an organizational and mental challenge.

Since it's not clear how long schools and daycare centers will remain closed and other forms of childcare are unavailable, we have compiled some activity ideas for indoors. This way, the children won't get bored, the day remains exciting and varied, and parents can at least work a few hours at home or take care of other important tasks. Participation is, of course, explicitly encouraged.

Daily Sports Hour

Movement and physical activity play an undeniably important role. Movement significantly contributes to the healthy physical, mental, and psychosocial development of children. Unfortunately, in modern society, the spaces for children's movement are becoming increasingly restricted, especially during times of corona. Sport classes in daycare centers and schools, as well as regular play on playgrounds and sports fields are omitted. It is all the more important for parents to ensure that an entertaining sports program is brought into the living room and garden.

While it was completely normal for the parent generation to pass the school breaks by jumping rope and playing elastics, these sports have been forgotten or are even unknown to many children. Since they can be easily practiced indoors and outdoors, now would be the perfect opportunity to try them.

Furthermore, many clubs, such as the basketball club Alba Berlin, also help keep children appropriately active for their age: Every day, there is a varied program for preschool, elementary, and high school students. Physical Education Lesson on YouTube It is so engaging and child-friendly that the children really stay on the ball. For us, an absolute highlight and perhaps contagious for the parents as well!

Anyone who also wants to strengthen children's self-defense skills can bring martial arts lessons directly into the children's room: Martial arts instructor Annette Blum Paulino offers here currently offering their courses via video stream.

Magic sand from flour and oil

If the child is not allowed in the sandbox, then it simply moves to the living room. But don't worry, the kinetic consistency ensures that the sand grains stick together well and don't spill into every crevice. Instructions for quick production are here provided.

Homemade Playdough

Which child doesn't like playing with clay? Here find a recipe to make playdough yourself super quickly and without any chemicals. With cookie cutters, garlic press, etc., there are no limits to creativity.

Finding Peace and Relaxation with Mandalas

A wonderful relaxing and stress-reducing activity that is also fun. Free templates with many different motifs for printing and coloring mandalas are here deposited.  

Reading and Reading Aloud

An overview of the most popular children's book classics can be found at  Literature tips. Such books can also be integrated into theme days/weeks: "A 'Bullerbü Day' can be celebrated with cinnamon buns, or on 'Sams Day' everyone gets blue spots, there are (vegetarian) sausages, and everyone can make a wish," writes the author and graduate educator Susanne Mierau in her blog "Geborgen Wachsen".

Fathers can also join the community Vaterleben be inspired and browse through recommended books for children aged zero to seven years.  

From 7 years old, you'll find a nice compilation under LiteraDur.

Purposefully according to needs, topics, and age, one can use the search engine  Reading Foundation filter.

After reading, the children can  Antolin  Answer questions about the books and collect points - that's motivating!

If you can't find time to read aloud and the children just want to sit back and listen, it offers NDR  and SWR offer a live reading hour every weekday at 4 PM.

Famous children's book authors such as Kirsten Boie, Isabel Abedi, and Antje von Stemm read to children aged five to ten from their living rooms. The readings are broadcast on the YouTube channel  Children's Network.

If you run out of books, you can find them under Just read aloud  Week by week, three free stories for kindergarten and elementary school children.

The famous director August Everding shared in an interview the idea: He did not always tell or read his children the end of a story right away. First, he gave their imagination the freedom to envision the continuation of the story themselves.

Wellness for the whole family

Soothing face masks made from quark and honey are easy to make yourself and, together with the appropriate cucumber slices on the eyes, not only provide fun and funny faces, but also the necessary portion of relaxation. The whole thing is rounded off with hand scrubs, foot baths, and mutual foot massages.

Die Bühne gehört dir.

Dig out old carnival costumes and magical props from the basement and let the children become stars in the ring. Provide inspiration through stories, songs, and instruments and let the children become the stars in the ring. Well-known fairy tales and audio plays can also serve as the basis for plays. Of course, a perfect event also includes handcrafted invitations and tickets, as well as homemade popcorn.

And even more ideas

Many more great indoor games, categorized by different age groups, can be found on family.de to find. There is certainly something for everyone here and usually, it doesn't require many materials for it.

If the children enjoy crafting and experimenting, you'll find yourself at Geolino.de . many fun craft ideas, experiments, templates, etc.

For the slightly older children - and of course with appropriate time restrictions - there are also some Quiz Corner and different Children's Riddle to find.

Despite or precisely because of this exceptional situation, it is still important to maintain a structured daily routine in families alongside these diverse employment ideas.

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