As the pandemic continues to spread and the stay at home order keeps getting extended, we find ourselves and our children getting a bit stir crazy and bored. Families are having to juggle working from home, and kids have to learn a new way of school. For the most part, kids are busy during the week with school, but what do they do after their lessons are over? We have put together a list of activities to help kids stay entertained and creative during this time.
Curbside Crafts from Michaels
Keep the kids busy with arts and craft projects, Michaels is offering curbside pick-up to keep families safe and fully stocked. Michaels has science projects and experiments, all types of paints; they even have some baking supplies to keep your kiddos busy. Head over to their website and place your curbside order, stay creating, and start crafting.
www.michaels.com
Curbside Fabric and More from Joann Fabric and Craft Store
Joann’s Fabric and Craft Store is another amazing store offering curbside pickup for all your crafting needs. If your idea of fun is making new clothes, crocheting/knitting, or even just wanting to make your family some face masks, Joann’s is the place to go. This store offers different types of fabrics, yarn, and tools you may need to do your projects. They also have a great selection of jewelry making supplies.
Pick
Caterpillar to Butterfly Kits
Allow kids to experience the magic of metamorphosis with these amazing butterfly kits. Most kids get to experience this neat experiment at school, but now you can bring it to your home and watch caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies. Kits are available online and are delivered to your home with live caterpillars and instructions on how to care for them.
www.nature-gifts.com/shop/grow-butterflies/caterpillar-butterfly-kit
Personalize Board Game
If you’re like most families you have probably spent many hours playing board games these last couple of weeks, well why not step it up a notch and make your own board game. This can be a group effort or solo, pick a theme, make your board out of an old cardboard box, find small trinkets around the house to use as game pieces; the possibilities are endless because this is your game.
Many museums and aquariums like the Louvre, Boston Children’s Museum, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium are opening up to the public online and offering virtual tours. Spend the afternoon exploring these amazing places from the comfort of your couch.
www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
Visit a National Park
Just like the museums and aquariums, National Parks are offering virtual tours. Visit Sequoia National Park and see the different terrains, see the Mud Volcano and Mammoth Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park, or travel to the Everglades National Park in Florida all without having to leave your home.
www.nationalparks.org/parks-at-home
Movie Night
Plan a movie night with your family and check out some of the new movies being released on your current streaming apps. Amazon, Hulu, and Disney+ are now streaming some of the latest films. With theaters being closed, you can now see movies like Trolls 2, Onward, and Frozen 2 at home. You can even introduce the kids to some of the movies you grew up watching. Some are available for purchase, and others are free with your Disney plus account.
www.disneyplus.com
www.hulu.com
Sidewalk Chalk Art
Mosaic Chalk Art has become a hit lately and a great way for kids to spend the afternoon outside, creating something beautiful for everyone to see. All you need is some masking tape chalk, a sidewalk, and your creativity. Craft symbols of love and kindness for your neighborhood to see while they are on their evening walks.
Virtual Arts & Crafts
Many famous artists are offering virtual classes; kids can learn how to draw their favorite book characters. You can find Mo Willems on YouTube going over some of his famous doodles that are now a large book series. Search for current virtual classes, some artists are live streaming events, so it’s best to be prepared and have the tools needed for that class before it starts.
Backyard fun
If you’re still feeling a bit stir crazy and need to stretch your legs, head outside and have a picnic, do some bird watching, find images in the clouds, or have a water balloon fight. Make a day out of it and set up a treasure hunt in your yard; you can even end the day with a backyard camp out.
We hope these activities help pass the time and make this season in our lives move by a bit smoother considering the situation. From everyone at Kidventure stay safe and healthy.
