Mamatoyz guide to Entertaining Kids at home
As we begin a New Year, things are always looking more positive but we can’t help but think that things might change to keep the country healthy. In these moments along with waiting to go back to school or starting school, we’re always looking for new, exciting and inventive ways to keep our little one’s entertained. To begin the year with confidence, we’ve put together a series of ideas that can help to frame daily life in new ways that will both help you and keep your child entertained during the moments of bad weather or being at home for prolonged periods of time! Here a 7 ideas to get you thinking and started on ideas that will keep your little one’s entertained:
1. Creating Projects
From tasks they don’t want to do, to tasks they didn’t know they’d ever be doing; framing activities, tasks and events as projects can make a motivational difference. By creating the outline of a project, your little one gains excitement about working on it every day. It could be as simple as an educational project like making their very own book (don’t forget your Medium Masa Desk & Bench!) or getting involved with room décor changes!
2. Make things more interactive
Whatever you might choose or however you might run your own day, making things interactive for you little one can make all the difference in their boredom levels each day that they are at home. If you work from home, providing them with sensory play areas or little activities that match what your doing can keep them focused whilst you need to be as well. This involvement makes a key difference!
3. Focus on developmental skills
At Mamatoyz all our designs are focused on helping your little one develop key skills both imaginative and physical. When thinking about what activities you might wish to plan for the coming days, if you’re struggling for inspiration why not choose something each day that will help your child with their developmental skills.
Check out MamaToyz 6 Things your two-year-old can play to develop gross and fine motor skills for more ideas!
4. Make future adventure plans
If you’re inside for a few days a great motivator and something to keep spirits upbeat is to plan future adventures. Maybe your family loves to cycle or walk which gives you the ideal opportunity to look at maps and the history of areas you want to explore. Maybe your family love adventure or amusement parks and you can sit together to plan a wonderful outing or long weekend that they can look forward to!
5. Get moving
Boredom can often stem from not having enough mental and physical stimulation. Exercise and movement are a keep part of a healthy lifestyle helping both adults and children sleep better, feel stronger and remain positive. Instilling a habit of movement each day will help things remain calm in a household whilst getting rid of any excess energy. Great for focus and can help your little one develop strongly too!
You can learn more about encouraging active play here: How and why should we encourage active play?
6. Try something new
One of the greatest things that you and your little one can do to keep things different, exciting, stimulating, enjoyable and entertaining is to do something completely new. Both of you can use the opportunity to learn something new, push the boundaries and increase your own skill base. Whatever activity you choose will also become a great bonding time for you and your little one. Each day a part of this new activity can be explored and learning together is great fun! What’s something you’ve always wanted to try?
7. Repeat something old
If you’re struggling for new ideas, choosing to do an activity you’ve already done before is also a great option. Something tried and tested that you know will be enjoyed by all will always bring excitement and keep your little one happy. From baking to crafts to traditional hobbies, there will be something that you immediately thought of that really made you and your family have a wonderful time.
8. Virtual Time
Our little ones have grown up in a digital world. We like to give them the opportunity to be away from screens, but sometimes this can be an advantage. From family on the other side of the world to friends who are local, a virtual play date or family time can be a great way to keep little ones entertained. They can play games or just chat about what they’ve been up to, but seeing these people can make being at home feel at lot less isolating and give them the opportunity to build relationships. These virtual bonding times unfortunately won’t be as good as real life face-to-face gatherings, but it will help.
We hope we’ve offered you and your family some ideas to keep you entertained when at home. Its a great time to build some healthy habits but also get in some great bonding time too. All we wish for is a happy and healthy world with a really positive start to the year.
If you’re still looking for ideas and more specific ones, check out our article: MamaToyz’ Top 10 indoor activities for toddlers to pre-schoolers!