With the weather so changeable at the moment we have some ideas for indoor activities you can do with young kids during lockdown. With no end date for this lockdown,. hopefully we will have an idea for your rainy day, from Dinosaur Craft to Escape Rooms and Podcasts.
So what can you do when the weather is not kind and you cannot play in the garden?
The novelty of being at home all the time has worn off and although we are allowed out to exercise, days out and most outside activities are off limits.
So here's our top tips to help you enjoy the days when the weather is not good enough to be outside. As lockdown eases we have included ideas for indoor play and some local days out.
1. We are a company who are mad keen on Dinosaurs toys so obviously the first thing we would recommend as a rainy day activity is Dinosaur crafts. We have a whole range for you to choose from here including these fab Dinosaurs from paper plates
2. Cooking.
If you have been cooking cakes in your house during lockdown how about cooking something savoury with your kids? The BBC has some great recipes which are fun to make with even the youngest children. Pizza is always a good one to start with but we can also testify the chicken fajitas are very good!
3. Podcasts
If you want the stories for your kids but want to limit screen time have you thought of listening to a podcast for kids? The BBC have some great podcasts for kids, but many other companies have also made some great programmes for kids you could try. There are some educational ones which are so good your kids won't even know they are learning!
4. Plan an adventure for your favourite dinosaur toy.
You only have to see our Instagram to understand how much our dinosaur toys like an adventure. Let your children plan a fun filled day for their favourite toy and then get them to make a diary of the adventure they will have together. You can cut out photos from old magazines, draw pictures, write stories, you can even make tickets for their entrance in to certain attractions or sites.
All kids toys like a good day out so even when you can't get to the seaside or to a National Park, you can plan a visit for the hopefully not too distant future.
5. Visit a Museum Online.
Most towns have their own museums which are normally free to enter but currently closed, so you will need to wait a while before you can visit. If you are not sure what is around your area you could try Museums.co.uk to plan some days out when lockdown is over.
In the meantime, many museums have fantastic websites which allow you to go on a virtual tour. A perfect rainy day treat for adults and kids. Some of our favourites are the Natural History Museum which is ideal for the dinosaur mad; you can take a virtual tour of the American Museum of Natural History in New York or you could even take a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tower without leaving home!
If you search 'virtual tours of museums for kids' you will find that the world is your oyster.
6. Water.
This may challenge your standards a bit but water is always a great way to entertain kids. Fill a sink and find things around the house which float, and things which don't. You can time how quickly things sink, or make things which float in to boats. I have resorted to putting kids in to an empty bath (shower tray will also do) with a load of water colours and telling them to paint each other. Its about as much mess as anyone can make but its easy enough to clean up afterwards and the kids loved it! If you want to add some more fun then our Natural Rubber dinosaur toys would be perfect companions in this mess and as they haven't got any holes in them they will not take on any water during the process and are easy to wash.
7. Make a paper copy of yourself.
Get your kids to lie on a long strip of paper and draw around them. I always used lining paper as it was very cheap. Cut out the paper version of your child and get them to colour in clothes, hair and face. You can make whole families or just have an adventure with the paper child.
8. Google 3D Animals. You may have read in the news that 3D animals are available on google. Generally speaking, you will need a modern smart phone with an operating system of Android 7 or for Apple users iOS 11.0 or later to view the 3D animals. Then type a common animal such as tiger or giraffe and scroll down until you see 'view in 3D'. Allow google to access your camera, then you will see the animal in your living room - or wherever you are with your phone! Have fun - we are sure you can be quite creative with this one!
9. Live Theatre.
With theatres closed, there are an increasing number of opportunities to see theatre shows live streamed at home. National Theatre are currently streaming Dick Whittington which many families will enjoy. They add new shows each month, so keep an eye on their website for family friendly shows. Cirque du Soleil are screening free one hour specials on Youtube which are well worth a watch. You can watch Wind in the Willows the musical at home for £4.99 - this is recommended for children from 7 yrs. Theatre companies are adding to their livestream offering all the time, so do let us know if you find anything else that looks good for families.
10. Building Dens.
If you are house proud you may have to suspend your standards for a little bit because building dens is the very best rainy day activity. Sheets make better building materials than blankets because they are lighter and don't collapse as easily. The very easiest way to build a den is using a table to support the structure but if you have a little more time then pushing chairs back to back with a space in between is another good way to support your structure. You can also use brooms and mops but this will almost inevitably mean an early collapse of your den!
11. If you have not tried Escape rooms these can be great fun even for small kids. You could plan a day out for after lockdown - Clue HQ have locations around the country but there are other local companies to check out. For now there are digital Escape rooms for kids including this free Hogwarts one and an Alice in Wonderland one, both created by American librarians.
12, Home schooling
If you have school age children and are trying to juggle work, home life and home schooling, you may be relieved to find out about the BBC bitesize's. games and quizzes. You can search the website by your child's year group and hopefully you will find something suitable that could give you half an hour or so of guilt free peace. The programmes and activities are tailored to suit the national curriculum. BBC Teach also offer live and pre-recorded lessons from well known TV presenters for both primary and secondary school pupils. And if you are looking for craft ideas, The Artful Parent is a great resource for ideas for younger children.
There are lots of other suggestions in the office - find things around that house that you can make music with or even make your own musical instruments; if you are a particularly talented parent, do a competition as to how quickly they can tidy their room.
Do you have any others to share? Please visit our Facebook or Instagram to comment.
Best Years Ltd www.bestyears.co.uk
