No Screen Boredom Busters For Kids
- by XpatAthens
- Tuesday, 16 March 2021
Schools have been closed for a while now, and unfortunately, both kids and parents are finding it rather challenging to discover ways to stay entertained during times of social distancing. Here are some fun activities to tackle boredom and keep kids entertained while schools are closed!
1. Make Mug Cakes
Most kids love helping out in the kitchen, so cooking and baking activities will probably be accepted with excitement, especially if the recipe calls for sugar, Nutella, and cocoa! Mug cakes don't require a hot oven; don't create a huge mess, and what's more, is that older kids can make them themselves. For a delicious mug cake mix 4 tablespoons self-raising flour, 4 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons each of milk, oil, cocoa powder, and Nutella, and 1 egg. Divide the mixture into 2 mugs and microwave for 90 seconds or more if needed. Add a topping such as whipped cream or icing sugar and enjoy!
Most kids love helping out in the kitchen, so cooking and baking activities will probably be accepted with excitement, especially if the recipe calls for sugar, Nutella, and cocoa! Mug cakes don't require a hot oven; don't create a huge mess, and what's more, is that older kids can make them themselves. For a delicious mug cake mix 4 tablespoons self-raising flour, 4 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons each of milk, oil, cocoa powder, and Nutella, and 1 egg. Divide the mixture into 2 mugs and microwave for 90 seconds or more if needed. Add a topping such as whipped cream or icing sugar and enjoy!
2. Enjoy Your Favorite Board Games & Puzzles
It's challenging to be stuck indoors due to weather (or virus) conditions but with a bunch of snacks, and a stack of games and puzzles staying indoors can be a ton of fun! On the upside, surely you'll stimulate family bonding and create some happy family moments!
3. Make DIY Puffy Paint
Painting is fun, but painting with puffy paint is even better. Young kids love this sensory paint and will spend hours creating their puffy masterpieces! For DIY puffy paint, you will need 3/4 cup shaving cream, 1/4 cup white glue, 1/4 cup flour, food coloring. Mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined—Color the paint with food colorings. Use squeeze bottles for delicate artwork or paintbrushes for a thicker texture. Make sure to use thick cardstock instead of plain paper– to avoid sogging–and to let the artwork to air dry for a few hours.
Rock candy is a delicious, fun recipe that also doubles as a science experiment because you get to watch the sugar crystals form. Get creative with endless flavor and color combinations that will delight children and grownups alike! One of the best things is that it takes time and patience. It can take up to a week for the rock candy to form, which makes it an ongoing project for the next few days! Learn how to make rock here.
5. Have Fun With A DIY Indoor Bowling Game
This DIY indoor bowling game is fun to have on hand as a great boredom buster. Children can help out with making the pins and use their counting skills to set up the game. Create a simple bowling game with recycled bottles for some stay-at-home fun! The only things you'll need are 10 small water bottles numbered from 1 to 10 with stickers or labels, and a small ball. Place the water bottles in a triangle shape in the garden or at the end of a hall.
6. Make Salt Dough
Use 1 cupful of plain flour (about 250g), half a cup of table salt (about 125g), and half a cup of water (about 125ml). Knead the dough, cut out different shapes, and cook in the oven for 3 hours in low heat. When your creations have completely cooled down, paint them with colors and glitter to create little masterpieces!
7. Make Rainbow Rice
Follow these easy steps to create colored rice without using rubbing alcohol. You will need 1 cup of long-grain white rice, 1/2 tsp vinegar, several drops of liquid food coloring, and a food storage container. Put the rice, food coloring, and vinegar in a food container and shake very well. Open the box and leave the rice to dry for a couple of days. You can make batches of different colored rice. Rainbow rice is excellent for sensory bins and craft projects.
8. Make A Sensory Ice Bucket
Add water in a plastic food container or bucket and toss in small plastic toys such as plastic animals or lego bricks. Let it freeze in the freezer and then ask your children to break the ice and discover what's hidden inside!
9. Make An Indoor Obstacle Course
Use your creativity to put together an obstacle course inside your home. The goal of an obstacle course is to get your child moving. Use any variation of the items below for your toddler's obstacle course. You can use pillows, blankets, sofa, chairs, masking tape, a basketball and hoop, boxes, step stool, a tunnel, and a ball pit. While setting up your obstacle course, include activities such as shooting a ball into a basket, climbing on pillows, crawling under a row of chairs and through a tunnel, and much more. The indoor obstacle course will keep your little ones happy for a long while!
10. Get Reading
Being read to is usually a toddler's favorite time, while older kids also love diving into a good book. Make an effort to read your way through The Book Trust's 100 Best Books– a list of the 100 best children's' books from the last 100 years.
11. Make A Habitat Diorama
Kids love to learn and explore, so help them recreate the habitat of their favorite animal, think of its natural habitat, its food, and its habits. Not everything in a habitat diorama needs to come from nature, leaves can be made out of paper, trees might be made of plaster, and the entire animals can be made from plastic! Use a shoebox, glue, and all your favorite materials to make something truly wonderful.
This content has been sourced and prepared by Codico Lab