In the wake of everything going on with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we know that there are probably many bored children and stressed parents at home practicing social distancing. Therefore, we decided to list a few fun and educational activities that you can do with your kids to keep them entertained and learning and spend some family time to make the best out of a bad situation!

Make an “All About Me” Book

What better way to spark your child’s imagination AND get them to practice their writing and vocabulary skills than to make a book! The best part is, you can use whatever materials you want to make a one-of-a-kind book! Download this free activity and get writing!

Try a Fun Recipe

It is proven that children are much more likely to eat something if they made it themselves. So why not try a fun new snack or lunch recipe? The best thing about this recipe is that you can substitute the ingredients for anything you like or for dairy-free, gluten-free, or nut-free alternatives. It is totally customizable, and the kids will love it! For a snack, consider trying this recipe for Kiddie Crunch Mix. Not feeling something sweet? Try this recipe for Lunchbox Skewers. It’s healthy and much more fun than a sandwich!

Do a Craft

All it takes is some paper plates, paint, and yarn to create some mystical jellyfish that can be hung from your child’s bedroom. Entertain your child with this craft that is both easy and fun. It is also a good time to teach your child about jellyfish or marine animals for an impromptu science lesson! The best part is, you probably have all the materials at home already!

Learning with Pom Poms

Spend some time practicing colors, sorting, and counting with this pom pom activity! All you need to do is find some colored pom poms and ask your child to sort by colors, or count them. It is super simple, and you can even substitute the pom poms for buttons, crayons, or any other colored objects that you have laying around.

Perform a Science Experiment

Grab your white jackets, goggles, and gloves, it’s time for some science experiments! Don’t have scientific attire? Don’t worry, you won’t need it. There won’t be any explosions or dangerous chemicals with these experiments! Try this bean-in-a-jar experiment that will teach kids the process of germination. Or if you want another experiment to try, this one is for making your own bouncy balls!

Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Write a quick list of 10-20 things to find while outside on your scavenger hunt. For example: something with spots, something blue, something round, something soft, different kinds of bugs, etc. Grab a brown paper bag or a container and take your children outside to search for these objects. It will keep them busy for a while and it gets them out in nature!

Build a Blanket Fort

Grab blankets, pillows, chairs, and stuffed animals. The design of your blanket fort is only limited by your imagination! Don’t know how to build one? Check out this website with a few easy steps. Don’t forget when you are finished to design your fort on the inside with decorations and maybe even a laptop to play movies on!

Create an Obstacle Course

This is a perfect activity to get some energy out before bedtime on a rainy day. It will keep your children entertained while you get your tasks done, and it’s super easy to put together! Gather pillows, tape, yarn, toys, magnets, buttons, couch cushions, or anything else you think you need for your obstacle course. You could even make your kids do a funny dance or do the obstacle course with a blindfold on to make it harder. Check out this website for in-depth steps on how to create your own obstacle course.

Fun with Legos

Legos are fun for all ages! Put together an old Lego set you have laying around or challenge your children to use their imagination to create something new. You could even have a competition where each child makes the same thing and you judge them. If you want to make Legos into a learning activity, check out this booklet with tons of activities that are both educational and fun!

Worksheets for At-Home Learning

In the spirit of all the schools closing early this year, you may want your child to still continue learning at home even though they are not in school. One option is to print off some of these K-5 worksheets that you or your babysitter could do with your kids to keep them learning while at home. They have worksheets for social studies, math, language arts, writing, science, typing, art, and even foreign language!

Leap Frog for The Little Ones

Make screen time educational! This movie set comes with 10 DVD’s that range from math lessons to phonics lessons, writing and reading lessons, and more! These movies are relatively short to not bore your child, but are also colorful, fun, and have story lines to keep your child entertained! They will love the characters and the stories so much, they won’t even know they are learning! Trust us, the catchy vowel and math songs will get stuck in your head too!

Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes make it easy to set aside time every month (or whenever the box is delivered) to spend time with your children and do a fun craft or science experiment with the family. There are thousands of options out there and some are super affordable! You could even make your own “subscription boxes” where once a month, your kids get a box with a craft or experiment that you picked out. Check out this STEM themed subscription box that your kids are sure to love!

Go Camping!

If the weather is nice outside, consider a camping trip in your own backyard! Set up a tent, build a fire, roast hotdogs and marshmallows, and maybe even play games or watch movies outside. You could also have a water gun fight while it’s still light out, provided it’s warm. This is a fun family experience that could be turned into a learning experience if you use this time to teach your kids how to build fires, or how to set up a tent.

Bonus: If All Else Fails, Check Out This List

Learning doesn’t always have to be from planned science experiments or fun crafts. You can use this time at home with your kids to teach them valuable life skills. A lot of kids grow up not knowing how to do laundry, write a proper thank-you note, or iron a shirt. This list provides 40 life lessons you can teach your kids while they are home from school.

We know that these times can be stressful, so we hope you found an activity or two to occupy your family’s time and brighten your moods! Check out this website to find 50 more activities to do at home with your kids while social distancing during the COVID-19.