Games and activities to do at home with children

Even at home we can offer our children lots of fun or creative games and activities to spend time together. Here are some ideas

Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous

In this period when we have been asked to stay at home and with children in tow, we often don't know how to entertain the little ones. Here then is a series of suggestions and ideas to spend time in a creative and fun way.





Those who have children at home and maybe at the same time are busy with smart working, these days will most likely find themselves in difficulty. Rightly, the little ones need to be busy during the day and, to avoid spending hours and hours in front of the TV, tablet or computer, they must be stimulated to do pleasant and possibly educational activities.

The older ones can also dedicate time to study but for all the others go ahead for games and activities of all kinds. Do you need some ideas?

Index

To cook

Children generally love to cook but they don't always have the opportunity to do so as mom and dad often run around or prepare lunch and dinner when they are away or asleep. So, if we have some time to dedicate to them, we can involve them in the creation of recipes for donuts, biscuits, pizza, etc.

Games and activities to do at home with children

Foto © Evgeny Atamanenko / Shutterstock

Art in all its forms

Children are little artists and generally love to draw, color, paint but also handle and create all kinds of shapes with clay or salt dough. So arm yourself with sheets, pencils, markers, watercolors, tempera or finger paints and let the little ones give vent to their imagination.

Then remember that it is possible try to paint using natural elements as well, for example a red turnip, turmeric mixed with a little water to make the colors red and yellow, or use a lettuce leaf or a piece of carrot as an original brush (use the scraps you have at home of fruit and vegetables and make the most of your creativity). Here you will find tips on using and creating natural dyes.



The greatest and most experienced designers (and writers) will be able to create a real comic by adding captions.

As for the recipes for the pongo, you can find some here.

If you want to try a flavored version of salt dough you can follow the recipe shared on Facebook by the educators of the 1,2,3 star Nursery in Rome:

If you prefer, you can prepare the baking soda paste, or the kinetic sand.

Other cute ideas can be to engage in creative jobs from recycling:

  • Rolls of toilet paper
  • Plastic caps
  • Shoe boxes
  • Pizza box (see for example the soccer table)

The workshop of the Alchemists on Facebook then proposes a very simple activity that will amuse the little ones: create eyes and then place them on the objects we have around the house to transform them a little ...

Trunk of disguises

If you don't have it yet, it's time to create a costume chest from which children can draw at any time to dress up, create stories and characters. Not necessarily inside there must be real carnival costumes, sunglasses, hats of various types, shirts, wide sweaters, colored t-shirts of mum and dad, kitchen aprons, etc. are also fine.

Origami

Children who have good dexterity may find it fun to indulge in making origami paper. Here are some useful tips.

Giochi da Tavolo

It's time to rediscover old board games and maybe even invent new ones. Here you will find the most suitable board games for the little ones (2-4 years), while in this other article those suitable for older children.



Reading but also inventing stories

Every day read a few books to your children or invite them to do it themselves, if they are already capable of it. A pleasant activity can also be to invent stories, perhaps with the help of a dice in which, on each facade, there is the drawing of a character or a place (if you do not have ready-made ones you can easily create at home). By pulling it you will have to invent a story starting from the character or place that came out as an initial starting point. A tour with siblings or parents will go on in the story by always inserting new places or characters every time the die is rolled.

Montessori activities

To best entertain younger children at home, some Montessori activities also come in handy, such as:

  • blue box
  • jar of calm
  • sensory panel 
  • mystery box
  • box for posting 
  • box of ribbons 
  • boards for learning math

Experiments

This could be the right time to do a nice experiment with your children to make them understand the importance of washing their hands. Follow what this scientist dad did with his daughter. 

Another nice experiment to do with slightly older children and simple ingredients that we all have at home is the one on the density of matter. It's all explained in the following video ...

Teatrino o Kamishibai

Another nice idea is to build a theater at home with cardboard that the children can then use to make shows of which they will be the creators, actors (or puppeteers) and directors. An alternative is that of Kamishibai, the Japanese theater. Here how to make it. 

Games and activities to do at home with children

Author cartoons

Surely we can also give the children time to spend watching some nice cartoon. If you have Netflix don't miss Hayao Miyazaki's animated masterpieces.

Don't always try to find something for your children to do, we know that boredom is also important and it can help them develop and bring out all their innate creativity and imagination.

Read also:

  • How to make children play and have fun even without toys
  • 5 tips for spending time with children in the best possible way
  • Coloring: all the advantages and benefits for adults and children
  • 5 useful objects to stimulate imagination and creativity in children
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