Many parents have been in a conundrum ever since the pandemic forced them and their children to remain at home indefinitely. In many countries, restrictions have been lifted but for the most part, people are still advised to stay at home and only go out to do essential things like shop for food or visit the hospital and go to the office for those who still have onsite work. The challenge faced by families, especially those with young children is about how to fight boredom at home. The solutions to make life enjoyable and interesting despite the quarantine is just right there in your home. Read on to see how you make the best out of the lock down and transform it into quality family time.
DIY Family Photo Frame
One easy and fun home project is a DIY family photo frame. One method is to use a bundle of popsicle sticks that are glued together to form a base or small platform on which to put a family picture. For best results, get help from a kids photo editing service to recolor an old photograph or repair any smudges or tears. Once the photograph is ready, you may choose to paint the popsicle platform or use glue to stick decors like beads, wooden hearts, and other fancy accents or accessories. After assembling this simple but artsy photo frame, choose a special wall or table inside your home and place it there. It will be a reminder of the unbreakable bond between parents and their children.
Plant Pot Painting
If you have time, drop by the local plant supply store and buy small pottery. Bring them home and have a pot painting session with the kids. You may want to have a series of round pots painted in paste. Or you may choose to create your own design on each, selecting a specific theme. For example, pot some pots with symbols of the astrology sign that corresponds with the birth date of each child. You may also want to paint iconic world tourist spots that your family has visited like the Eiffel Tower for Paris, Empire State Building in New York, or the Pyramids of Egypt if you have been so lucky to have visited these places.
Gardening
After preparing beautifully colored and design pots, the next best thing is to start the children on gardening. Working with plants is always a good way to introduce children to basic scientific concepts of reproduction, growth, and development. In a very simple manner, children will get to understand how seeds that seem so inanimate can grow out of soil or planting media with a little water, sunlight, and a few days of waiting time. It would be such a thrill for them to see the first stem and bud that springs out of the surface of the soil.
If you have a backyard where you can start a food garden or a hydroponic mini-greenhouse, that would be so much better. This project can help the children understand the concept of food supply and the value of learning how to be self-sufficient especially during times of economic uncertainties for many adults. As children, they need not be unnecessarily troubled by the impact of the pandemic on people’s livelihood or business. Instead, parents can teach their children about resilience, resourcefulness, and inter-dependence by starting a food gardening project. Any harvest from this garden will, of course, be consumed by the family and the excess can be shared with relatives and friends. Along the way, children will learn about responsibility and the joy of caring for others.
Pet Training
Training a pet is also a brilliant way to keep children entertained while at home. It is also one of the best ways to teach them how to become responsible for others. When children are given pets, they really do benefit in many ways. In terms of physical development, they have the opportunity to have play and exercise, for example, while running around with a dog in the yard. They also develop emotional intelligence as they interact with a pet that shows, in its own way, affection and loyalty. Each time a parent gives the child the responsibility for feeding a pet fish in an aquarium, or place dog food on the kennel for their Labrador retriever, the boy or girl gets to experience how it is to take care of another being. It is really a beautiful thing to behold how a child and a pet gradually develop their own bond or relationship, and in the process, that pet becomes a real part of the family.
These four simple at-home activities are really profound once we really delve into their meaning and impact on children and the parents, as well. The home can be made into an oasis of creativity and self-expression even during these challenging times. By engaging in different kinds of crafts and activities, the family gets to realize the importance of doing things and accomplishing things together. These DIY activities, indeed, are not just a means to escape boredom but a productive way of getting everybody in the family involved in play, work, and hobbies that will make memories to last for a lifetime.
