Struggling with Keeping Child Entertained

[charliebear78]

Usually at the Weekend we would be out and about as a family-Visiting places/shopping/going to cafes/Childrens Parties..Now all we can do is go for another sodding walk
My Son is 6 and he is spending more and more time in front of Youtube(Bloody Unspeakable if anyone knows him then you will know my pain!!!)
I am finding my motivation to do anything slowly going.
I know Son is getting bored because he is turning the house upside down making cushion dens, going back to watching tv, then jumping all over his dens again.
I can't think of things to do to keep him entertained, we have done lots of things already-painting and craft type activities which he is bored of now too.
How is everyone else coping?
I feel sad for him not being able to interact with his friends and being stuck in with us all the time.
I cannot spend all day trying to find things for him to do, What does everyone else do?

Make cushion dens! Switch off the electronics and be silly with him - chase him, tickle him, get him to defend his den from your 'attack'. Go outside and explore, ride a bike, scoot, do yoga or a pe with joe workout, arrange an outdoor playdate. Stick him in the bath and let him play for an hour. And then I'm out of ideas

Reading is well worth the time you invest in it for the benefits you then get of kids being able to entertain themselves. Read with him to start with. Get him to pick books so he reads what he's into. Comics are also great as a more palatable way into it - the Beano and the Phoenix are really good. Really, absolutely anything that he will go for. My DS loved the Beastquest books: all effectively the same story but there are hundreds of them so long lasting entertainment! Wimpy Kid and Captain
Underpants also good as really cartoon style books, not all text.

DS1 discovered unspeakable at one point...I banned it (He's only 4.5 though)

He also really likes 'Science Max' - educational and some of the experiments you can do at home.

Our weekends alternate between playing with toys, making forts with the furniture (I hate them!), a bit of playstation time with daddy, movie nights, and long walks/skooter rides. There is a velodrome that is still open here which is great so no worries about traffic (only about getting squashed by adult cyclists)

I'd just let him make his cushion dens and jump all over them all day long. And, I'd be in a different room whilst he did so.

What about some cooking and baking? Looking up recipes, measuring out stuff, baking, decorating the finished product, cleaning up afterwards can pass on a couple of hours. Homemade bread is fun to make, you could do pizzas too with the dough.
Kids can also get involved with cooking your regular meals too, it might take longer, but time's what you've got lots of at the moment.

Can see nothing wrong with cushion dens, I'd also get out for walks and much as possible whatever the weather... No matter how paonful

It's difficult. I've had some success with an indoor sand pit this week. Well ours is a sand tray but I got it off Amazon with a load of accessories and my 6yo has played alot with it this week.

It's snowing today, so the kids (teen to reception age) were outside in the morning building a snowman and we had a family snowball fight in the afternoon. They each get 1 hours console time, potentially plus 1h film time. Then helping with laundry, food prep. Lego for the little ones, art/ video creation for the bigger ones. Practising reading, playing a board or card game (the likes of UNO can be played by 4.y.o.s, too, and the older ones get competitive). At the moment one hot chocolate enjoyed by all around the table after being outside. Time flies, really.

And Mon-Fri is school time, so they do their school work (the younger ones under supervision while I wfh).