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Activities whilst in isolation?

16 replies

PhantomErik · 08/03/2020 09:56

I have no idea if the UK will end up closing schools etc & so far I'm not too concerned but yesterday my DC played with play-doh for nearly 2 hours & I thought what a good thing for if we were told to stay home.

It got me thinking of what else they could do to keep them amused & came up with the following:

Jigsaw Puzzles
Puzzle books
School style work books
Play-doh
Painting
Plaster of paris
Knitting
Board games

Outside:
Pavement chalks
Trampoline
Bikes/scooters (garden not huge so could only go round in circles!)
Build a den (depending on weather)

Declutter bedrooms - store stuff for charity shop in garage.

Also xbox with various games & lots of dvds.

My cupboards are always fairly well stocked as we've had very lean financial times in the past & I would be able to home with the DC easily.

I'm just musing, I know this is fairly unimportant & others have much bigger concerns but wondered if anyone had any other ideas?

Oh & my DC are 11, 9 & 7 so the play-doh enjoyment surprised me! It probably hadn't been out for a year!

OP posts:
Babyfairy0923 · 08/03/2020 09:57

Great thread! Will think of some ideas and add later 👍

CrowleysBentley · 08/03/2020 10:01

My DC always enjoyed baking at that age. Make a few cup cakes with them, and let them ice them and cover them with hundreds and thousands. Rice crispy/cornflake cakes are a good one too, and rocky road. Or make fudge, or tablet, that's nice and easy too.

MrsMozartMkII · 08/03/2020 10:03

Indoor camping - make a tent in the sittingroom.

Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 08/03/2020 10:37

We went to Poundland and bought a load of reading, writing and number books based on DCs age and a couple of years above, this will keep their brains still focussed on learning.

It hasn't long been xmas and my 2 youngest bdays so plenty of new toys and games ready.

If we do go into isolation, let some rules go. It sounds stupid but the kids ( mime anyway) will be delighted mummy has finally gone mad.
A warm 5 minute water fight in the garden followed by a hot chocolate.
Silly hair day, we will get to do each others hair and make up. (They will even be allowed to use mine)

Just silly things they wouldn't usually be able to do.

This is my plan. It would work on my kids. But not necessarily for others

Onmyright · 08/03/2020 10:43

I'm going to teach mine all our old fashioned party games, skipping games and card games. That'll keep us going for a while. If I'm desperate I'll let them have a mini Christmas again and pretend we're stuck inside because of snow/ power cuts. We'll spend ages decorating,making and wrapping presents etc.

Onmyright · 08/03/2020 10:45

I might even gather up some old ends of candles and old wax crayons and make some new scented candles with aromatherapy oils.

trinity0097 · 08/03/2020 10:48

The school age ones will have school work to do

GinDrinker00 · 08/03/2020 10:49

Just brought the 5 minute mum book, some brilliant games in there for little ones. I also brought tons of science kits for the kids to do to keep them busy along with the usual play doh and crafts, making dens etc .
I must admit if we follow Italy’s footsteps keeping the kids amused for a month is going to take a toll espically if you can’t go anywhere.

tmh88 · 08/03/2020 10:53

Me and DS quite often melt down in to character ice cube moulds broken crayons which is really fun! Not sure it brings a months worth of fun Blush but at least an hour Grin

Butterbear86 · 08/03/2020 10:57

Mine will be bored in about five minutes. We are usually out all day, every day in the holidays. They can tolerate a morning in but that’s about it.
I’m dreading it, but obviously if required it’s what we will do.
I’ve got a few comics and pocket money toys, and my dd loves aquabeads.
If I don’t need them now they will keep for a gift / rainy day / if they are ever ill.

TipseyTorvey · 08/03/2020 10:59

If we're in lock down will we still be able to go to local woodlands etc? I have it my head they'll post roadblocks on major roads in and out of town but not within it. We have woods behind the house I'm fully planning on marching the kids through once a day if I can or they'll go bonkers.

tmh88 · 08/03/2020 11:07

Oh thought of another one! I have a paddling pool I put up indoors and line it with a load of white roll paper and just let DS go wild with paint! He can do that for well over an hour.

FurrySlipperBoots · 08/03/2020 12:00

Pinterest has endless inspiration.

Have a look through all your children's art ideas books or forgotten craft sets - there must be something they're not attempted

Have an indoor disco - draw the curtains, turn on flashing fairy lights, crank up the cheesy pop

If you don't mind your mattresses utterly destroyed, and your stairs are wide enough, line them up top to toe going down the stairs with a big double one at the bottom. Let them play 'mountaineering' all day.

Teach them how to cook. If they're old enough they can play at 'restaurant' where you're the customers, taking it in turns to be chef and waiter/ess - one makes the main meal (can be cold food, or something very simple like scrambled eggs on toast, that will still give them a buzz) while the other 'waits' on you (sets the table, takes your order, pours your drink, brings the food etc). Then they swap roles for dessert. It'll make them feel so important, even if their fabulous dish is a scoop of icecream with some chopped fruit on top. You can actually spin this activity out all morning if you have them writing menus, and making table decorations.

A sensory tray with coloured rice is a big hit for all ages, and will keep indefinitely if you store it in a plastic tray with a lid (fits well under a bed). You'll want to spread out a sheet or 'smooth' blanket (that rice can't stick to) underneath, as it does go everywhere.

Making puppets and putting on a puppet show. Start with simple nursery tales and then see how imagination unfolds.

Treasure hunts around the house and garden. Children love searching for stuff! Stick wrapping paper down on old cardboard and have them trace shapes and cut them out. These will do to hide. Or give them a shoebox and tell them to go and fill it with as many different things they can find that are orange, or begin with a 'B', or are made from wood, or whatever. Set ground rules first so they know no raiding your room, no live insects, or whatever

On a warm day, make a 'waterwall' in the garden. Raid the recycling for plastic containers you can use to cobble something together, and hunt in the garage - there's nearly always some random guttering or pipes in there!

Play hospitals. Make several beds for patients (teddies) and dig out any doctor's stuff you've got. Raid your first aid kit for expired bandages, and the stash of calpol syringes that every family has. If you're the paramedic you only need involve yourself every 20 minutes or so by rushing into the room making a siren noise and handing over a new teddy with a quick explanation of what's wrong with it, then you can get back to what you'd rather be doing.

Make a zipline for barbies out of a plastic washing line and a bulldog clip

Make giant bubbles (look online for info)

Have the children act out a favourite picture book. Again the whole day can be spent making costumes/learning lines/finding props etc. They'll fight, of course, but children do that!

Waterplay in the bath, as long as they like. Offer some random silicone kitchen utensils or jugs or whatever that they'd not normally use to add interest.

Sort through old toys and clothes with them, Marie Kondo style.

Have them make their own jigsaw puzzles by sticking a large picture from a magazine onto cardboard, then cutting them into (not too small!) pieces. Then they can swap and do each others puzzles.

Make slime, if you can. I was never able to master it!

Make a den and get in there with them to read.

Make an obstacle course.

Play 'egg and spoon' races with potatoes. Practice other sports day races and games with them. If you have a wide age gap so the eldest has an unfair advantage, tie their shoelaces together so they have to hobble very fast instead of running, or set their finish line twice as far away which gives the little one a chance!

Talking of which, have them do a 'beep' test! Did you ever do one at school? If not, google it to see what I'm talking about. You can get the 'beep' noises on Youtube. If they're little, make the distance shorter.

Have them wash the car, and hoover the inside too.

Make bird puddings and have an unofficial 'big garden birdwatch' (you can make binoculars out of toilet roll tubes). Dig out any bird identification books you have. Let them take photos and keep a tally score of how many of each kind they can spot. Also stress the importance of them being nice and still and quiet while they watch (so you can sneak off and have a cup of tea!)

Role play something they never have before. Shoe shops, or jungle explorers, or secret agents, or cave people, or zoo keepers.

Crank up the music and get everyone dance-cleaning.

If you live within striking distance of the beach, make full use of it!!

Also bikes. Use your bikes. A lot. Every day.

When we were little we'd go around with a tape recorder recording random things, then have each other try to guess what it was - the loo flushing, the fridge door opening and shutting, the hamster in his wheel, etc. I'm sure something similar can be done with a smartphone!

Have a 'parallel lives' day. Pretend you're all your secret unknown cousins. Everyone gets a new name and identity, interests, all of that. Maybe your all have to talk extremely posh? Dress up in the most unused clothes you can find and let the kids create bizarre hairstyles for each other (and you if you're brave!). Eat food you'd not normally eat.

Have an indoor picnic. Always fun! Use biscuit cutters to make shaped sandwiches.

Have kids make fruit kebabs, and let them drizzle them with melted chocolate.

Dig out any unloved board games and rediscover them. If it turns out there's a reason they're unloved, you know to rehome them, otherwise they might be better than everyone thought!

Have them make a magazine! That'll last days, that activity.

Get them to help with the gardening. Grow stuff.

If they have a favourite TV program, have them work together to write a new episode for it.

I don't know how it's done or how easy it is, but I know a little munchkin who enjoys making 'stop motion' videos of her playmobil characters.

There, that's it, I've run out of ideas!

GameSetMatch · 08/03/2020 15:13

My children 5 and 2 t bored really easy and only play with things for twenty minutes before they are on to the next. My boys favourite activities are:

Paddling pool in the kitchen
Freezing toys in ice then digging them out
Ooblek (cornflour and water mix)
Make play doh and then play with it
Cornflake cake making
Tent making in the living room
Masking tape on the floor to make a car track

PhantomErik · 08/03/2020 15:59

Some really good ideas thank you!

My ds7 loves those kits where you dig a dinosaur/toy out of a block so the freezing toys in a block would be fun. Might do that at Easter anyway!

I would definately keep up with 'school' style work (unless we were given actual work by the school obviously) with things like work books & regular reading for 7yr old. 11 & 9 yr old read for pleasure anyway.

I was thinking of a journal/diary & I know I have a few new scrapbooks somewhere so will find them. We sometimes do these in school holidays anyway.

Youngest can't play chess yet so could teach him. Older 2 would probably help with that.

I'd have to hope the weather was reasonable so they could play in the garden & use some physical energy up.

I've also got an old sandpit so might pick up a new bag of sand.

OP posts:
Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 08/03/2020 19:57

Make slime, if you can. I was never able to master it!

I tried this last summer in the garden! In the end I was happy it happened in garden. Slime went everywhere.
Kids were not impressed with my slime making skills. I got into a mini strop and told them to do it themselves...so they did and they did it better. Youngest being 3!
They still take the pee out of me now as I got so stressed with it.

Carpet picnics are fun for kids.

Sewing. I am an avid cross-stitcher, DP crocheter. My DDs like having a go.

Disco ball if you have one, set up a little bit of cake and have a family disco. They can make decorations and party hats.

Have a bbq. Yes its cold, but we bbq all winter and there is just something lovely about it.

Set them a song writing challenge about something they love! I did this with my 6 year old, she sang about me. She declared 'I have written a song about Mummy because I love her' ❤️
The lyrics were along the lines of 'I love my mummy because she is round and squishy'😏

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