Ideas for Lockdown Education and Entertainment
During lockdown, with our children at home all day and alternative venues for entertainment closed, we have become not only our children’s carer and educator, but also their entertainer. But worry not because there will be no shortage of things you can do with them during lockdown 2.0. Ideally, much of a school child’s day should be taken up with education that follows or reinforces the school curriculum, but when it is not, you can still incorporate education into the things you do with them. What you choose to do will depend on their age, but many things can be adapted to suit just about anyone as long as you take into consideration all health and safety aspects.
Below you will find a list of ways you can both entertain and educate your children. However, please bear in mind not everything in the list will be suitable or appropriate for your child’s age, so please take your child’s age into careful consideration before deciding how to entertain them.
Baking a cake – This teaches them about food and personal hygiene when cooking, and kitchen safety. They also get to see science at work, when a soft mixture rises into a soft sponge (with any luck!). If they are of a suitable age, teach them how to make simple meals such as omelettes, but always ensure they have adult supervision at all times, and make sure they are safe around possible hazards such as pans, knives and stoves!
Art and craft, and junk modelling – Put all that recycling to good use by making a model from it. You could make a dragon using empty egg boxes or a car from those cereal boxes. Let your child get in touch with their musical side by turning cardboard tubes into musical shakers.
Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash
Obstacle courses or playing in the garden – Encourage muscle tone and control, and gross motor skill development, by getting your children to move. Set up a fun obstacle course in the garden (See my article - Free-Range Children for more details on how to do this) or if you have the room, in the house. If room is an issue, try having a competition to see who can do the most star jumps. You could also play catching games such as Hot Potato, as long as the throw is controlled!
Take them for an adventure on their bike or scooter – Basically, this is exploring the town you live in. If time is short, explore the roads around you to see where each one leads. If you have a little more time, go further afield. Try and find places you never knew existed. It’s amazing what you find when you the time to look. It is important to incorporate road safety into this activity in order to keep them safe.
Use YouTube wisely – Further to physical activities, there are numerous workout videos designed specifically for children. Bear in mind the age of your child as these videos may not always be suitable if they are too long or too advanced. A popular one is Joe Wicks’ PE lessons for kids However, it is very important to ensure the video is specifically designed for children, otherwise it will be too advanced for them to follow. It may also increase the likelihood of injury as children’s muscles are not as well developed as adults. I like his Active’8 and 5 A-live series.
Learning apps – There is no shortage of apps that use games to teach children everything from phonics and reading, to fractions and decimals, and so much more (See the article - My Three Favourite Websites). If your children are able to navigate these games on their own, use these apps as a chance to catch up on a job or two, or to have a well-earned coffee break, while your children’s learning continues. You could also try Squeebles, a fun learning app for young children.
Independent play – There is nothing wrong with letting your children just play whatever they want, as long as they have the appropriate adult supervision. Younger children need a little more interaction than older children but
Make a base – Children love making bases, so why not let them turn a corner of the room into their secret hideaway. If you don’t have pop-up tents to use, arrange four chairs in a square then drape a large sheet or blanket over the top. Don’t forget to peg the sides though, otherwise the whole thing will collapse as soon as anyone tries to crawl inside!
Photo by IIONA VIRGIN on Unsplash
Put on a show – This activity works great when you have two or more children of an age where they can really get into performing for an audience. If you can get them to write their own play, all the better! Include costumes and props as much as you can, to make it more fun. If there is an older sibling, maybe they can be in charge of filming. Don’t forget about lighting and music too. Once finished, and edited to perfection, you may be able to send it to other family members. Grandparents will be the biggest fans of your children’s work!
Turn a school friend into a penfriend – Turn the past into reality once more by using an actual pen and paper to correspond with a school friend. Take turns to write to each other every week or every few days. The letters need not be long, but it is a little lifeline to the outside world. If they happen to live close-by, you could even go and post it through their letter box.