We know it’s a challenging time for parents right now. Facing COVID-19 anxieties and for many of you, having your little ones at home until after the Easter Weekend. Some of our own team here at Karri, understand the challenges that come with balancing children and working from home. So we thought we’d lighten your load and share some ideas on how to keep your kids active, stimulated and busy during self-isolation.
Firstly, it’s good to explain to your kids what’s going on. You can refer to the latest statistics of COVID-19 within South Africa here. Remember to be informative but not instil fear, we like to use the term “This too, shall pass”. A great way to demonstrate the coronavirus is the “Pepper and Soap” experiment. Check out this video here.
Download this helpful Coronavirus explanation PDF here.
Other than the obvious Uno, Monopoly and puzzle-with-two-pieces-missing option. Here are a few great ways to keep the little tykes busy whilst you work from home.
Establish a routine and stick to it. This is a great way to keep your children cooperating, stimulated and get them to practice accountability. Draw up a time table of what the kids will be doing when, or you can check out this one below provided by Annie Nolan (Thanks Annie!).
Did somebody say lego challenge? Are your kid’s lego fanatics? We’ve found this awesome 30-day lego challenge which will surely keep them occupied (even if it is for a short while)
Use screentime wisely. We’re not here to discuss the age-old debate of screentime (mainly because a few of the ideas below involve a computer). But what we are saying is, encourage them to Skype call/Facetime their grandparents or family members during the day. Self-isolation can be a lonely place!
Hang out with penguins…virtually. Pittsburgh Zoo has a webcam showing their penguin areas. Take a moment to watch them play, eat and swim around. Encourage your little one to research penguins so they can know more about what they’re seeing on the webcam. Check out the PenguinCam here. If this goes down well, they also have a CheetahCam and a GiraffeCam
Puppet shows are a great way to get kids to be creative and allows you to take a brain break now and again to enjoy a show! This website has a whole host of DIY puppet making videos, all made from things you’ll most likely find in your house right now. Find out more here. Or make the experience virtual by downloading the PuppetPals app from the Playstore or App Store.
Get messy with science. The internet is filled to the brim with wonderful science experiments you can do in your home. Why not get them to make slime, fizzy balloons or if you’re feeling brave, their very own rock candy. We’ve sifted out our very favourite here, but if you’re looking for more, a good site to visit is The Kitchen Pantry Scientist.
Leave Earth and explore Mars. Would be quite nice considering the current crisis, but really, Google and NASA have teamed up to let anyone virtually explore the surface of Mars via the Curiosity rover. Check it out here.
Take things back to basics. Colouring in can be both a therapeutic and enjoyable activity for children of all ages. This wonderful site is filled to the brim with colouring options for you to print off at home.
Arts and Crafts afternoon. Looking for nifty craft projects? Check out Rainy Day Craft Projects here.
Start a nature diary. Get the tykes outdoors. Encourage them to write down what they see. Birds, flowers? Changes in the weather? What shapes can they see in the clouds? Ask them to report back or present back to you afterwards.
Write a postcard to your teacher, or to us! We’d love to hear what your kids have been up to during this self-isolation period, plus, our Marketing Manager has promised to write back to your kids. You can find our postal address here.
For the latest update on the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa, check out @GovernmentZA on Twitter and please remember if your child decides to descend on your important video call, now more than ever, people understand.
