Tips for keeping young ones busy during home lockdown

APRIL 7, 2020

We have put on our thinking caps and created a range of fun and engaging activity sheets, which will buy you a bit of time to get on with some work, make some lunch or to have a well-earned break.

The activities include colouring challenges and mind games, as well as some simple hygiene messages to help keep your children and family safe. For more details, jump onto this link and download the activities.

Managing the boss baby

If you have toddlers at home check out Busy Toddler. Created by childhood education experts, the website Busy Toddler gives you a fighting chance when it comes to “at-home” activities for the little ones. Ranging from sensory activities to messy play, Busy Toddler provides loads of activities for lively tots. To find out more, go to www.busytoddler.com.

Also, for the budding Jamie Olivers and Nigella Lawsons check out Nomster Chef at www.nomsterchef.com/. Offering illustrated recipes for meals and snacks, this website aims to get novice chefs excited about helping in the kitchen at breakfast, lunch and dinner time

Tips for limiting screen time for junior schoolers

If you are super keen on limiting junior’s screen time for the junior schoolers (5-8), here are four easy indoor activities perfect for breaking up a day:

Block or Lego City – Flatten out a cardboard box – yes there will be one lying around the garage from your last move – and draw a collection of road, streets and avenues with texta colours or paints. Add blocks, trucks and other toys such as Lego for kids to build a capital city metropolis or your favourite regional town.

Pool Party at home – Let your kids wash their plastic toys. Add tear-free bubbles, sponges, towels and other supplies. Believe us, the bucket can also be used as a setting for the most fabulous pool party ever.

Eat your heart out Mr Maker – Find some recycled materials around the house such as bottles, boxes, and even the extremely rare toilet roll, sanitise them if necessary and let your kids draw or paint on them. Kids love painting random objects and gluing them together to make wonderful artistic creations.

Build in reading time - Being home all day is a valuable chance to increase the reading habit with your kids and keep their education ticking along. If you’re time poor and like the idea of Chris Pine, Rose Byrne, Rami Malek or Sarah Silverman reading to the kids, jump onto to Story Online (www.storylineonline.net) for hours of story time classics.