15 Activities to keep your tiny tot busy while Social Distancing!

Dear Mommies & Daddies,

We love our kids a lot, but let’s face it, parenting is stressful enough without being stuck inside with antsy children due to this fight against coronavirus pandemic. No more attending school. No more outdoor games and even forget about mall visits. 

Social distancing is trending, and that means no play-dates & birthday parties either. During this difficult time, your patience is tested. Yelling is ineffective and it just raises everyone’s stress levels. 

Kids love to play, so when you’re playful, you work with your children rather than against them. Here are a few activities to manage your tiny tots.

15 activities to do with your kids to keep them busy during social distancing –  

1. Puzzle together – When you take a break from your office work, just try doing a floor size jigsaw puzzle. 
2. Bake together – Be alert here, if you don’t know any recipe don’t open YouTube or any website in front of your kid, do this a day prior write-down the recipe on a piece of paper. Baking is a great lesson in measuring, ingredients, and of course, making delicious goodies.
3. Play with Flashcards – There are plenty of flashcards available, we are sure you must be having a few. Wild animals, body parts, Country flags, Planets etc.
4. Dance – Dance like no one’s watching. Dancing is a great stress buster if you are busy just put on some music and let your child dance. 
5. Make cardboard art – Put all those unused boxes to use now, give them the box, let them explore, paint, cut.
6. Sensory Bag– Make a sensory bag – Fill it with anything and everything, (Dals, pulses, comb, pasta – dry ingredients) and they’ll be engaged for hours. This activity encourages the development of motor skills.
7. Treasure hunt – Hide anywhere from 10 to 20 items around the house to keep kids occupied for a few hours. Hide clues with each item, if they can’t read, draw the clue – this way kids will try and recognise the drawings. 
8. Screen time – Do give them screen time, like they have recess in school. Explain to them about the screen time that the TV should be switched off by this particular time and be strict, stick to your time. 
9. Practice meditation & Yoga – It’s very important to practice mindfulness at this stressful time. Download some meditation app or just put on yoga music,If not just chant any religion mantra you like or hummingbird sound. Kids won’t be able to sit for more than 5 mins, but eventually, they will. Remember they are watching you, you are their role module. So be responsible and be good. 
10. Take care of plants – If you have plants at home, ask your kids to water them and just have a general discussion about plants. Teach them how to care for a plant.
11. Setting up the cupboard – Remove all the clothes from your kids cupboard and ask them to remove dresses which are old, now tell them to fold and arrange dresses colour wise.
12. Paper basketball – Take an old newspaper, cut a few circles in between, stick it on a high wall and let kids throw small balls through the shapes. 
13. Activity worksheets – Educational worksheets are available online according to the age, print and just handover them to complete, this is more like home-schooling. 
14. Ice war – In a vessel place your kid’s toy fill it up with water and some colour, freeze it, give some strong spoon or object and tell your kid to break the ice and rescue the toy. Kids love playing with ice, especially in summers.
15. Study time – Make sure studies are also on your priority. Even if your kids say it’s a holiday, tell them this is not a compulsory project. It is for their skill development.

It’s important to have schedules in place. Do not disturb your child’s routine; set a timetable with activities a day prior, we know it’s hectic but it will keep you organized and even your work from home won’t get disturbed. 

Children need structure, so it’s important to set up a school-like routine.