You can't leave the house. Your children are restless. We've got 10 activities to help you tackle the indoor blues, spur some creativity and put the focus on taking care of yourself as well as your children.
Let's take care of you!
1. Virtual play dates this is great not only for your children, but for you too! Why not create a virtual play date for your kids? They'll certainly be missing their friends from school or nursery - they can chat to their friends online or you could get creative and make it a virtual party. For mums, try a friend date, grab a cuppa and meet up with some girlfriends via videocall. (Facetime, Skype, Zoom & Google Meet are all great ways to video call)
2. Build a den This will help the kids get excited at the prospect of staying indoors, they'll have a space that they've helped to create and call their own. And it will give you some time to tidy around them, listen to your favourite music or have a cuppa. It doesn't have to be anything spectacular, toddlers will love a big cardboard box, but you could drape sheets over a table or chairs and voila!
3. Get crafty Round up any materials you have - paint, fabric scraps, paper, glue, stickers, pipe cleaner, used containers, wool, old boxes - for older children ask them if there's anything they'd like to make and get involved to work out how to do it together. For babies, finger painting, handprints and footprints are always a winner!
4. Books! Now the local libraries have shut perhaps you could order a few stories to look forward to to keep your mind occupied. Another great option is audio books. Why not sit with your toddler in the den and read your favourite story together? Maybe afterwards you could both act it out together. While starting the dinner routine, you could escape into an audio book?
5. One for mums and dads - Home DIY Do you feel like the house could do with a little bit of a makeover? Wait until the kids are in bed or napping and give the bedroom a fresh lick of paint, or try putting together those shelves you've been putting off. If you can order online or get it delivered, purchase those DIY bits and bobs and go for it. You'll feel better afterwards.
6. Self-care rituals don't deny yourself some time to look after yourself. If you can, grab some lovely face masks, bath bombs, hait treatments or nail polish. Perhaps once a week, schedule yourself some at-home spa time before bed. You might want to open a spa in the living room and give your kids a makeover, they'll love it too!
7. Gardening hear us out! Children will love getting involved in the garden, why not try growing a veggie patch? They can help with digging, and you can talk them through the seeds, what you're planting and wait for them to grow! Even if the weather isn't great outdoors or if you don't have space outdoors, indoor pots are perfect for growing herbs, watercress and chilli plants.
8. Treats! Don't just get treat food for the kids. Think about what you might want to snack on too. You may be getting that joy from the leftover Easter eggs at the moment but think about what you would enjoy - a glass of wine? Late-night ice-cream? Put them on your shopping list because they can bring little moments of joy too!
9. Colouring Books A sanity-saver for parents. Keep your kids busy with a variety of pens, pencils and colouring books with their favourite characters. Why not get yourself one, and during a quiet moment, perhaps in the evening, take 10 minutes to start your own mindfulness colouring book?
10. Games! More for older children however, family games can be such a great way to pass time, and it gets your kids' minds working. Think of games you enjoy playing too and keep a couple in the cupbard to bring out for dedicated family time.
