Many parents get used to having their kids in daycare or school throughout the day while they work and go about their own lives and responsibilities. But when schools close due to an emergency or just for the summer, parents are often left wondering how to entertain kids while maintaining a sense of balance in life.
Here are some kids’ entertainment ideas from expert nannies to get you through the weeks and months ahead.
Encourage Playtime Outdoors
Fresh air and sunshine can do kids a lot of good and keep them entertained for hours during the day. Set up some yard games, such as badminton or kickball, to get kids outside and active. Backyard swing sets, trampolines, basketball hoops, and even just a driveway to practice riding a bike are all great solutions for how to entertain kids.
Get the Kids to Help Out with Housework
Whether you’re a child or an adult, housework rarely sounds like fun. But you can make it more fun and come together as a family by assigning certain chores. Chores help teach kids responsibility and life skills they will need in the future. Children learn by example, so it’s important to set a good example as parents and caregivers with regard to house chores. This might mean not leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight, picking up toys after playtime, and making a point to clear away clutter on a regular basis. Chore time also gives families time to bond and work together, which is important for a child’s self-esteem and sense of interconnectedness.
However, some tasks can be lots of fun for kids too. Sweeping can be fun for kids with a child-size broom, as can watering the garden to get some outside time and exercise. Try introducing your kids to various other fun tasks, such as washing the car, checking the mail, loading the washing machine, and shopping for groceries, to see what tasks they naturally gravitate toward.
One idea is to create a chore chart or chore wheel to stay organized and make housework feel like a game.
Go Camping at Home
When going on a real camping trip isn’t feasible, you can pretend to go camping inside or outside your home. It’s fun for little ones to set up a tent in the living room or backyard and sleep in a different place for a change of pace. To complete your kids’ at-home camping experience, make homemade s’mores in the kitchen or backyard fire pit.
Design a Scavenger Hunt
Another nanny-approved kids’ entertainment idea is to create a scavenger hunt that will keep little ones busy for a while. You can do this by making a page with photos of things you have around the house that kids need to find and check off a list. Another idea is to give kids a camera phone to snap photos of the scavenger hunt items and time them to see how quickly they can complete the game.
Have Family Reading Sessions
Downtime at home is a great time to read more books, and this is true for both children and adults. Designate some time each day for family reading time so that each family member can either read a chosen book individually or aloud together for an engaging activity.
Host Board Game Nights
A fun way to engage your children at home is to play board games and card games that challenge their minds and create bonding experiences. Choose age-appropriate games that your children can grasp and enjoy for many game night sessions.
As schools have also begun to focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education to prepare young people for modern careers, conducting STEM activities from home can be a great option. The earliest STEM lessons can start at home at an early age to spark curiosity and an interest in learning. In fact, providing kids with a STEM head-start is a major reason why families hire private educators and live-in homeschool teachers. These childcare and education professionals can work with your kids on these types of STEM activities and many more so that they stay entertained and are always learning something new.
Here are some suggestions for easy STEM activities for kids that parents and nannies can try at home for both education and fun.
Oil Spill Simulation
What’s great about STEM activities for kids is that they can be closely linked to real issues going on in the world. To inspire your little one to learn about and protect the environment, mix oil, water, and a few feathers in a large container and ask the child to try removing the oil from the mixture with spoons and sponges. It will quickly become apparent how difficult this task is and why real-life oil spills are such a problem.
Build a Tower with Toothpicks
You might just inspire the next great architect with this easy STEM activity that encourages imaginative play. Provide the child with toothpicks and a bag of marshmallows to build a tower, bridge, or other structure that stands up on its own. The goal is to build something creative and with staying power while enjoying some built-in treats along the way!
The Sink or Float Test
While many STEM activities are designed with older kids in mind, you can start the learning process at an early age with just some water and a few household objects. In a bathtub or bucket outside, test different objects with the child to see what sinks or floats. Have the child guess what will happen with each test, and see if the guesses get more accurate as you test more objects.
Create a Stop-Motion Video
If your older child is interested in online videos and has seen YouTube stop-motion animation creations, a fun idea is to make your own video together while learning about technology. There are stop-motion apps available, and otherwise, all you need is a smartphone or iPad and a few objects to make a unique and shareable homemade movie.
Basic Computer Coding with Legos
Coding may sound too advanced for little ones to comprehend, but their favorite Lego blocks are an excellent place to start. Elementary and middle school students can give coding a try with mazes and instruction cards that are free and printable online. Kids will guide a Lego character through a maze while learning some basic command codes and sequences that will come in handy later in life.
Hire Expert Help
However, keeping kids entertained can sometimes be easier said than done, and every parent needs and deserves a break from time to time. This is where professional nannies can step in and provide children with the attention they crave and parents with much-needed breaks. Nannies are experts in how to entertain kids, and families can benefit from this expertise as they learn to adjust to changing schedules and routines.
At Household Staffing International, we can set your family up with a full-time, part-time, or career nanny to help coordinate kids’ activities and provide endless hours of fun and learning. Please contact us at 212-683-7722 or via our online form to discuss your child’s entertainment needs and how we can help.