Gone are the times when we used to take the kids to a park or a fun picnic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are stuck at home waiting for the world to re-open. But that doesn’t mean the kids are going to stop! With the free time they have, they need all the more activities to be busy.

Following are some activities that parents can have with the children that can spread joy during this crisis:

1. Arts and crafts sessions:
Children should be encouraged to do a variety of art and craft sessions. This will keep them engaged for hours and inspire creativity that will last for a long time. These sessions would need some concentration, and children will aspire to make the best possible creations.

2. Encourage creativity:
Give children drawing books, lots of paint and canvases, coloured papers, match sticks, glues, balloons, popsicle sticks, etc. and boost them to make creative things out of them. All these activities will keep them busy and they will even learn something extraordinary.

3. Reading:
Books are your best friends! While your kids are safe and sitting at home, get them into the habit of reading a book of their liking and language. Studies have shown that reading is one of the main tactics for vocabulary gaining and improved communication skills. If you allow your child to handle gadgets, digital and online learning too can be part of the exercise.

4. Cooking:
Every child should know the basics of cooking. Children can be participants in baking cakes, making vegetable sandwiches, pasta, salads, and fresh lemonade with help from parents. Children would be thrilled and joyous to eat food prepared by them.

5. Playing with kids:
For younger kids, playing with their favourite toys is a major time-consuming activity. Board games, Uno cards, building blocks, playsets, and puzzles are some of the interesting activities that can keep kids busy for hours. All these are unusual activities that keep the mind active.

6. Yoga:
Yoga keeps both body and mind fit. Yoga is said to be a great reliever of stress and anxiety. In these times, it will play a crucial role in keeping children focused, balanced and positive. Today, you can opt for online Yoga sessions, and therefore you can learn yoga without having to go out of your house.

7. Gardening:
Grooming a garden, planting seeds and watching them grow into plants give kids a sense of purpose and social responsibility. Children will be in better moods, great learning experiences and decreased anxiety when engaged in these activities.

Keeping children busy during a crisis is perhaps the most important thing in the house. While children are exploring creativity, parents too should discover their own creativity to match the capabilities of their children. Remember that children will enact both what you do and how you do things. They learn a lot from what they see around and may also imitate activities that parents are involved in during the whole day.