Mindful ways to keep children engaged at home during Covid-19
As humans, we are programmed to seek out connections. Every now and then we need positivity, reassurance and conviviality to function. Covid-19 crisis has forced the entire world order to experience a halt. And so, markets, educational institutions and business establishments across Pakistan have also been shut in order to ensure the safety and protection of people. Parents everywhere are struggling to keep their energetic little ones entertained while dealing with myriad uncertainties and anxieties associated with quarantine.
If think you can depend on screens to keep the children busy, we urge you to rethink. Instead, a better idea is to stick to a healthy routine. It's imperative to apprehend that this lockdown can be used for positive engagements; it is blessing in disguise, an opportunity for the children as well as their parents, who can embrace a plethora of activities alongside their kids that facilitate active, engaged learning within the premises of their homes. Here is a roundup of our good old-fashioned favourite activities that may help you keep boredom at bay.
Quarantine can be a long block of time we have always dreamed of having as a kid; a phase, where we could dwell into our favourite novels. Well, as this pandemic has given us the perfect opportunity to reshape our lifestyles. Thus, we decided to chuck out all the electronic devices, and make our children read books of whatever genre that seem truly addictive for them.
We also encourage our children to write their own story books in an activity journal. For example, urge them to start following “Write Your Own Story Book” by Jane Chisholm and Louie Stowell, which contains writing exercises and hints that can help children to compose their own stories. Later, the story can be improvised into short skits to give them a taste of literature, and theatre
- Bust boriyat with a twist of artistic slurp
In the era of digital content, and this super stressful lock-down situation, it is quite difficult to stay away from the social media… isn’t it? While scrolling, we came across a very unique and innovative post which had some brilliant art made from noodles. To our amazement, we discovered that these posts are part of a DIY initiative by a brand that remarkably took this trailblazing step in an attempt to solve all the problems of mothers who are trying their level best to keep their children entertained during this pandemic.
It came as no surprise that the brand is none other than Knorr Noodles, which, from over a decade is not only making our tummies, and hearts happy with warm scrumptious bowls of hugs, but also is busting boriyat in a unique way. This DIY noodle art challenge has taken the whole social media into a frenzy and now everyone is having fun, playing with their food in an extremely creative way. How cool! We couldn’t help test our creativity levels, and what started as mere curiosity, ended with us making 10 noodle art masterpieces along with our children who absolutely loved this activity. Not only this, when our masterpieces were shared on social media, they were highly appreciated by everyone. People seem to be drooling and are indeed hooked on creating art pieces with these lip-smacking noodles.
One convivial way to occupy a child’s time without resorting to screen time can be having them play games that involve the senses. Mindful games which include interaction, playtime based on sensory and body awareness, games that improve emotional vocabulary and/or sensory language can help kids feel calmer, enhance various skills and create a feeling of grounded-ness.
Given the recent alarming levels of toxic pollution in the air worldwide, planting trees for a cleaner, greener tomorrow seems like the perfect idea, especially at this time. This self-isolation time is the perfect opportunity to involve children in the garden, as caring for saplings not only teaches patience and discipline, but is also the perfect way to de-stress during these testing times.
Besides, it is a good idea to give each child a plant of their own to care for. Ordering seeds online or getting them from a plant nursery is a common practice, however, amidst pandemic its best to make the use of things that are already available at home, such as a carrot top, other fruits or vegetables. Apart from being super fun, it’s also a very healthy way to build up immunity and teach kids how wonderful nature is.
- Boredom busting home science experiments
The rise of STEM based opportunities around the world means that this time should definitely be used to encourage the mad scientist in our children. Hence, it was easy to come across an infinite number of scientific experiments that are doable at home, under adult supervision, using materials typically found around the house.
Ideas ranging from ghost bubbles, making your own barometer, making playdough at home to instant ice creams, are a few attention grabbing experiments that can definitely stir a child’s creativity, and boost learning at the same time.
- Indulge in a good old scavenger hunt
Nothing excites children more than a classic scavenger hunt, and this is the perfect time for some enjoyment that will offer a multitude of lessons alongside. Scavenger hunts can not only aid with concentration abilities, but can also assist with other skills such as an increased vocabulary, practical understanding, using math concepts, and art, as well as enhancing creative writing.
What a wonderful time to bring the creations of children to life, confused? Since every child adores animations and cartoons, we seized this opportunity to learn about ways in which our children can build their own personal animation studio. With a little guidance, the task is easily achievable.
Simply have the mini movie moguls bring out their toys, action figures, art works as well as playdough creations which they can tape in any kind of video recording device. Next, watch and follow some informative, yet fun YouTube tutorials with your little ones to help them learn the process of a feature film: writing a script, creating situations, storytelling, story-boarding, directing, etc. Later, enjoy these epic masterpieces with a warm fuzzy yummylicious bowl of Knorr Noodles!