3 Ways to Help Kids Beat Boredom at Home

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It has been over a year since the pandemic started and many of us have been affected in more ways than one. Cooped up at home most of the time, it has affected not just our lifestyle but also our physical and mental health- especially on the kids.

Thankfully, we are now seeing a glimmer of hope as more and more people are getting their vaccinations but it doesn’t mean that we alreadt drop our guards down. We still should stay vigilant and careful by staying at home unless absolutely necessary.

I remember the day home quarantine was imposed in our city, the kids were jumping with joy because classes were cancelled and summer vacation started early for them. They adjusted quite well to being on their own, started played with toys again, used up a lot of art materials, and read books to keep themselves entertained.

Then weeks turned to months, and months turned to a year, and here we are, still cooped up at home. They just finished their distance learning for the school year and are now on summer vacation. They should be excited but with nowhere to go to, I’ve been hearing them complain about not being allowed outside more and more.

As a mom, I know that the prolonged isolation and limited socialization can cause stress among kids. Being away from their friends for so long means they experience feeling lonely and disconnected. It is our job as parents to somehow make this “new normal” a positive experience for them as best as we can.

If you are running low on ideas on how to keep the kids happy and occupied at home, here are 5 easy ways to make home quarantine still fun for the kids.

Gardening– I’ve always love plants and gardening ever since but my addiction to plants spiraled since the pandemic started. If it was fun for me, I thought it may be fun for the kids too. My son does not give a care about my plants but my daughter loves it. We just planted sweet corn in a pot and were excited to see if it will bear fruit!

Carpentry or Home Improvement – We recently moved to a new place and have been busy decorating it and my husband figured that DIY-ing some of the furniture would be a great opportunity for the whole family to bond. My son takes carpentry seriously. Sure, he complains about his back aching at night but I know he is proud of the finished product. So far he and his dad remodeled the laundry area, make a TV rack, a bench, and a small table. If you have areas in the house that needs a bit of work, why not hire the kids to help you out? This way, you are also teaching them life skills.

Playing Games Online – I know that many parents complain about kids being online a lot. I don’t. I mean, I do get concerned when they get too much screen time but I never forbid them from using their tabs and phones. My husband and I don’t have strict gadget rules for the kids, as long as they don’t use gadgets until after lunch, they stop using them at 9pm (they have chores in between these times), and we know what games they’re playing or what sites they are on, we are okay with it.

Yep, we let them play online games and I can see that it is a great bonding activity for my daughter and son because they like similar games. They talk about it, they help each other out, and yes – they bicker and fight too. LOL

At home we use PLAYS, a website that has hundreds of online games that the entire family can choose from. They have a pretty wide catalog and add new ones daily that you will never run out of fun games to play. My favorite is Tap Supermarket. It’s fun and addicting and helps me relax.

My kids on the other hand like the education and arcade games. What do I like most about it? There are no ads. A vote from mom!

This pandemic as derailed us in so many aspects of our lives. It can be so easy to get caught up with all the changes in our lives that sometimes we overlook the effects on our kids. I hope that these ideas will help inspire you to involve the kids in your daily activities at home because they too are feeling the impact of this “new normal.”