Are you a parent looking for activities that will keep your child busy during the lockdown? 2020 has been a big blow to everyone in the world. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents are forced to work from home, and schools closed to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. As much as you enjoy spending time with your young ones, you need them to enjoy doing other things to give you ample time to work and keep them physically fit.
It has been months since lockdown was effected in many countries worldwide, but we have not gotten used to being restrained. More so, kids are having a tough time considering they cannot freely interact with their friends as they used to. No more play dates for them, meaning that you are stuck with them 24/7. Why not try exciting games that will keep them active all day long and give you time to do your work and other house chores?
10 interesting games for kids during the lockdown
You are trying to minimize social interaction to keep your child safe; therefore, playing within the compound or indoors is recommended
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Football at the backyard
Lockdown does not mean that you cannot step out of your house. Playing outside as you enjoy the fresh air is good, especially if you are near a spacious field or have own compound where you can play sports with your kids. You can pass the football at each other if you are only two, or play keepie uppies. However, if you have a big family, form two teams. With such an open space, you can play other games such as netball and badminton if it is not too windy.
Check this too: How to Throw a Ninja Turtle Party on a Budget
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Indoor ball games
If you live in a crowded community or an apartment with no compound to play outdoor sports, try tabletop football. This game does not take a huge space; therefore, you can play it on the balcony or in any spacious room. To make it more interesting, you can form two teams among the family members to compete against each other, or even introduce an award that will make everyone want to participate. Other options to tabletop football include mini ping pong ball set and table tennis.
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Building a den
This game involves creating a comfortable space using blankets and chairs, sheets, towels, tables, cardboard boxes, or sticks. If your home has an extra room or extra space, let your kids play by building a den using the materials at their disposal.
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Card games
How old is your child? If old enough to understand the rules of card games, you should include this in their free time activities. Apart from entertaining, card games sharpen the mind. To excel in a card game, you need to strategize, and this will make your kid a strategic thinker. Common card games include deck cards, Top Trumps, and snap pairs.
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Puzzles and jigsaws
Finding solutions to puzzles has been proven to strengthen relationships between human brain cells. Thus, it enhances the mental speed and thought process of both young ones and grownups. Puzzles and jigsaw also boost problem-solving skills, visual-spatial reasoning, increases IQ, and attention to details, among many other benefits. Crossword puzzles are great because they help improve written and oral communication skills.
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Family board games
Family board games will go a long way in keeping your child entertained and, at the same time, sharpen their thinking and knowledge. Scrabble, for instance, enables players to form words by following the game rules. Your child will learn new words, and they will be great at spelling too.
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Hide and seek
Infants love peekaboo, and as they grow up, they do not just want to hide their faces but make the game a bit complex by playing hide and seek. You can play hide and seek indoors, ensuring that the space is safe. If not, you can play outside if you have enough space with trees or other structures that will make good hiding spots.
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Detective hunt
In this game, hide an item the child treasures then come up with a story of what happened to it. Construct several connecting clues (8 to 10 is ideal), and let the child find the item. This indoor detective hunt will take 100% of your kid’s concentration because they will be determined to find this item that they value. Other interesting similar games include a treasure hunt, The Mystery Object Game, and The Stolen Cake Detectives.
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Fashion games
Is your child into fashion and modeling? You can have your kids catwalk on the corridor, parading their favourite clothes. If old enough, allow your daughter to experiment with makeup. Although it may end up making the closet untidy, this will be fun and will enable you to know their fashion taste and preferences. You can also make them dance or karaoke if you have the right equipment.
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Physical activity games
Since your child does not have the pleasure of doing physical exercise at school or with others, why not introduce games that will make them equally active? You can get them to skip the rope, hula hoop, star jumps, hops, sit-ups, and many other physical activities.
Check this too: Top 10 party games for 11-year-olds
Watching cartoons or playing games on electronic devices is not advisable. You need your child to be mentally and physically active, but you cannot afford to put them at risk by letting them interact freely with others. Try the above games to keep them active, safe, and sharpen their reasoning or other skills/talents.
