If you’re unexpectedly homeschooling or distance learning again for another semester, you might be wondering how to keep your kids occupied at home all day long. Not that you don’t love them, but it can be tough to figure out exactly how to keep them entertained all day. 

Independent Play

The first thing you need to know is that you’re not responsible for their entertainment. Really, take a moment and let that sink in. 

If they say that they are bored, encourage them to find an activity to do on their own. They can independently read a book, or work on a drawing that depicts a scene from the last movie they watched. Invest in some logic or maze workbooks and let them quietly work on their critical thinking skills. Let your kids engage in imaginary play, even if it makes a bit of a mess. Allowing them to occupy themselves is a skill they will need to learn anyway, and there’s no better time to do so than now!

You can also set up art projects for them to work on. Watercolors and Play Doh are enjoyed by many age groups, and are relatively un-messy. You might also want to keep construction paper, safely scissors, and glue sticks on hand. Just having pieces of paper to glue together can occupy younger kids for a good chunk of time. Encourage them to be as creative as possible and when they’re done, they will enjoy explaining exactly what they created. 

Screen Time

When you don’t have as much time to monitor their activities, and you are fine with allowing screen time, you can let them watch something educational on TV or online. There has never been a more convenient time to be stuck at home than now, since there are so many things to stream across various platforms.

Here are a few of our streaming recommendations:

• Leapfrog (Netflix and Hulu)
• Shop Class (Disney+)
• Art for Kids Hub (YouTube)

However, you will want to keep in mind how much time your kids are spending watching TV, since this is considered passive learning, and is definitely not as effective as active learning, or learning in person with hands on instruction.

Virtual meetings are a great way to allow your kids to socialize with others without leaving the house. See if their friends or cousins can meet online, just to get some face time with other kids. Many libraries are doing virtual story times, which is a great way for them to interact with others and be able to enjoy a few stories from a friendly librarian. Also, zoos and aquariums are constantly doing live videos these days to keep the public engaged with what they have to offer while people are unable to visit them. Even though none of these options completely fulfill children’s need to socialize, they will help them feel more connected to the world, and less isolated.

Spend Time Together!

If you all want something fun to do together, play board games or do puzzles. Puzzles are great because they are made with all different ages in mind, and it’s a collaborative activity that allows you to think critically while also being able to socialize. Board games are a great way to bond as well.

Here are a few of our favorite family games to play:

• Uno
• Catan Jr.
• Chutes and Ladders
• Rummikub
• Scattergories
• Sequence Jr.
• Classic Card Games (Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy 8’s, etc.)

Allow your kids to play outside as much as possible. If you have the space, encourage them to go play in the backyard for at least a half hour each day. If parks and recreation areas near you are closed, you can even do something as simple as going on family walks. Time spent outdoors recharges our batteries, and you’ll most likely see a huge shift in your children’s behavior once they have spent some time outside playing or just observing nature.

A Few Things to Consider

One thing to keep in mind with having your whole family home all day is that the house will get very messy, very quickly. And that’s ok! If your kids were previously going to public school all day, you were not dealing with all of their messes throughout the day. Accept that this is your current norm, and try to embrace it. Don’t shy away from messy art projects or putting together a larger puzzle than normal simply because it might be a hassle to clean up. 

Also, you might want to try to have some sort of routine when planning which activities will happen and when. If you set a precedent that TV will be watched all day every day, then reversing that might be a challenge. Make it clear that the fun activities happen after the house is clean and schoolwork is done. Also, try planning to rotate different activities every day to keep the kids interested and engaged. 

Additional Resources For You

We have created a live Google doc of our favorite resources for homeschoolers, most of which can be found affordably online, or even for free!

Also, we are happy to announce that we are now offering homeschooling consulting sessions, in which we discuss ways to achieve your academic goals, based on your specific needs. 

Through the month of August of 2020, we’re offering $10 off, so schedule your consultation today!

We are right there with you when trying to find creative ways to occupy our kids all day, so we know the struggle! And we are always here for you. If you ever have any questions for us, or if you have any fun ways to entertain your kids, don’t hesitate to email us at kidslearningforlife@gmail.com.

Happy Homeschooling!

Jenny and Stacey