A week now I’ve stayed at home with my two kids because of the corona virus. One of them is five, the other eleven. Of course I have taken this measure much earlier, I have not been to playgrounds since the first case in Italy and when the virus came in Greece then we were only going out for school and back home, nowhere else. We stopped extracurricular activities on our own and anything that was not absolutely necessary.
Staying at home is not very difficult for me but for children who are full of energy. So now that there is no homework from school and all these extracurricular activities that made the day look like there were never enough hours, we have plenty of free time. Personally I see it as an opportunity to spend quality time with my kids and do something together! Because you can’t just leave the kids by themselves while you drink coffee all day and do the housekeeping… Kids need company and play. So we found different creative ways to spend our time and not just in front of a TV or a computer.
photo credits @terrypaganopoulou
Games
The most important thing for the kids is playing, so we took all the board games off the shelves, that for so long we never had the time to play. Board games are a great way for all family members to play together and have fun. Of course, with the age difference of the children, we adjusted the rules a bit so that everyone can participate in the game.
Balcony / Yard
Fresh air is essential, especially the days that the weather is nice. So especially at noon when it’s the hottest hour, we go out on the balcony and play with bubbles! It’s great to see them traveling! We’ve got different sizes and so we make some big and impressive but also a lot of small ones that we love to chase around.
Housekeeping
Believe it or not, kids love home chores, especially when they are relaxed and have nothing to do. I was surprised too when my eldest son asked to help me out. Dishwashing, sweeping and making the bed seem to be particularly fun especially if they’re seen as a game. It may take a bit longer but in this case you have plenty of time.
Cooking
Another occupation that combines “work” and fun, is cooking. Kids love to help with cooking and especially with something beyond daily food. A preparation of a sweet for example that is not something that is planned. I love seeing the satisfaction in their eyes when they enjoy the outcome and of course when we praise them for the great work they’ve done.
photo credits @mapetiteblogger
Painting & Handcrafts
Painting is a favorite occupation, especially at early ages. However, the internet is a great source of inspiration even for older people as there are plenty of videos showing you different techniques and designs!
Besides painting, there are many other handcrafts that are can fill creatively children’s time such as collages and quilling (paper strips crafts). Once more internet has a lot of ideas to offer.
Reading
It’s a fact that kids don’t like reading. What kind of reading though? The obligatory! Because there are a lot more books besides school books. Children love when you read them books. So we read one, mainly before bedtime. Again it is difficult for me to combine the taste of different ages, but I have found out that kids adventure books are something that pleases both of them, or shall I say all three of us!
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