How to keep the little ones entertained during lockdown

Lockdown has been a stressful time for many, and that is especially true for parents who are now working from home while also having to keep the little ones entertained. Here are some helpful suggestions to ensure they remain content and occupied while the lockdown continues.

Get creative in the kitchen

During the first lockdown people turned to home baking to make all kinds of wonderful cakes and dishes. Baking is an extremely rewarding activity that is fun, creative and keeps your kids occupied for a few hours.

There are no shortage of recipes to choose from online, with tons of websites offering easy-to-make suggestions your kids can get stuck into. The ingredients won’t cost much and you can let your kids go to town with the icing to make their own picture or design. And when it’s out of the oven and ready to eat it will make for a wonderful treat (and reward for good behaviour!).

Take a virtual tour

While taking the kids out to museums and art galleries isn’t possible as they have had to close their doors again, there are still some virtual tours available online – some of which are international too!

You can start with the British Museum tour that keeps you connected the thousands of years of history stored behind their giant doors. Alternatively, head over to the Guggenheim in New York or even the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

While lockdown has meant you can’t physically go to some places, today’s technology can now transport you to locations you may never have been to before.

Watch a movie or two

Between Disney+, Netflix and all the films made available by the likes of Sky, Virgin and BT, it’s never hard to find a film for your kids to enjoy.

Of course, it often comes down to choice between Disney and Pixar, and to help you quickly decide the best one for the day you can check out this helpful comparison list made by CashLady.

Whether you stream a film, or prefer to pop on a DVD or Blu-ray, watching a film is something that can bring the whole family together. It can also be a great source of creativity, the stories sparking the imagination of your kids.

Go back to basics

One of the most simple and creative things any child can do is to draw – it’s also a lot of fun for the parent to remind themselves of a lost craft!

All you need are some crayons and paper and the rest is up to your kid’s imagination. There’s literally no limit on what they can draw, whether it’s a character from their favourite comic or TV show, or just something they can see in their immediate environment.

E-visit an aquarium

Similar to what museums are doing, aquariums are also allowing you to check in on their tanks and enclosures while doors are closed. Almost every child is fascinated by the otherworldliness of underwater life and modern tech allows you to keep the little ones entertained from the comfort of your home.

Back in April during the first lockdown Sea Life London Aquarium was live streaming its sharks and over in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in California you can watch sea otters larking around or jellies drifting the water. In all, there are 10 different camera feeds available to choose from.