One of the best things about sheltering in place—spending extra time with your kids—also happens to be one of the most challenging. Some parents may be trying to work, teach, and entertain all at the same time, while others are looking for ways to mix it up for their children to combat boredom. At Surterre Properties, we’re all about supporting our community, which is why we’ve come up with a list of out-of-the-box, quarantine-friendly activities that your kids are sure to love.
Check In on Zoo Animals
Several zoos and aquariums have set up livestreams to allow you and your kids a remote peek at their animals. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a plethora of delightful web cams, including a jellyfish cam, penguin cam, sea otter cam, and shark cam. Check out this list for more live animal entertainment: https://mashable.com/article/best-zoo-animal-livestreams/
Return to Snail Mail
FaceTime and Zoom have their place, but nothing beats an old-fashioned “thinking of you” card in the mail. Help your kids draw pictures or write letters to send to friends and family members.
Check Out These Interactive Websites & Apps
– GoNoodle.com: A free website and app, GoNoodle.com designs games that make screen
time active time by encouraging kids to get their bodies moving.
– ABCya.com: Visit this site for learning activities, puzzles, and games sorted by grade level.
– KidsActivitiesBlog.com: Head to this website for a list of virtual field trips, educational companies offering free subscriptions, screen-free projects, and more.
Make Your Own Board Game
Encourage your child’s sense of creativity by helping them make their own board game.
Guide them through creating a concept, characters, and rules. Turn building the board into an
art project. Then it’s time to play!
Create an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Tap into your inner Indiana Jones to construct a scavenger hunt that gets kids searching for
clues throughout the house to find a “treasure” at the end (a movie, a snack, or even a big
hug).
Try Some Kitchen Chemistry
With common household items, you can conduct some cool, kid-friendly science
experiments. Check out https://babbledabbledo.com/kitchen-science-projects-for-kids/ or
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/kitchen-science-lab-projects/ to get you
started.
Take a Virtual Field Trip
Many of the world’s most famous museums offer virtual visits—including The Louvre,
The Vatican Museum, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Make Your Own Puzzle
Start by having your child draw a picture. Next, sketch puzzle piece shapes directly onto the
picture with a pencil. Cut the shapes out with scissors—then see how long it takes for your
child to put the pieces back together. Increase the difficulty level by making smaller pieces.
