17 Sensational Ideas to Keep Kids Busy When School is Closed (and TV is Not One of Them!)

Wow, how quickly the world changes. One minute your kids are at school and you’re rocking your everyday life. The next- kablam!- you’ve got your kids at home with you all day because the schools and kindergartens and child care centres are closed.

Well, at least that’s how it is for me, here in Germany. How about where you’re living?

In our town it started last week already when the local high schools closed. Then it was ALL schools and kindergartens. And then it was all children’s extra-curricular activities, you know, like sport, music lessons, youth groups and so on. And then all forms of possible entertainment outside of the home, like public libraries, museums, cinemas, zoos and pools. Everyone is being reminded to stay at home as much as possible and not mingle with others.  That now rules out organising playdates for the kiddos. The latest news today is that playgrounds are closed too.

Sure, the schools are doing their best to keep up with the changing times and send over some homework for the kids to work through. But it’s not the same (for them or for you) as being out of the house learning for hours and hours every day.

I know a lot of people have been falling back on TV and DVDs to entertain their children at this challenging time. It is certainly a simple and easy way to keep them occupied for a while. Unless they all argue about what to watch and whose turn it is to select the program … 😉

There will be no judgement or finger pointing here. To each his own, as they say. But our kids usually only watch TV on weekends and if we can avoid it, we’d love that they didn’t sit glued to the sofa for hours every day.

So what’s a Mama with a houseful of kids to do?!? I’ve prepared a list for you of non-TV fun activities to keep your children entertained and happy while school (and pretty much everything else!) is closed for a few weeks. I’ve got your back! 👍

I’ve heard people make comments like “Oh it’s just like regular home-schooling!” and “Yay! It’s like extra long school holidays!”. But it’s actually NOT the same.

I don’t have any experience with home-schooling. ** Fun Fact ** did you know in Germany it is actually illegal?!? But I DO have experience with regular school holidays. During regular school holidays you can still move freely around, travel wherever your bank account allows, and do super fun stuff like go to the local pool, visit an aquarium, organise sleep-overs or go on a shopping spree with your kids. (I do have a post with an extensive list of cool activities to beat boredom during school holidays.)

Right now however, in many places around the world, many of these activities are a no go. And the options are getting fewer day by day.

Which is why we sat down with our 3 kids to prepare a list of activities which we could fall back on over the next (at least!) 5 weeks of closures. It was important to us for them to help with the list because:

• Then they have contributed to the ideas and therefore can take “ownership” of the suggestions, rather than Mama and Papa making all the decisions!
• Whenever they come sidling up to us in the coming weeks and start with “I’m boooooored…”, we can simply point to the list to remind them of the many options that are available to them!

Non-TV Fun Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures

Reading

If it’s still open, get down to the local library and stock up on books to read! Read to your kids. Let them read to each other. Allow them time to read alone. Books are a great time-filler, a perfect “quiet time” activity and a way to practice language skills. Need some book recommendations? Take a peek here for fantastic reads for 6-9 year olds and here for brilliant book series for 9 to 12 years olds, as recommended by my girls!

Painting, Drawing, Colouring

Grab some pencils and blank paper or a jumbo colouring book (you know they have colouring books for grown-ups too, right? 😉). Or maybe you even have some cardboard or a small canvas and some pots of paint. Let the kids get creative and then display their artworks! You could even frame them using old photo frames!

Play Dress-Ups

Give your children a chance to bust out of their normal selves and go crazy. Let them try on other clothes. Agree to paint their nails in bright colours. Buy some of those crazy colours for temporary hair streaks and create some outrageous hairstyles. Chances are they don’t usually go to school looking so wild, so let them play around with their appearance while stuck at home!

Crafts

Here the options are truly endless. Anything goes and you most certainly have something in your house to transform into a creative project. Collect pencils, paints, scissors, beads, stickers, wool, felt, stencils, glue, glitter (if you dare! 😉), empty egg cartons and yogurt tubs and get crafty!

Board & Card Games

Dust off those board games and sets of cards and make a day of it. Mix it up with different types of games: play ones where you need to cooperate to win as well as “every man for himself” types of games.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Get the kids occupied with a jigsaw puzzle party. Just be sure to not open all the puzzles at once. Nobody wants to try and match 975 puzzle pieces back to their correct boxes, LOL.

Sewing, Knitting, Crochet

I can’t crochet or knit to save my life, but sewing is definitely my thing! And my kids love it too. They like to offer me lots of “suggestions” (if you know what I mean!). If you are the “hand-made is brilliant” type of Mama, offer your kids a chance to do some creating with you. Again, there are so many child-friendly creative projects available online.

Pen and Paper Games

Think: Sudoka, brain teasers, word searches, spot-the-difference puzzles, crosswords… Games don’t have to be noisy and these are great for when the kids (and Mama) need quiet time but still want to do something.

Build a Cubby (indoors or outside)

Grab large cartons, blankets, towels, picnic rugs, whatever and help the kids build up their own hiding space. Our kids actually converted their bunk beds into blanket- and towel-draped sleeping areas! Sometimes they get so comfy in there I wonder when whether they’ll come out 😉.

Get Involved in the Kitchen

Many kids love helping out in the kitchen and creating snacks or meals for the whole family. Good for your bellies and good for them and their confidence. (Read here for more benefits of cooking with kids!)

Phone a Friend

Again, although we are in strange times, keeping some things constant will help keep your children happy and less anxious. While they may not be able to see their friends daily as they otherwise would, encourage them to phone their friends for a chat. If phoning is too “old fashioned” for your kids, there’s always online video calling services (like Skype) or phone messaging (like WhatsApp), LOL.

Spring Clean

The seasons are changing over anyway, so what better way than for everyone to sort through their rooms and heave-ho the old, unwanted, too small, too dirty, too broken clothes and toys for a fresh and organised look. There’s a chance they will rediscover something they though that had lost too! (“Ah, my favourite pair of jeans!!” 😉.) Perhaps you can even make a little money from the things that are good enough to be sold. (BTW For ideas, have a look at how to make money from your unwanted stuff .)

Online Education

Here in Germany there are 2 very popular, free online programs (Anton – also available in English!- and Antolin) that school-age kids can access to check their reading comprehension, solve maths puzzles, expand their knowledge of the world around them, test their musical ear and so much more. Depending on where you are and what language you speak, I GUARANTEE with a quick online search you will also find some great ones that best suit your children’s needs and interests.

Get some Exercise & Get Moving

Go for a walk, a hike, a bike ride! Go to the playground (unless it is not permitted). Play football in your garden, climb, jump rope, hula-hoop, play hopscotch, climb, swing, slide… You get the idea! Remember: when the kids are at school or kindergarten they get plenty of movement and fresh air. While they are home it will help them burn off some energy and give them a change of pace from sitting quietly and studying or reading.

Learn Something New

This could really be anything. Everyone loves a challenge, right? Learn how to play a new musical instrument. Learn how to say hello in 10 different languages (Google or the free DuoLingo app are fun ideas for this!). Try out a new muffins recipe. Learn calligraphy. Anything!

Put on a Performance

Encourage your children to let their imagination run wild and put on a show for you! Suggestions include: acrobatics, dance, music, magic, poetry or circus. See what hidden talents your kids put on display. Performers and audience alike are guaranteed to have a great time!

Keep a Diary

I had been wondering how to somehow record the world (or at least OUR experience of the world) as it is right now. Then a friend of mine revealed she and her family were keeping a type of journal, including whatever stories, photos and drawings they wished. Such a perfect idea! Get the kids to contribute their own thoughts, worries and activities each day. One day you will all look back at 2020 and wonder whether it was really as challenging, as strange or perhaps in a weird way, as enjoyable (keep reading, I’ll explain that part in a moment) as it is. And all you’ll have to do is open up this diary and see for yourself!

This list is just for starters! Remember: there is still school work to do. And perhaps a little TV too 😉.

I hope that you and your family stay safe, listen to the health warnings relevant to your town, and don’t let the stress bring you down. Use this as a chance to really bond with your kids; enjoy it. Our kids have repeatedly said how much fun they are having playing with us more, and they are even playing with each other better than ever before! Look after one another and stay healthy!!!

What have you been doing to keep your kids occupied and happy at home? Do you have any other brilliant ideas you’d like to share with us?