Bored Kids? Fun Games To Keep Your Kids Happy While Staying At Home

‘Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.’ – Roger von Oech

Child psychologists advise that ‘play’ should not be regarded as mere fun. Rather, it should be seen as a serious activity that aids learning and improves cognitive development. But in times of a global lockdown, how do you keep your children engaged and not bored with ‘play’ when they seem to have all the time in the world?

That the whole world is in a race to tackle the coronavirus pandemic is certainly no news. However, with each passing day, there is no contesting the fact that many parents all around the world are grappling with the duty of managing vibrant energy that is in no short supply in children. A while back, you could have them at school five times a week for most of the day. But right now, the stay-at-home directive has people restricted to their homes till further notice.

If there is one thing that all parents know – and can attest to, it is the fact that children have an endless burst of energy. No matter what age range they fall under, children of all ages almost always need something to occupy them, an outlet that enhances their creativity. While this is invariably good (as it helps them discover and express their personality), parents want to ensure that their children are engaging objects of interest that are both positive and productive.

Children, in their usual manner, are likely to use or consume anything within reach regardless of whether or not it is age-appropriate. This applies both to toddlers (who could pick a stray die and swallow it in ignorant fascination) and preteens (who are susceptible to adult-material and mature content as a result of dangerous curiosity).

Either way, the consequences are far from appealing and this is where parents must take extra care because the boredom from the regimented lifestyle that COVID-19 mandates currently will impact everyone regardless of name, age or favourite YouTube Video they’re re-watching for the umpteenth time. Add to that, your children most likely miss their friends, their play-dates, sleepovers, and believe it or not, their teachers at this time.

In all, as recovery rates continue to increase significantly – a much-needed beacon of hope in this period, we all anticipate the speedy end to the outbreak and fervently hope for stability and the return of normalcy. As we await this expectation, here are some indoor game ideas to help you keep them engaged in the meantime – and keep you sane. These games can serve children within the range of toddler-hood and eight to ten-year-olds:

Indoor Bowling: Who says you’ve got to go to a bowling centre to get some balls rolling? With a couple of plastic cups arranged inversely atop one another (to form a pyramid shape), you’ll have the perfect target for their tiny golf ball to smash into.
Lime and spoon: This game is ideal for younger children (under 5years), as the idea is to get them to put as many limes in a basket not too far off from the starting point. Keep a considerable distance between the bowl of limes (or other tiny plastic balls) and the basket and have your children scoop one lime or ball on each round trip. Whoever finishes first emerges the winner!
Scavenger hunt: A perfect game for homes with a yard or garden, give your children an adventure experience by hiding an array of objects in strategic locations and having them search out the items. For older children, you could consider adding in a twist with hints and clues.
Obstacle Course: Set your child on a course with their regular play items along with common objects within the home. For instance, they have to crawl beneath a table, slide through a tunnel of hula hoops or jump over makeshift traps or take cover under a rock to stay from the big stuffed bear in the jungle. All that in record time, too. The plan is to get them to complete the task of navigating their way through the course, obstacle and whatnot. Not only will this help to improve their resilience, but it is also helpful for boosting their time management skills.
Customized jigsaw puzzle: What better way is there to get your kids’ attention than to have them rearrange pictures of someone or somewhere they know so well? With the advantage of familiarity, your child is sure to latch on to this recreational activity. Create a unique jigsaw by printing out coloured images of family members or their favourite place to visit and cutting up the pictures into sizeable bits. Scatter the pieces and let the fun begin.
Sock Toss: Recreate a game of basketball and have your kids dunking rolled up sockets into a bucket. Make it more challenging by changing the rules: for every throw-in, they take a step back widening the space between them and the bucket.
Ice tower excavation: Set your child on a rescue mission with this game. Put some toys in a bucket and fill it with clean water, and place in the freezer. When it’s time to start the game, ease the block out of the bucket and arm your child with tools such as salt and squeeze bottles to melt the ice and rescue the toys.

Feel free to tweak any of these games according to your preference, and you could throw in a bit of challenge to make it all the more fun. The goal is to get them to spend their time doing exhilarating stuff not something they find so complex that they eventually get put off.

Don’t forget that child safety must be considered as you set up for any of these games. Know too, that even in play, learning is possible. Each one of these games is beneficial for children’s development in its unique way – fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, memory retention, balance, etc.

Remember, taking all precautionary measures remains the priority at this time. So, get on to getting your kids bubbling with excitement day in day out.