It’s been many weeks since we have been in lockdown. With school being off and when we can’t go outdoors, we wouldn’t be surprised that kids are running out of things to do in this quarantine.
Well, we’ve got you covered with 25 fun, free ways to keep kids busy and entertained during the coronavirus lockdown.
1. Watch a
film
Netflix and Amazon Prime aren’t the only options, and you don’t necessarily have to pay for a subscription to watch plenty of excellent films.
Openculture has a great list of 1150 free films you can watch online right now. If you have an eligible university or library card, you might also have access to Kanopy which offers thousands more film options for free.
2. Watch a documentary
Documentaries and films are getting popularized among kids in recent times. There are a few websites that give you access to free documentaries.
Whether you’re into sharks, revolutions, or serial killers, you’ll find something interesting to watch during lockdown. Some great sites include Documentary Tube. Top Documentary Films, and Documentary Heaven.
3. Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. From loitering in the Palace of Versailles to closely analyzing the brush strokes of Van Gogh’s The Starry Nights, Google Arts and Culture allows you to explore famous museums, artefacts and monuments.
4. The Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History
The Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History offers a virtual tour of its exhibits. It is the world’s largest museum and research complex, with 19 museums, 9 research centers, and affiliates around the world.
5. Experience the British Museum
The British Museum is home to incredible artefacts from around the world and is still open to virtual visitors.
Exhibits that are usually packed are free to roam around at any time, so you can brush up on your Egyptian knowledge, see the controversial Parthenon Marbles, or just wile away a few hours.
6. Tour ancient Rome
Explore the architecture and history of Rome, walking around a 3D digital model of the ancient city.
Current technology helps you explore other cities and even other times online, such as this virtual tour of ancient Rome which takes you through the forum, Capitoline hill, and famous monuments.
7. Visit the MoMA
A huge number of art galleries and museums around the world have digitized their collections and are now offering free virtual tours.
New York’s MoMA is just one of the incredible galleries that you can visit from your own sofa, where you can enjoy Pollock and Monet without the crowds. MoMA’s rich and varied collection offers a panoramic overview of modern and contemporary art, from the innovative European painting and sculpture of the 1880s to today’s film, design, and performance art.
8. OLogy: a Science Website for Kids:
OLOGY, the kids’ website of the American Museum of National History, provides students with resources and related activities on a variety of topics, including anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, the brain, climate change, the earth, Einstein, expeditions, genetics, marine biology, palaeontology, water, and zoology. Kids can simply click a topic to go to its main page.
9. Aquarium
All the aquariums and other entertainment parks are closed to the public during these lockdown days, makes it almost impossible to recreate the strange grace and tranquillity of aquariums but not entirely. Monterey Bay Aquarium have added a number of live cams to let you keep an eye on the jellyfish, kelp forest, coral reef, and even the penguins, completely free.
10. Harry Potter at Home:
Harry Potter at Home the hub where you’ll find all the latest magical treats to keep you occupied – including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos. You can explore the world of Harry Potter and the magical wonders like Hogwarts on this wizardingworld.com.
11. Hama Beads
Children can make all sorts of designs with Hama Beads. Whether it’s a Minion, an animal, or Harry Potter, there are all kinds of patterns they can copy off the internet.
Once created it on a plastic peg board, just iron it and make it stick together. You can easily make them into keyrings or magnets too.
12. Try amigurumi
New hobbies don’t get much cuter than amigurumi – the Japanese art of crocheting small creatures or characters.
It’s a cheap hobby to start, and if you already have yarn lying around you can find plenty of free patterns online, like this one to create a tiny Freddie Mercury.
13. Paint with Bob Ross
Have any paint and brushes lying around? You’ll be pleased to know that 403 episodes of the timeless Joy of Painting have been added to YouTube so you can listen to his soothing tones while you paint happy little trees and enjoy the beauty of imperfections 😊.
14. Read Aloud:
Shobha Tharoor, author and publisher of children’s books is spending her lockdown period by conducting ‘Read Aloud’ session for the young ones. She reads fascinating stories from Indian folklore and even takes requests from the listeners. Head on to her twitter timeline to hear stories from Panchatantra and Jataka tales.
15. Lunch doodles
Mo Willems, award-winning author and illustrator, has teamed up with the United States National Cultural Center to start a YouTube series on illustrations for children in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. The series will teach you how to improve your pen skills by doodling.
16. National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids has a multitude of video resources to keep the kids entertained. Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more.
17. Kids
Workouts To Do At Home:
Missing running out in the park and physical activities? Fret not as Joe Wick teaches you some simple workout routines to keep you healthy and active.
18. Get a penpal
The art of letter writing seems to be making a comeback as people are forming penpal groups to write to other children.
You can find penpals online and get started straight away to broaden your horizons and make new connections.
A number of private pen pal groups also exist on Facebook to help parents find snail mail friends for their kids. International Pen Pals For Kids! is one that says its goal is to bring kids together from across the world for friendship and diversity.
19. Arrange a Houseparty
If you still want to meet with your friends – do it at a virtual Houseparty.
The app allows for large group video chats so you can get together for a drink, a chat, or just to see some friendly faces for a couple of hours.
20. Grow your own veg
Not only will growing your own vegetables keep the kids busy for a while, but it might save you some trips to the shop too.
Lots of retailers sell kits to get you started, Like this Original Organics.
21. Play a board game
Board game lovers will be pleased to know that there are ways to play your favourite games online, so you don’t have to wait for the lockdown to end to try out your new Scythe strategy or to finally play Terraforming Mars with a friend.
Websites like Tabletopia have free accounts for players, but you may need to pay to play some of the more popular or newer games.
22. Learn a language
Lockdown gives you plenty of time to dedicate to learning a new language, brushing up on vocabulary, and testing out pronunciation. Know to speak different languages is an added value in this competitive world. You can join an online language course as well. Think that Mandarin will be useful for work, or perhaps German or French?
23. Pebbles
Kids of all ages will enjoy making art out of pebbles! Kids can use their imagination to create different designs. Something as simple as felt tips does the trick on lighter rocks, with children decorating them however they want – some making funny faces out of them.
24. Cooking with Kids
Get the little ones involved in the kitchen with simple, kid-friendly recipes and ideas. Get fussy little eaters into the kitchen and turn them into little chefs with easy and fun cooking projects. They’ll love tasting their handiwork, too!
25. House
cleaning with Kids
Get the kids to help with house cleaning. Cleaning the house with kids is the most interesting and fun part inside a house. Kids are often reluctant when it comes to cleaning and are often responsible for creating a mess. Ask them to help out by making their beds, sorting out their cupboards, bookshelves and shoe racks.
Note: Children are often allergic to dust and dirt, so try to keep them away from it.
We hope these activities will make kids busy during this quarantine! Let’s turn these lazy lockdown days into productive days to learn new things. Stay home. Stay safe. Make most out of the lockdown!
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