10 Easy Ways to Have Fun with Kids in Lockdown

My favorite Christmas gift was a digital picture frame preloaded with photos of the grandkids, now installed in the kitchen. Whenever I pass it, I catch another glimpse of the children’s lockdown life.

Without playdates and social outings, their faces are still smiling, happy, and engaged. It just goes to show you can still have fun with kids, even in lockdown.

I checked with my son Dave, who organizes family activities, for some tips. Not all may work for your family, depending on the interests and ages of the kids, and the time you can spare.

#1 Get out of the House

Whether it’s a bike ride in a park, making sandcastles at the beach, or just walking in the neighborhood, get the kids outdoors so they don’t feel cooped up.

Miss T bought a second-hand bike that she has learned to ride during the pandemic. Little N gets on a balance bike or a scooter to follow.

If you live in a city, consider out-of-town day trips. A long car ride and a change of scenery makes for an exciting adventure. A good destination is a farm where you can pick the produce. Kids learn how food grows, have an interactive day, and are distanced from others in open fields.

#2 Dessert Night, Movie Night

Schedule special nights to give kids something to anticipate every week. For example, Dave proclaims Dessert Nights on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It’s a small thing but the kids look forward to picking their treat, such as cookies, ice cream, or candy.

For Movie Night, the whole family watches a movie together. Bridging the interests of a four-year old and a seven-year-old is challenging but nature documentaries from Disney Plus, such as the series, Secrets of the Zoo, can work, Dave says.

#3 Relocate to Create Fun for Kids

An easy way to create fun is to simply do an everyday thing in a different place. For example, instead of sitting at the table for lunch, picnic indoors on the floor. Or, find an unusual place for kids to eat. Dave sets up a kids’ table and chairs in the atrium that’s the entryway to their house so the two can dine “al fresco.”

Rethink spaces. Set up a tent in the backyard to make a clubhouse. (Alternatively, drape a blanket over a large table.)

Miss T emptied out a closet in her shared bedroom and fitted it with a small desk, chair, and lamp to create a private room within a room. You can see it here.

#4 Make Work Fun

LEGO sorting–once a chore–has become a fun pastime for Miss T since Dave bought the kids a LEGO storage container for the smaller elements, such as tables, cafe umbrellas, and LEGO people. Although it may not appeal to all kids, Miss T can spend hours organizing her stash; then when she’s ready to construct, all the pieces are right at hand.

On a personal growth note: Miss T was very good at building LEGO structures following instructions. But she wasn’t free-forming her own ideas afterwards. So Dave introduced the kids to the online series, LEGO Masters, where LEGO creativity knows no bounds. Seeing the possibilities, Miss T has been inspired to create from scratch.

#5 Enhance the Power of Books

Dave is a great advocate of the library, not only for the free loan of books, but as a means to test out which books are worth purchasing. Currently, at bedtime, he’s reading the oversize book, Giant Vehicles, that shows the inner workings of such massive vehicles as the Airbus A380 passenger plane.

To take it a step further so Little N can fully grasp the enormity of each vehicle and to bring it to life, Dave finds videos of the vehicle in action online. “The video is the extra piece to make it interesting,” he says.

#6 Have Fun with Kids in the Kitchen

For kids, cooking is fun! You just have to pick a time when you’re not too busy or too rushed to have patience. Choose an interesting project, such as making pizza or pasta from scratch. “If it tastes good, that’s great. But it also keeps them busy,” Dave says.

For the pizza dough recipe, Dave uses the one for grilled pizza from Sunset’s The Great Outdoors cookbook. Or here’s the pizza dough recipe I use for after-school projects.

Kids help to roll the dough and add their own sauce and toppings. By their involvement in the dinner and their ability to customize their part of the pizza, the kids are more likely to eat the results. And, as a bonus, leftovers can be packed for school lunch.

The kids also help to make pasta using the KitchenAid pasta roller and cutter attachment. Dave cautions that you need to pay attention to kids’ fingers and long hair. Miss T puts her hair up in a ponytail so it can’t get caught in the pasta rollers.

You can also make pasta using a manual pasta maker, which is both less expensive and easier to control around kids.

For a simpler kitchen project, make old-fashioned peanut butter cookies together.

#7 Working is Fun–if you Get Paid

Dave is teaching Miss T how to wash a car and vacuum the interior. This activity serves several purposes: the family cars get cleaned, she learns to do a chore well, it keeps her busy, and she learns what it takes to work for money.

Miss T’s parents want to teach her to be financially responsible while young and washing the car provides some income for this exercise. They are considering an app such as Greenlight that allows parents to pay for chores, and helps kids to allocate a percentage of earnings to savings, charity, and spending money, while learning to develop savings goals.

#8 Something Special, Every Month

When a child gets a delivery on a regular basis, it becomes something to anticipate. Miss T has a subscription to Kiwi Crate, a complete learning kit that arrives monthly. She has constructed a lockbox, a coin-eating robot, a soap dispenser, and a calendar, among other projects,

These STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) projects are designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning. There are different lines of crates for for specific ages and interests.

If a subscription is too pricey, consider a magazine subscription for a fun and educational hit every month.

You can also buy individual Kiwi Crates. Or try other educational construction kits like Moving Machines: 10 Mega Models to Construct, found at Costco. It can occupy kids for hours, first to build, then to play with.

#9 Treats–Just Because

This pandemic has deprived kids of so much that Dave believes occasional treats are in order–candy, chips or soda–the kind of less-than-healthy foods you normally withhold from your child.

Or, a new toy. In anticipation of the lockdown last year, Dave stocked up on some toys that he keeps hidden in the garage. He introduces them when they all hit a lockdown wall.

Dave’s “toys” are mostly educational games. He’s fond of Gamewright as a reliable game brand. Zeus on the Loose, at $11.99, is a fun card game that hones math skills, and is one of Dave’s lockdown recommendations.

#10 When all Else Fails, FaceTime Grandma!

When they’re bored, the kids will FaceTime me on their own. We’ll just talk about their day. Sometimes, Miss T will show me something she has made or I’ll show her a craft project I’m working on.

Little N will sing songs, tell me stories, and show me his latest LEGO creations. Sometimes, I’ll sit with the kids through their lunch, just keeping them company.

This past weekend, I watched as Miss T sketched some charming drawings, then we made Valentine cards. I’d precut the elements with my Cricut machine, and guided her through the assembly.

We’re 10 months into lockdown, and with COVID ranging in our state, life won’t be back to normal for some time. But the kids are well-adjusted, and so we’re doing just fine.

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