With more time being spent indoors with your children, we want to make sure you are equipped with plenty of engaging activities, to maximise the fun - whilst keeping your sanity intact!
If you didn’t know, we help families to come together and enjoy dinner time, and love to share our best tips for driving deeper connections and engagement within families. Keep reading to find simple and low cost (if not completely free) indoor activities.
STEM - inspired toys and activities
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. With careers in system software development, medical science, biomedical engineering consistently growing in demand, school curriculums are expanding to include these topics and skill sets and kids love it!
Luckily, there are so many STEM activities out there you can access for free! Google “STEM activities at home” and take a look!
Our favourite STEM activity we tried at home (it really did blow the socks off for us grown ups too) was creating a real-life cloud!
Here’s all you need and you probably have everything already!
- A jar with a lid
- ⅓ cup of hot water
- Handful of ice
- Hairspray
Step 1: Pour the hot water into the jar and swirl it around to make sure the whole jar is warm.
Step 2: Place the lid upside down on top of the jar. Place the ice in the lid for 20 seconds!
Step 3: Remove the lid and quickly spray a little bit of the hairspray into the jar, then place the lid with the ice still on top.
Step 4: Watch the cloud form!
Take turns trying this for each child (and adult) - make sure to take photos of their reactions!
Story Podcast
Podcasts can help in so many different ways. We love to choose a story, or put it to a group vote, turn it on and listen calmly.
Children can have difficulty staying focused with just listening, we found that it helps to draw out the scenes they are hearing!
Studies have shown that drawing is superior to activities such as reading or writing because it forces the person to process information in 3 different ways: visually, kinesthetically, and semantically. It’s also been found that drawing information helps boost long term and short term memory and the ability to recall memories nearly double.
Take a look at these blogs that have wonderful collections of story podcasts!
- Wired.com
- Commonsensemedia.org they have a mixed collection!
- Storiespodcast.com (scroll down for all their different stories)
- Timeout.com Best podcasts for kids of all ages
Origami
Did you know that paper was first invented in China around 105AD and brought to Japan by monks during 500AD? As paper was a luxury item back then, origami was strictly for ceremonial and religious purposes.
Origami has been recognised as a stimulating activity that positively impacts children’s development. As it is so hands-on and tactile, children can activate parts of the brain responsible for hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, mental concentration as well as creativity and visual stimulation.
Here are some great places to get inspiration as well as the step-by-step instructions for all levels!
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