#guestpost by Jenny Wise from Special Home Educator
How to Keep Your Kids Entertained and Active When It’s Cold and Rainy
It’s rainy, or maybe just too cold, and no one wants to go outside. How do you keep your children entertained, active, and learning? Luckily, there are plenty of fun, educational online activities for kids who are stuck inside, many of which you can do together. Take a look below for ideas on how to keep your children learning and having fun, even when you’re stuck inside.
Try a Science Experiment
There are many experiments you can do with your children that require no more than what you have in your kitchen. One, from EarthScienceJr, teaches them how to make something called “glass lava.” Using water, food coloring, vegetable oil, and salt, you and your little ones can see the blobs of lava move about in the water. This is a great time to teach your child about buoyancy and how salt dissolves in water. If you can make science hands-on and fun, your child may take a more active interest and be eager to learn.
Get Moving
If you want to make sure you and your children stay healthy and active, there are plenty of fun options. You can look up an exercise channel designed for children on YouTube Kids, or play a game like Indoor Foot Volleyball. Rather than using a ball, which might damage fixtures like lamps or vases, use an inflated balloon. You keep the balloon afloat, passing it back and forth across the room to see who can score a point. This is a great way to get in 30 minutes of exercise in a fun way. Not only will you get some of the wiggles out of your children, but exercise has numerous benefits for them. It can aid muscular development, enhance self-esteem, and may even help your child to feel happier in general. Therefore, make sure you’re taking several breaks throughout the day to keep your child active and physically, as well as mentally, engaged.
Practice Reading
If you have younger children, learning to read is not only excellent for brain development, it’s a necessary skill your children will need in school and life. Engaging in games together will make it fun, and your children may learn more quickly. You can make “toy sentences” by writing words down on some craft foam or paper, cutting them out, and arranging them together into sentences. By being involved, you help your little ones engage in the learning activity.
Be Artsy
It’s important to take breaks and indulge in things that are just plain fun, but there are many benefits to practicing art with your children. There are so many free drawing tutorials out there that you and your children can use. If you’re looking for something that will provide a bit more of a challenge, you could find an online music lesson for your children. Not only is music fun, but it may help them develop focus.
Real Estate Lessons
This may seem strange for a child, but there are many valuable aspects to teaching real estate to various age groups. According to Redfin, “Real estate is a complex field that requires skills in math, science, English, social studies and home economics. By incorporating real-estate based lessons into your curriculum, you can help students gain valuable skills and practical math application, presentation giving, forming a persuasive argument, earth science and so much more.”
There are so many options for you and your kids, thanks in no small part to the internet. With your guidance, you and your child can have hours of educational fun and stay active, even on the rainiest of days. Stay inside where it’s warm and dry, but keep the energy up and the activities engaging.
Image courtesy of Pixabay