There are no two ways about it: Having to keep kids indoor all the time seven days a week are oppressive and they make kids irritable. The onus falls on us, as parents, to keep them occupied and happy. Here are 11 ways to make sure they have the time of their lives.
- Mind Your Language: Children pick up languages very fast. There is no better time than the summer hols to teach them the nuances of various languages. Help them refresh their knowledge of their second language at school or introduce them to a foreign language like French, German or Italian. You can take online courses in any of these and be prepped up to teach your kids. Create small games based on grammar and vocabulary for them and make learning fun.
- Inks and Paper: Pen is indeed mightier than video games when it comes to keep kids creatively occupied. Give them the required stationery and you will be amazed at what they can come up with. If your child is a born artist set up a cosy corner and let her be. Her colourful village scenes and glorious sunsets will be worth framing. If she is a beginner, help her with the basic strokes and colour combinations so that she can soon have a masterpiece on her hands.
- Origami Expertise: Discover the traditional Japanese art of paper folding and unleash your child’s imagination. Pretty butterflies, cute cranes, sweet roses and lively rabbits: it is a whole new world to explore together. You can also unravel the secrets of Kirigami, a variation of origami that includes the art of paper cutting.
- Treasure Hunt: As far as games go, this is an eternal favourite among the young and the old alike, and it is easy to play. Hide a few things in and around the house and sprinkle clues all over. Let your kids don their Sherlock Holmes cap and discover the treasure, literally. You can even turn it into a neighbourhood scavenger hunt by involving the adults in the family. Feel the excitement in the air as they sniff for clues and search in nooks and corners for that elusive prize.
- Junior Gardeners: Most kids have green fingers. Right from growing sprouts to pasting and labelling different kinds of leaves for their school project, they know a thing or two about gardening. Why not develop that inkling of an interest into a full blown passion? Gardening is therapeutic for you too as you dig the soil, plant a sapling and dirty your fingers in quest of the perfect bloom. Doing some preliminary research on what grows best in summer will ensure your plants thrive and flourish.
- Get Creative in the Kitchen: Ditch the takeaways this weekend and rustle up some simple dishes with the help of your little sous chef. Sandwiches, soups, salads, juices, popcorn, French fries: the menu can feature endless goodies for you to cook and serve. Play a DVD, flop down on the sofa and tuck into the dishes with relish.
- Karaoke Nights: Karaoke nights can not only let your child channel her inner Shakira, it will also help her in losing her inhibitions. Mark an area in the house for karaoke and set up the necessary equipment. Then let go of yourself in full force as you pump up the volume and notch up chartbusters. Of course, if karaoke is not quite your thing, have an impromptu dance party. Just play your favourite music CD and boogie the evening away.
- Have a pillow fight: Simple but effective, a pillow fight is the perfect way for your bubbly little one to expend the extra energy. And believe it or not, it is a great stress buster for you too as you unwind after a hectic day with some good old ‘down’ sizing. Once you are exhausted, use the same pillow to rest your head on as you chat away nineteen to the dozen with your kid and bond like never before.
- Nostalgic collage: Before digitisation invaded our homes, we had good old albums with their moth eaten corners and yellowed photos. There is no better way to get your child acquainted with your growing up years than to team up with her in making a collage. As you scout for photos, make sure you tell her who is who so she gets an idea of her family history.
- Indulge in a floor jigsaw puzzle: Jigsaw puzzles never fail to fascinate kids and here, size does matter: the bigger, the better. Search for a good quality, floor length puzzle and attack it when you are in the mood for some hard work. Pick a themed puzzle like a world map or a multiplication chart so that fun gets blended with knowledge in a subtle way.
- Process Knowledge: When your kids asked you at breakfast one day where the cheese on their plate comes from, did you give them a blank look and feel embarrassed at not being able to answer their query? Well, not any more. Find out about a dairy farm or a biscuit factory in or near your city and fix up a tour. Explain the ‘raw material to finished goods’ process to your precious one as her eyes pop out at the wonder of men and machine.
