Friends,
If you have children, I am sure you are going crazy during lockdown from the
Corona Virus, COVID-19.
Right now, you are super parents: working from home, trying to get your kids
to do their school work, and keeping your home running. When you are tired
of the video games and screen time, you probably think: “What am I going to
do to keep them entertained?”
Here are some fun activities that I have compiled, special thanks must go to
my friends who have shared their recipes with me or on social media. Due to
COVID-19 making shopping more challenging, I hope you are able to find, or
have the ingredients to make the following recipes.
*Kari’s Edible Play Dough
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup ish of cornstarch
Food coloring
Mix the yogurt and food coloring together, then mix in the corn starch until
the play dough is as thick as you want. Play and eat to your hearts content.
Store in the refrigerator.
I followed a Facebook post where Kari asked for ideas to keep her kids
entertained, here are some great ideas someone posted in the comments:
1. Put shaving cream on your table and let them draw in it.
2. Dump baking soda on a baking sheet, get eye droppers to put colored
vinegar on it, and watch it bubble.
3. Put acrylic paint in a baggie, seal it, tape it down to your table, and
let them draw on it.
4. Get a big bowl and put water and dish soap in it and let them make
bubbles.
5. Color light Karo syrup with food coloring and then paint with it, it
looks like stained glass.
*Elizabeth’s Sidewalk Paint
Equal parts corn starch and water.
Then add food coloring.
Use paintbrushes and your imagination!
*Eileen’s Best Ever No-Cook Play Dough Recipe
2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (baby oil and coconut oil work too)
1/2 cup salt.
2 tablespoons cream of tartar.
1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
gel food colouring (optional)
A few drops glycerin (my secret ingredient for stretch and shine!)
Mix everything together and play!
*Madelyn is a Special Education Teacher and she teaches visually impaired
and blind children, here are her ideas:
They could make edible necklaces, slime or kids love mini pizza.
Kids could also make cupcakes and take food coloring and decorate their own
couple of cupcakes stirring with a toothpick.
They can die Easter eggs using a bag:
Pour dry rice and put some food coloring in the bag. Then, roll the egg
around. They can make the eggs tactile using stickers as well.
*Faheem shared the following website which has wonderful activities for scout groups.
https://www.scouts.org.uk/the-great-indoors/
*My ideas:
If you have pudding, eat and finger paint with it.
For chocolate pudding, try making cups of dirt (Quantities of each item are
up to you)
1. Fill your coffee mug/paper cup with chocolate pudding. Make chocolate pie
filling from the following link:
https://lewissisters.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/easy-chocolate-pie/ (Or use
the premade chocolate pudding cups for easier preparation).
2. Mix a few chunks of cookie in the pudding, optional.
3. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top of the chocolate pudding so it is
completely covered.
4. Garnish with gummy worms. (watch out if you eat Gluten-Free)
5. Serve immediately or cover cups of dirt with Saran wrap and store in the
refrigerator until ready to eat. (You may want to hold off on adding the
cookie crumbs and gummy worms if the pudding is going to sit for a long time
or overnight).
Search for Wikki Stix (string covered in wax that you can mold) on Amazon;
kids can outline and color or paint around the Wikki Stix.
Play board games.
Draw on the sidewalk with ice cubes or sidewalk chalk.
Have dance parties and sing songs, play musical instruments.
Take a walk or hike.
Jump rope, play hopscotch, or ride bicycles.
Cook and bake (There are plenty of recipes on the blog).
Build forts out of blankets or sheets.
Let the kids play in and color on boxes, as well as, make little towns for
their dolls, stuffed animals, or cars and other toys using boxes.
String beads onto pipe cleaners.
Write and perform plays.
Write poetry.
Read books.
Write and illustrate stories.
Aquariums and zoos are sharing videos each day to let us see their animals since they are closed to the public; a lot of museums are doing virtual tours as well.
Most of all, enjoy yourselves and stay safe!