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Keeping kids busy: Easy ways to entertain your little ones

Stop your children (and yourself) from climbing the walls these school holidays.

Stop your children (and yourself) from climbing the walls these school holidays. Photo: Getty

As the coronavirus lockdown continues through the school holidays, many parents may be wondering how to keep their youngsters entertained indoors.

Don’t let deserted parks and empty play centres stop your child from having screen-free fun.

Whether you want to spend time together, or just distract them for a while, here are some great ideas to keep kids busy.

Papier mache

Making papier mache models is a fun and easy way to occupy kids for hours on end.

Using newspaper, balloons, PVA glue and paint, let your child get creative and make a model of whatever their heart desires.

You can even give them a prompt, from castles and cars, to their favourite cartoon characters – papier mache knows no bounds.

If you’re already stressing about the mess, rest assured – this activity can be done indoors or outside, and you can even substitute PVA glue for an easy paste made from flour and water.

Science experiments

Just because school is over doesn’t mean they have to stop learning.

Introducing a fun science experiment can be a great way to spend an afternoon away from the screen.

The good news is, many kid-friendly science experiments can be done using ingredients from your fridge and pantry – like these easy DIY home-made crystals. 

If you don’t have a natural knack for science, just jump on ScienceFun for more cool ideas.

You can also find the explanations behind the experiments (so your child will never know you failed year 11 science).

Bake a cake

Cooking with your child is a great way to bond and keep them entertained.

Since everyone loves dessert, why not get them in the kitchen to help you whip up some muffins or a cake?

If they really enjoy it, let them help you cook lunch or dinner – two birds, one stone.

Put on a play

Most kids have a flair for the dramatic (especially when it comes to bath time).

Let out their inner Shakespeare by encouraging them to put on a play for you.

All you need is some dress-ups and props.

If you don’t have any, let them dress up in some of your old clothes.

You might need to give them a prompt to get started, like a princess with superpowers or an alien arriving on Earth.

You can even make a day of it by making some finger or sock-puppets for them to use.

Film their play so you can watch it together on a rainy day (or when you’re stuck for ideas). Photo: Getty 

Scavenger hunt

This is a really easy and fun way to kill some time.

Write down a list of random items from around the house (for example, a wooden spoon, a rock, or a book starting with a certain letter).

Let your child go off and find those items.

You can even set up a room with hidden items from your list and see how long it will take your child to find them.

Change it up by letting your youngster hide the items and watch you look around for them.

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