16 Surprisingly simple yet satisfying play ideas for Kids in Lockdown
I have been enthralled by the way in which my sons have found joy and passion in their own child-led activities during Lockdown, often using the most simple and cheapest equipment, or better still requiring nothing whatsoever apart from their imagination. Here are some of our favourite pasttimes so far.
- Climbing a muddy hill and sliding down it
We have spent hours doing this in our local forest and my eldest son exclaimed, “This is what you call Teamwork!” My middle son encouraged us to zig-zag up the hill like the mountain goats he had seen on Go-Jetters! Our smallest man loved sliding down the hill on my lap. All 3 were delighted to find huge sticks which we used to support us on our climb and to haul each other up the hill. Be prepared for some muddy clothes and kids but it is well worth it!
2. Painting with chocolate milk using pipettes, paintbrushes, and cookie cutters
My son spilled some hot chocolate on the table this week and was absorbed for ages in drawing and writing in it with his finger. I then introduced a paintbrush and pipette, cookie cutters, and paper which kept him amused for hours. You can use whichever liquid or substance you prefer. Painting trees or fences outside with plain water is a good mess-free option!
3. Building Lego or any blocks/pots/cans you have at home
My sons really enjoy building towers and structures with Lego, building blocks, tins, spice jars, or anything else they find that stacks on top of each other. They enjoy knocking them down and building them up again too! It’s wonderful to see and hear the boys negotiating for pieces, problem-solving together, and using their imagination to create structures and storylines.
4. Making kinetic sandcastles with little pots
This is fascinating as the Kinetic Sand becomes a solid mass. You can also experiment with anything else you like such as normal sand, mud, or a mixture of flour and baby oil.
5. Balancing on a beam, wall, jumping onto a mattress, and doing a forward roll or scaling the walls like Spiderman
During the first lockdown, I was really impressed by my sons’ climbing, balancing, and jumping skills. They spent hours climbing up our curly slide and helping each other up it, which is no mean feat!
6. Piggyback rides around the house, garden, or woods
While horseriding stables are shut, piggyback rides on Mum and Dad or Big Brothers and Sisters are the best we can do. The boys wait for their turn and it’s a good incentive for them to practise counting in 1s, 2s,5s, and 10s or rehearsing times tables as they ride around on your back. The more they count, the longer the ride! Space hoppers or Trunki wheelie cases are a good alternative if your back needs a rest.
7. Holding your kids on your lap and bumping down the stairs.
This adds another element of fun to the day when you can’t go far and the boys often ask for Bumpy Bumpy.
8. Chasing each other around the Kitchen table or Island.
This keeps us amused for hours and can be varied with counting, different ways of moving around, and freezing each other when you catch each other.
9. Serving a ball up to your kid on the stairs with a tennis racket.
This has kept us busy on the wettest days in Lockdown. My oldest son enjoys it the most and it's probably safer with the older ones who are less likely to topple down the stairs!
10. Playing Limbo underneath a broom balanced on 2 surfaces
How low can you go?! My eldest son invented this game when he was tiny and it’s been a family favourite ever since. You can jazz it up by playing your favourite tunes and inventing new moves!
11. Squeezing paint onto a huge cardboard surface and letting your child skate on it in bare feet.
My sons love this! You might want to have a bowl of soapy water and a towel handy next to them before they leave a trail of footprints around the house!
12. Making foam puppets in the bath and acting out stories with them. My smallest son invented this game the other night and we had great fun making up games and stories with his foam characters. “2 little dickie birds sitting on a wall” worked well and we kept inventing new characters and rhymes. Mouldable soap would be especially good for this as the shapes are more solid!
13. Mixing bath colour powders in the bath.
We used Risso bath colours but there are probably many varieties. A friend considered trying food colouring but that could be disastrous! Unusual brightly coloured bathwater added to the fun and the boys enjoyed wearing their swimming goggles and putting their head underwater to explore.
14. Making shadow puppets on the bedroom wall at night or on the patio on a sunny day.
This never fails to fascinate us and keep us amused. On a sunny day, you could put some toys or objects on the patio or some plain paper so that you can draw around their shadow with chalk, pencils, crayons, or pens.
15. Glowsticks at the ready
We have had great fun with magical, bright glowsticks after dark, drawing and writing in the air with them and waving them around while busting a groove along to our favourite disco tracks.
16. Blowing up balloons and letting them go so that they fly around the room.
You can read more about this activity in this article below which also helped us all feel better after a tough day of homeschooling.
I hope you enjoy these impromptu activities. Please let me know how you get on and how you have been keeping busy during Lockdown. The article below may give you more ideas too.
