How To Entertain Young Kids During Quarantine

by Raymund Tamayo

At the time of this writing, there are over 1.4 million cases of COVID-19 infections worldwide. Some reports say that it will still go up and the lockdown may take a little bit more to suppress this disease.

Being stuck at home is not easy for us adults. How much more then do you think it is for young, curious, and active children?

With that, here are some suggestions on how to entertain your young kids during this time of Enhanced Community Quarantine.

1. Play with them. Perhaps the best way to ride out this pandemic in one piece is to find a common thing that you and your kids enjoy doing together.

Some use game boards, such as monopoly, to play with their children. Others like me opt for a more physical tool, such as LEGO. By the way, we have a LEGO YouTube channel called Bricks Laboratory. If you have time, kindly visit it. =) 

For toddlers and younger kids, then you may have to find a more creative way to play with them like engaging in role play.

2. Let them go outside. Not outside the gate of your home, of course. Let them stay within the vicinity of your property. Letting kids go out in the sun even for just a few minutes helps them burn off their excess energy. 

Just make sure that you are the only people who are outside. If there are any, then strictly practice social distancing.

3. Use gadgets with careful judgment. It's okay to allow them to use gadgets or play video games while under quarantine. Only you have to be in control on how much they can use them.

Have a set schedule and make sure it is followed strictly. For our family, we allow our kids screen time every Saturday and Sunday, and for two to three hours only. 

4. Watch movies together. There are tons of movies that provide great lessons and inspiration to young kids. And they can bring with them these lessons when they grow up.

Some of my suggestions are The Lion King, Kung Fu Panda, Happy Feet, and The Chronicles of Narnia series. These movies are awesome to watch with your kids. Just be ready to provide worthwhile answers in case they ask you questions.

5. Get them involved on house chores. According to studies, children as young as three years old could benefit from having house chores in their daily routine. 

Of course, only give them simple chores such as helping you carry some laundry or packing away their own toys. It depends on the age of your child, really. 

If you have an eight or nine-year-old, then maybe they can do more complex tasks such as washing the dishes or cleaning the room.

Do you have any more suggestions? Kindly write them in the comments below. Thanks and stay safe, everyone!