Lessons from Lockdown: Guide to Keeping Kids Occupied

How to make those hours fly—or at least stroll—by

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

Of all the myriad problems associated with COVID-19, for parents, our most immediate one might be keeping our children busy. The wide range of kid-related crafts, activities, and lessons once helmed by teachers, coaches, and den mothers have come home to roost, and it’s up to us to keep our smallest housebounders both educated and entertained. And it might make our days go a little faster too. Here are some survival tips my family has been putting together (consider this a work in progress).

Get Yourselves Outside

My sister refuses to take her ten-year-old out of the house, but socially distanced outdoor trips in open areas are low-risk entertainment, not to mention an infusion of fresh air and Vitamin D. My scootering son Matthew, 9, writes blog posts rating different skate parks. His sister Chloe, 5, has her nature walks. Even in a city park, there are plenty of leaves, insects, and plants to entertain a recent preschool graduate, and she’s happy to point out everything I miss. (She also plants flowers in our garden). She’s training her memory and building her appreciation of the natural world — and any time away from a screen is valuable time.