HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Worried about your Covid-restrained kids getting bored this festive season? Tammy Jack has some great suggestions for keeping them happy

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Just because you’ve decided to play it safe and forgo your annual trip to visit family or friends this year, doesn’t mean your kids can’t have fun at home. Paediatric occupational therapist Samantha Smith has some fun ideas.

ENCOURAGE INTERESTS
Children thrive and learn best through special interests such as playing an instrument, drawing, painting or getting active like running, cycling or swimming.

SPEND TIME IN NATURE
Encourage your kids to discover nature, even in your own back yard. Head to the park as a family or take a walk around the neighbourhood and talk about what you see, such as shapes in the clouds, colours of leaves or plants, flowers and insects.

FOSTER INDEPENDENT/OPEN-ENDED PLAY
Allow your kids to play, imagine and explore every day. Independent/open-ended play will keep them engaged for longer and get them thinking for themselves. These toys and items are ideal:

• Blocks
• Pots, pans and empty plastic containers (for younger kids)
• Basic Duplo or Lego pieces
• Beads and string (for older kids)
• Arts and crafts items (paint, fabric, coloured paper, glue, pom poms, feathers, pipe cleaners, stickers, a stapler and a punch (for older kids, or with adult supervision).
• Objects from nature (flowers, leaves, grass, sticks and stones).

MAKE TIME FOR CHORES
Age-appropriate household chores will teach your kids important life skills like teamwork, responsibility, discipline, independence and self-confidence. A reward system or star chart (for younger kids) will keep motivation levels high.

Some great chore ideas:

• Sweeping or mopping the floor
• Tidying up toys
• Cleaning windows (old newspaper and vinegar work wonders)
• Feeding the pets (older children)
• Helping with meal prep (younger kids can fetch ingredients and clear away after older ones peel and chop)
• Setting the table for meals
• Weeding or watering the plants
• Dusting (with an old sock over their hand)

LET THEM GET MESSY!

• Hide toys in jelly and let the kids search for them using their hands (of course, make sure the toys and their hands are super-clean so they can then eat the jelly!)
• Paint on a window with shaving cream
• Make mud cakes
• Mix flour with water to make a thickish paste, add a few drops of food colouring and you have finger paint.
• Let little ones make handprints or patterns on any old newspaper or other paper.