It’s raining. Or, perhaps it’s just too hot to go outside. Either way, having children stuck inside all day due to the weather can lead to plenty of headaches and complaints, especially if they are young and have plenty of energy they need to burn off! Within an hour, they’ll be complaining that they’re bored, getting into things they aren’t supposed to and picking fights because of their frustration. What is a parent supposed to do?

Tap into some enjoyable activities that will engage your captive little audience.

YouTube Exercise Videos

Surprisingly, there are lots of YouTube exercise videos for children available for free. This activity is great if your children are high-energy and get easily frustrated when they can’t run and play freely. Plus, it is completely self-directed. If you have something you need to get done or otherwise can’t stand over your children and direct their every movement, putting on an exercise video for them to follow along with is a great option. Plus, according to Parents, exercise is crucial for children. Putting on a video will encourage them to run off their energy in a constructive manner and hopefully calm them down for the rest of the day.

Online Music Lessons

Whether you own a trumpet or clarinet, you have access to lots of free online music lessons for adults and kids. Start out by trying some of those listed on Springboard. If your child is complaining that she’s bored, you might want to try finding a video that fits her specific instrument and let her have a go at it. This activity might require some parental supervision, especially if their instrument is breakable and expensive. If your child is easily frustrated, you might not want to attempt this activity unless they are already experienced with music. If you don’t have an instrument and want to purchase one for your child — say, a saxophone — there are many options to consider before buying one.

Online Drawing Tutorials

Does your child like to draw? Drawing tutorials are a great way to give a child something to do when you need them to sit still. For smaller children, videos almost always work better than reading instructions. But, if your child can read and is good at following directions, online tutorials without videos might also work. Depending on your child’s ability, they might need some help from you. We recommend finding a tutorial that is challenging enough for your child without being frustrating. You should also make sure the tutorial is something they want to draw. Just picking a random video may not turn out so well. It will improve your kid’s handwriting skills.

Have an Indoor Camping Trip

This is by far the most parent-involved activity on the list. But, if you have time, this is a great way to keep all your children entertained and having fun for hours. While everyone knows how to make pillow forts, you should take it a step further and plan a whole camping trip all within the comfort of your own home. Make a tent out of sheets and pillows, have a picnic “under the stars,” perhaps even prepare snacks like s’mores or popcorn in the microwave and tell impromptu stories around a “campfire.” If you want something your children can do all day, this is a great place to start.

You can also change the theme of the activity if your child isn’t a fan of camping. Maybe you’re a group of knights protecting a castle? Or, perhaps you’re a princess preparing to have a ball? You could even go to the moon or another planet. There really is a lot you can do with only a couple of pillows and a blanket.

Have Fun with Science

Science experiments are a fun and educational way to keep your child busy when she can’t go outside. There are lots of ideas out there for educational activities that are also extremely entertaining. For example, you and your little mad scientist can pull out some of your household items to create your own elephant’s toothpaste. Take advantage of a teachable moment by explaining the experiment’s transformation.

One Last Note for Parents

If you’re at any point feeling a little overwhelmed with the little ones, or there’s something you need to take care of that requires you to get away from the house for a while, don’t hesitate to call in reinforcements.Daycare/ Childcare services like Little Einsteins Academy provides a quality play and learning environment to keep your kids engaged while learning form teachers and peers. Little Einstein’s Academy provides a quality learning environment that enables children to grow and develop. We build a partnership with parents in the care of their most precious possessions. catering to Infants and toddlers – Ages 0-13 years old. Don’t let the stress or anxiety get the best of you when there are avenues available to explore. 

Children are made to be outdoors. They love to run and play in wide-open spaces. But, there are a number of situations that can prevent children from being outside – rain, snow, heat. In these cases, it might take some creativity to keep them entertained all day. Take some of the ideas we presented here and run with them!

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Little Einsteins Academy – Quality affordable Daycare and Infant care service in Edison and Roselle NJ