Boredom. It’s kids’ worst enemy, and it often strikes on rainy days when they can’t go outside and play. Cue the Internet, which behind all the distractions offers some entertaining activities to keep the little ones learning, if you know what to look for.
Don’t worry. There’s no need to download an online math class, unless you want to put your child to sleep. You can find plenty of interactive sites that offer material for all ages from learning letters to studying environmental issues. The parenting experts at Verywell Family have provided a list of 20 to get you and the little ones started.
Kids also can feast their eyes and expand their knowledge with a fun magic milk science experiment. All you need are a few household items to get wow your kids with this exciting hands-on challenge.
As exciting as lions and tigers can be, kids need a bit of playtime, and that’s where online games come in. While the debate rages over whether little ones should be allowed access to violent first-person shooters, developers have been quietly creating a range of adventures for all ages to enjoy. You wouldn’t feel any guilt about letting them log onto the Climate Challenge, would you?
That’s enough sitting around. It’s time to get some physical activity in … but leave the computer on! Why? Because that’s your gym teacher for the day. Head to YouTube, enter “children’s exercise videos” and scroll down through the more than 500,000 results. Well, that may be too much to sift through, in which case the Realistic Mama has done her research and come up with a shorter list to check out.
Music has been shown to accelerate brain development and enhance connections between the mind and body, and these benefits are just a few keystrokes away. Lessonface even offers pre-screened teachers who deliver courses online for a variety of instruments from violin to drums as well as budding young vocalists, while you’ll find a list of free lessons here.
Now that you’ve got the creative juices flowing, how about something for the pint-sized Picassos? Like music, art stimulates neural activity while promoting motor skills and providing a valuable emotional outlet. You’ll find projects that can be done directly online, inspired by geniuses such as Jackson Pollock and Keith Haring. If you’re looking for a more real-world experience, check out some of these drawing tutorials.
Rather than reading a book, you can let their imaginations run wild as they come up with adventures of their own. All they need is a few prompts and maybe a few props. This could go on for hours as the little ones transform their ideas into mini-dramas and storybooks, putting all of their creative skills into motion. You’ll also even find activities where they put their heads together to come up with a narrative, learning to cooperate in the process.
It’s a valuable life skill that’s perfectly safe for children with a little supervision to make sure nothing goes awry in the kitchen. So says world-famous chef Jamie Oliver, and he’s got some ideas for nutritious snacks that the kids can make themselves when they need a boost of energy after all that indoor activity. Just remember to keep the knives sharp, which is actually safer than something dull.
That should be enough to keep them going at least until the sky clears, if not longer. And now you’ll be ready the next time the weather doesn’t cooperate with your plans. Ah, the weather! Have a look online, and there’s probably a lesson about why it’s raining to begin with.