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Trying to keep your children occupied is no easy feat, especially if you are a work-from-home or stay-at-home parent. While it might seem like you have to break the bank in order to keep your kids entertained, there are actually some affordable ways that you can keep them busy and engaged!
Head into your craft closet or craft bin and pull out everything you have. Keep in mind, some kids absolutely love making a mess. Providing them with a safe and fun area to make as big of a mess as they want can give them a great outlet to expel some energy. While you can have some set crafts to create to help keep their mind on track, allowing them to put together different materials on their own may help to foster more creativity. The best part? You are using materials that you already own.
Sitting down to watch a movie is great in theory, but many kids get bored and restless within only a few minutes of the movie starting. Instead, get them involved in setting up a makeshift movie theater in your home. This could look like a fort set up in your living room. However, you can also put a spin on this idea and make it a “drive-in.” Have your kids sit in laundry baskets designed to look like little cars by utilizing cardboard or cardstock. Don’t forget the big bowls of popcorn and other yummy snacks.
A scavenger hunt is a great way to keep little minds engaged. You can even offer up a small prize at the very end. A scavenger hunt can happen indoors or outdoors, but just ensure it is in a safe space. You can also have a scavenger hunt while driving around in the car. Come up with a list of items before your drive and do not come home until you have found every item on the list! When you create the list of items or areas that the child needs to find, you may want to lead them to clues to find other items. For younger children, you may want to have them find each item individually so they stay more engaged in the tasks. Scavenger hunts can be as long or as short as you would like them to be.
This idea requires “out-of-the-box” thinking. Grab the art supplies and other random supplies you already have in the house. Then, give your kids each a cardboard box. This can be an old Amazon box, a shoebox, a tissue box, etc. Inform them that there will be a prize for the winner and what the prize will be. Then, tell them how much time they have to transform their cardboard box into something creative. For the contest, you can leave the creativity completely open or you could have a set theme. For instance, you could say that the theme is to create an animal. Then, set the timer!
If you have children, it is likely you have been to all of the parks in the area. However, have you ever rated them? Tell your kids that you are going to be bringing them with you to help you all determine what the best park in the area is. For this game, you can come up with some criteria or you can just allow your children to decide without it. Then, travel to each park and spend as long as you would like. This could keep them occupied for hours and can even help expel some energy.
Children need ways to be entertained to allow them to get creative and burn off energy. This helps with their overall development, especially their problem solving and social skills if they are interacting with others. Our team understands that sometimes life throws you a curveball and individual situations can have an impact on your finances. We are dedicated to providing some financial help for people that want to get back to doing what matters; spending time with their families. Our quick and easy application process can be completed in only a few minutes. Fill out the application today to find out if you qualify!