Indoor activities to keep the little ones occupied

When temperatures drop and the sky clouds over, it feels as though Cape Town’s abundance of child-friendly activities dries up. Not to mention that our options are particularly limited as we try to avoid contracting COVID-19. Which likely leaves you bundled up inside with your little ones, who need to be kept busy.

To help keep the “mom, I’m bored”s at bay, here are a few indoor activities that the whole family can get a kick out of, to tie you over until the weather warms up.

Try a new recipe together

Cooking is a great way to boost a child’s development! Tasks as simple as stirring, measuring and rolling out can help develop necessary academic, cognitive and motor skills. We bet you never knew that each time you let your little one help you in the kitchen, you’re offering them a range of opportunities to learn and grow. Cooking is a task that the whole family can enjoy – so the next time you’re feeling unenthusiastic about making dinner, rope the rest of your clan in, assign roles, and crank the tunes!

Indoor scavenger hunt

Take ‘I spy’ to the next level with an exciting and inexpensive scavenger hunt. Whether you’re looking for an interactive way to instil a love for reading or find a new way to up your kids’ sensory experiences, this activity has got you covered. We love this around-the-house scavenger hunt!

Board games

When the kids begin fidgeting and the clock starts ticking slower than usual, it’s time to fish out those tried and tested board games that have been gathering dust in the garage. In addition to teaching them about teamwork, patience, and how to win and lose gracefully, board games can also be great for their language development and brains.

Paint

It’s so easy to look at painting activities and think, “awesome, I’ll wait until summer and do this outside!” But you don’t need to think that way – painting indoors can teach kids a lot! Anyone can take a kid outside and let them go wild making a giant painting mess while totally naked. But learning to keep things under control indoors teaches them patience, control and awareness. So, put down a plastic sheet or some newspaper, and let their imaginations run wild.

Indoor picnic

Picnics are always great fun, and you don’t have to let the weather stop you from enjoying one! The key to making this a fun indoor activity is to have your little ones help out with as much of the preparation as they can. This will build their excitement and keep them interested. Plus, the extra help means that things will be ready in no time.

We’re sure you’re all aching for the warmer weather to return so you can enjoy a visit to the park or the mountain. Until then, we hope these ideas keep you and your little ones active enough to combat the winter blues.