We’ve teamed up with our friends at Muddy Puddles, the children’s outerwear experts, to bring you some top tips to help keep your little ones - busy at home and in the garden over the coming months.
We know it’s not always easy to keep little explorers entertained, so here are some easy ideas on how to make your time at home more active, fun and memorable.
Set up an obstacle course
Build a child-friendly obstacle course for your little ones with whatever you have at home – pillows, cardboard boxes or even books work really well. You can make the obstacle course more challenging by asking your kids to get from obstacle to obstacle in a certain way e.g. jumping, dancing or walking backwards. Make sure to have a prize ready for the winner!
Get creative
Now is the perfect time to start a new creative project with your little ones. Do some junk modelling with recycled materials, paint, create a family scrapbook or even dust off your colouring books and have a crafty evening together.
Organise a treasure hunt
Write down some clues, hide lots of little treasures around the house and ask your toddler to find them. You can even have a theme (e.g. a pirate treasure hunt) to make the activity more fun.
Try indoor exercises or dance classes
Exercise together (indoors or in the garden, if you have one) to burn off some energy and relax. Try yoga, online dance classes or even a kitchen disco with the whole family.
Build a blanket fort
This one is our all-time favourite. Build a simple blanket fort in the living room (or in the garden if it’s warm enough outside) and we guarantee little ones will love it. You can then enjoy some relaxing activities in your blanket fort – read books, have some snacks or play games together. Here are some easy den building ideas to try.
Play board games together
Playing board games is not only fun but will also keep your family busy and focused (at least for some time). It is also a great way to bond and try something new that you don’t usually have time for.
Spend some time in the garden
If you’re lucky enough to have your own garden, there’s lots you can do with your little adventurer. Do some gardening, play outdoor games like tag and stuck in the mud, go camping, make mud pies, search for bugs and snails or simply let your children get outside as often as they can. As little as 30 minutes spent outside every day will improve your family’s wellbeing so make sure to get some fresh air every day.
Make an indoor garden
Bring the outdoors indoors and grow vegetables on your windowsill. Plants will make your home look nicer and looking after them will keep your children busy. Edible plants such as rosemary, chives, basil or oregano are easy to take care of and will be a yummy and healthy addition to your meals.
Cook or bake together
Preparing a delicious and healthy meal together is a great way to have fun and teach little ones about the food they’re eating. Remember young children love simple jobs like washing ingredients, finding utensils, sprinkling herbs and mixing everything together. Little Dish has lots of yummy recipes you can make with our little chefs here.
Play hide and seek
We recommend enjoying this one in the garden, but if you have enough space at home, there’s nothing to stop you from playing hide and seek with your little explorers indoors. It’s not only fun, but also helps your children develop social skills, agility and co-ordination.
