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Keep calm and play on
As the pandemic rages on, many of us are still working from home and trying to keep little kids busy at the same time. In the early days, we explored fort kits, new games, free printables and baking, but we’ve had to expand our repertoire as the weeks and months drag on.
We recently got some new toys and activities that have thrilled the kids and bought me countless hours of quiet focus time. I’m sharing them in the hope that one of these simple activities will get you and the family through another long day working and playing at home together.
Use the arrows above the image to browse the ideas.
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Unlock it
The simple-yet-genius toy called Unlock It! comes with 20 keys and 20 locks. Each lock has a corresponding key. The kids must either read the number or count the stars to find the matching key to open each lock. This game can also be used as part of a scavenger hunt. Hide the locks around the house and give your kids clues and all the keys and win yourself a blissful morning of peace and quiet as they go find them.
The great thing about this game is that it really is a sneaky learning tool. The kids have to count or read to get the locks open. They’ll be number experts in no time after a few games of this.
Paint by sticker
I don’t know why I am so late discovering these genius sticker books, but now that I have found them, I am a devoted fan. These somewhat tricky sticker books require a fair amount of dexterity and focus. When we first got one, I wasn’t sure my fidgety preschoolers would have the patience for it. To my delight and surprise, they loved finding the number, positioning the tiny stickers and marveling at their finished masterpiece. Once the first book was completed, my son was so proud he insisted on making it into a mural for his room.
These books come in a whole variety of popular themes such as sparkly unicorns, dinosaurs, zoo animals, etc. You can even re-create classic masterpieces with stickers and teach your kids a little about art appreciation in the process.
Create and design drill kit
This simple drill and design kit comes with a battery-powered drill, a manual screwdriver, 170 brightly colored screws, pegboard and 20 activity plans. Even though all the designs are relatively simple, they do take quite a bit of time to complete and will involve a fair amount of focus. My kids loved using the drill best but I was surprised to find that there were okay taking turns with the power drill and the screwdriver and enjoyed collaborating to the make the patterns. The beauty of this game is that it takes almost as much time to remove the screws as it does to create each pattern. This toy has helped me get through lots of Zoom meetings.
A giant roll of paper
I never realized the power of “big paper” until we recently purchased a roll from Ikea. In the eyes of a preschooler, big paper equals big fun. The first thing we did when we got our big paper was to trace out the outline of our kids’ bodies and have them color themselves in. The next day the kids made made giant snakes. The following day they made a massive underwater sea world with fish and painted the whole thing with watercolors and salt (for the bubbles, of course). The possibilities are endless.
We also have giant rolls of coloring sheet paper which keeps them busy for long periods of time without me having to find a new sheet to color. The preschoolers are right, “big paper” is the way to go!
Jenga for little ones
This game is essentially Jenga, but it’s much cuter and more fun for little kids to play with. The wooden blocks are designed with six different animal faces and the kit comes with a dice and a hammer. My kids love building the tower, giving the animals silly names, and carefully removing the blocks with the tiny hammer. It’s a good game for focus, hand-eye-coordination and good old-fashioned fun.
