A parent’s guide to keeping kids busy during a lockdown

As cities across Pakistan lockdown for two weeks, and schools remain shut, parents are desperate for daily routine goals. The most asked question: how does one organize a work schedule from home while keeping the kids occupied?

Don’t worry, we have got you covered.

Parents who have to work from home can divide their time. As one parent puts in office hours, remotely, the other can spend time with the children doing the following activities.

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Here is our survival guide for parents, on how to keep your young ones entertained and on how to keep your own sanity:

Toddlers

Toddlers have a lot of energy. To keep them active and occupied, organize indoor games and activities, like jumping or dancing sessions. Give them a task, such as helping you clean the house. All those would tire the little ones out before bedtime.

Also, an hour of educational television doesn’t hurt either.

If you are looking for suggestions, Sesame Street, Baby Einstein and The Best of Toddler Fun Learning are available on YoutTube to stream.

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School-going kids

Parents, arts and crafts are your new best friends. Ask your child to build an object or create an image using only recycled items, available in the house. That should keep them busy for hours. Or organize a treasure hunt.

Baking can be a fun family activity too. Encourage your children to help you bake healthy snacks and deserts. You can find some recipes on the Food Network.

Next, dust down the old family board games and play Monopoly and Ludo.

To help the kids unwind, here are some educational programs you can let them watch on Netflix and YouTube, such as The Magic School Bus, Ask the Storybots and Geography Focus.

For some fun Maths quizzes, you can log on to Koobits, and for digital story reading, A-Z learning.

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Other educational websites include:

BrainPop

Offers free access to subjects like English, Science, Maths, as well as arts and crafts.

Creativebug

The website offers online classes on how to make puppets, and knit, amongst other things.

By the way, Nickelodean has also launched a site to help kids understand Covid-19.

Happy quarantining!