May School Holidays at Home
The June May school holidays are here! Even though circuit breaker measures are still in place, there are many activities and games that parents can do with their kids for some quality family bonding time. Activities for children stuck at home during the circuit breaker don’t have to be expensive and can be much simpler than you think.
From educational games to safe exercises for children, here are some recommended activities for you to keep your little ones occupied and excited throughout the school holidays at home.
Board Games
Low-tech and traditional board games are often overlooked nowadays as a family activity. I fondly remember my childhood spent playing Monopoly and Game of Life with my siblings and thanks to the emergence of Exploding Kittens and Cards Against Humanity, board hames have seen a resurge in its popularity.
Here are some kid-friendly board games as well that are worth a try!
Sushi Go!
Sushi Go! is quirky yet simple enough for children to join in. Plus, who doesn’t love sushi? This Japanese food inspired card game revolves around players obtaining a hand and keeping a card (placing it face down) with the highest score with them. The remaining hand is then passed to the player beside you to simulate a sushi restaurant conveyor belt! At the end of a few rounds, the player with the highest scorecard that was placed face down wins!
The game does not require much reading or complex rules which makes it suitable for primary school kids onwards. The cards are also cutely designed with sushi characters!
Shop from Amazon via ShopBack and get up to 6% Cashback!Scattergories
This game is simply based on naming objects and things within a certain category using a chosen letter for each round. Although simple, the games can be very competitive and tense depending on how strict the answers have to be! Family members can choose to accept or reject answers based on how suitable the answer is which can lead to a lot of debate. For example, if you’re asked to name a berry which starts with the letter B, will your family and children accept ‘banana’ as an answer?
Scattergories can be an educational activity for the little ones and the whole family! Even teenage children can stretch their mind with this game.
Shop from Amazon via ShopBack and get up to 6% Cashback!DIY Activities
Hopscotch
Hopscotch has transcended many generations as a popular game to play after school or even during recess. However, with the circuit breaker in place, kids can no longer head to school to play during recess. Despite that, parents can still create a hopscotch area at home with one simple item: tape.
Use masking tape or electric tape to mark out a hopscotch area at home on the floor! You can even choose different shapes or patterns to make things more interesting and it almost costs nothing.
Of course, ensure that the floor is not slippery when playing and there are no obstruction nearby!
Cardboard Sculptures
Get creative with your children by utilising any unused or spare cardboard boxes to create sculptures! This can help stimulate your child’s imagination to the fullest by letting them create all kinds of places or objects with cardboard and other items like tape or paper.
Fitness Exercises
Sitting for prolonged periods of time can do a lot of harm to children in the long run. In between school holiday assignments or video games, keep active as a family by doing a simple group workout that is safe for children. Even children can do yoga!
We suggest getting a small kids yoga mat to reduce the impact on the hard floor and also to avoid slipping if sweat drips on the floor. Even with these simple exercises, mom and dad can join in the fun and keep active in between work from home. Please do practice these exercises with caution and always supervise your children!
TV Shows/ Movies
On days when the parents want to wind down over a simple dinner with their children, we recommend tuning in to your favourite tv shows or movies!
Beat Bugs (Netflix)
Although Beat Bugs is targeted at toddlers and kindergarteners, it appeals to adults who are fans of The Beatles! Follow the characters (who are bugs) as they go on adventures and sing along to some of the most iconic hits by the Beatles which the whole family can follow. The characters also usually impart learning lessons and positive messages which are wholesome for the little ones.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again (Netflix)
The 80s and 90s kids will remember watching Ms Frizzle on the screen, taking her students on an adventure with the iconic yellow school bus. Good news is that there is a new animated version which shows the students going on adventures again to learn about almost anything and everything! If your children are interested in science, this show is chock full of interesting knowledge and facts.
Young parents can also reminisce on the older series and compare which one they like better.
Studio Ghibli Movies (Netflix)
The recent addition of Studio Ghibli movies on Netflix was one of the best things to happen in 2020. If you, or your family have yet to binge watch all of them, now is the best time to start! The best thing about Studio Ghibli movies? They appeal to viewers of all generation.
We recommend My Neighbour Totoro or Ponyo for toddlers as they are adorable and easy to understand as compared to the rest. Primary school kids will love Kiki’s Delivery Service and The Secret World of Arriety for their vibrant colours and out of the world imagination.
On the other hand, teenagers are likely to enjoy movies like Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke as these movies deal with more mature issues like conflict, issues of industrialisation and morality.
Science Experiments
Kinetic Sand
Hands-on science experiments can keep children occupied for nearly hours and kinetic sand is one of them. You can easily find them on e-commerce sites in different colours with different sets of moulds. Children can actually develop their sensory processes and also motor skills from playing with kinetic sand itself. Plus, using kinetic sand itself can supplement the teaching of concepts like elasticity and centre of gravity.
The best part about activities like this? It doesn’t leave a mess as compared to playing with real sand.
Lava Lamp
![How to make a lava lamp [DIY] - YouTube](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SxAvnKutz2Y/maxresdefault.jpg)
- Fill your bottle close to the brim with vegetable oil and top it up with water to the brim.
- Choose a food colouring of your choice (contrasting colours like red, blue and green) and add a few drops.
- To start the reaction, add in small pieces of a fizzy tablet and your lava lamp will come to life.
- Shine a torchlight or your phone from underneath to see the magic happen!
We hope these fun and engaging activities will keep you and your kids company throughout the school holidays! Let us know of any other kid-friendly activities that you’ve been partaking in!
Read also:
- Best Nintendo Switch Games to Cure Cabin Fever
- Guide to the Best Streaming Services in Singapore – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hayu and more!
- Too bored at home? Here’s 9 meaningful things you can do at home instead.
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