Surviving Quarantine: 20 Things To Do With Your Kids!

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It’s a crazy crazy time right now and our world as we once knew it has been flipped upside-down. We are finding ourselves anxious and stressed and asking ourselves daily, “When will things be back to normal?” “What will ‘normal’ even look like?” “Will my kids go back to school in September?” Breathe mama, you’re not alone. These same thoughts are running through all of our minds as we are surviving quarantine. We are definitely all in this together.

Trying to navigate a new normal for ourselves and for our families isn’t the easiest. So I wanted to put together a quick list of easy, (almost) no-prep, things-you-have-at-home, fun activities to start doing today with your kiddos. I’ve listed some ideas ranging from school age, toddler age and some baby activities as well. I hope this helps and gives you a bit of peace back in your day (not having to think of things to do). Feel free to leave a comment with any other ideas you have for fun and easy activities to do with kids at home. The more ideas the merrier!

Surviving Quarantine- 20 Things To Do With Your Kids

1. Cardboard “Painting”:

This is a go-to for sure! Grab some cardboard, paint brushes and a cup of water. Barely any prep to this go-to. They “paint” the cardboard with their paintbrush by dipping it in water. My 2.5-year-old and my 1-year-old can both do this activity and there is ZERO mess… well maybe some splashes of water but hey, it’s only water. You can always try using real paint/markers/stickers for added fun! 

2. Animal Bath Time:

Set up two big bowls/dishes/aluminum trays/whatever you have available. Fill one with water mixed with soap or shaving cream (we like using shaving cream). Fill the other with plain water. I like to put out a sponge and towel so my son can scrub the animals clean and then dry them all off. After he finishes drying them all, I tell him to go put them back “into the wild”.

3. Sensory Bins:

This is our favorite thing to do! I use a huge tray (go empty out that one from your basement that is storing your seasonal shoes if you don’t have an empty one laying around). I throw different things in there depending on what my son feels like playing with. Some ideas? Use little rocks, kidney beans, rice, pasta, etc. You can really use anything- dig into your pantry and see what’s expired. Expired Cheerios? Anything goes. I use these sensory tools from Learning Resources for our sensory bins but you can use anything like measuring cups, condiment dishes, spoons, cups, etc. 

4. Adventure Course:

You can create a fun “adventure course” just by using your couch cushions and pillows. We do this every time I wash our couch covers (we have a bulldog that sheds/drools a lot so we have to use covers). I sporadically lay all of the pillows and couch cushions around the floor. I let my kids climb all over them and it entertains them for quite some time!

5. Music Class:

Even if you don’t have instruments at home, grab anything- pasta boxes (good for shakers), spatulas (tapping sticks), wooden spoons and cans from your pantry (makes for great drums)- anything goes here. Present it as a “music class”. Create a line-up of a few nursery rhyme songs or songs you love singing. Then get to tapping, clapping and strumming along! We have this Ehome instrument set and it comes with a nice variety! 

6. Highchair Toy Taping:

I do this occasionally for my youngest. I use painters tape and tape some of her toys to her highchair tray. It is a great fine motor activity and it keeps her occupied for quite some time. You have to, of course, keep your eye on them the whole time because they will eventually be able to peel off the tape. My Hannah always tries to put the tape in her mouth so I have to immediately take it away.

7. Cooking Class:

Whenever I have cooking or baking to do, my kids have a hard time allowing me to actually concentrate on it. I quickly learned to just make them a part of it and it is so much fun. I put my 1-year-old in her highchair and hand her baby-safe cooking utensils like my silicone spoon, silicone spatula, measuring cups, etc. She thinks she’s baking along and sometimes I’ll throw a tiny bit of water into the cups. For my 2.5-year-old I set him up with some water in a little dish and flour in another (just a little so we don’t have huge messes). I give him a few different things like spoons, measuring spoons, measuring cups and let him “get to cookin’.” We all have so much fun and the best part is I actually get my cooking/baking done. 

8. Fort Building:

This is quite a classic. We have this super fun fort building kit that can easily be assembled by my son and I in a jiff. It’s called, Crazy Forts. We make all sorts of shapes like igloos, houses or rocket ships. If you don’t have a fort building kit then do the good ol’ sheets over the couches trick. Forts make any activity a little extra special. Get out the crayons, eat lunch in the fort, have a dance party- go wild!

9. Basket Maze:

I use this activity mainly for my 1-year-old, although my oldest likes to get in on the fun too. Take a laundry basket or any basket with slotted holes on the sides and grab some string. Tie a knot around one of the slots and weave the string through the holes in all different directions. Once you are done, tie another knot around one of the slots to keep the string from loosening. Next, place whatever toys you want at the bottom of the basket. Your baby will have so much fun trying to get their toys out!

10. Salt Art:

This is SO much fun, read more about it here. All you really need is watercolors, salt and glue. 

11. Bubble Party:

As easy and fun as it sounds…grab some bubbles or this awesome bubble machine. Put on some music and pop the bubbles while dancing. Get out your kids’ energy and have tons of fun! Although bubbles are typically an outdoor thing, I throw some sheets down over the kids’ play mat and we “bubble machine it up!” Once we are done dancing in the bubbles, I pick up the sheet and toss it in the wash. Easy-peezy- done!

12. Construction Paper Tunnels:

Cut some pieces of construction paper up, fold them over (without creasing) and tape both sides to the floor. I set these up all over the play mat and my son loves racing his cars through the paper tunnels. 

13. Picnics Outside:

Nothing better than a good ol’ fashioned picnic. Take the kids’ snack or lunch and set up a blanket out on the grass. This breaks up the somewhat mundane day-to-day quarantine routine. My point here- picnics are always fun!

14. Paper Shredding:

Yep, exactly what it sounds like. I give them some magazines or a newspaper and tell them I need help shredding them up. My 1-year-old tends to still put non-food objects in her mouth so I keep an extra close eye on her (giving her the binky helps). Nevertheless both of my kids enjoy this fun fine motor activity.

15. Sensory Gel Bag:

I fill up a zip-lock bag with hair gel and put some of their small water-resistant toys in there. I seal up the edges with duct tape so that it can’t rip open. Yeah, not the most glamorous looking but who cares?

16. Sensory Balloons:

19. Make Quarantine Cards:

Fun ideas about this here. Send some love out to others who are also surviving quarantine. Grab some art supplies and create some crafty cards to send to loved ones & friends. 

20. Fishing for Letters:

We use these flashcards that I made and I scatter them all around my son’s floor. He uses this toy fishing pole he has (you can use anything long and pretend it is a fishing pole). Sometimes I call out random letters that he has to “reel in” with his fishing pole. Other times I have him collect them all in order of the alphabet. For older kids, you can call out the letter sound and they have to “reel in” the letter that makes that sound. 

*Surviving Quarantine- Bonus Activity!*

Water beads:

I mean talk about surviving quarantine! I just HAVE TO mention these because they are insanely fun! If you don’t know what these are then hop onto Amazon right now and get some water beads– AMAZINGLY FUN! You will probably find yourself having more fun than your kids with these bad boys. 

Hope you are all staying safe & healthy! Comment below with any ideas you have for entertaining your little ones during this crazy time.

Happy social-distancing!