Keep Your Children Entertained During the Quarantine with These Fun-Packed Activities

Even at the best of times, it can be difficult to find activities for everyone to enjoy. This is equally as true during the current epidemic affecting families around the globe. With social-distancing becoming the new norm, keeping everyone busy when you can't enjoy the great outdoors can be especially frustrating.

So, why not take the opportunity to turn a stressful situation into something positive? After all, everyday life can be so frantic that some families struggle to regularly spend time together. Despite the current situation, being stuck indoors doesn't necessarily mean that you can't have fun and bond with your loved ones. From treasure hunts to fun-packed live streams, there's sure to be something in this list for everyone.

How to keep the kids entertained in quarantine

1. Cook Together and Bake Goodies for Neighbors

Not only is cooking a perfect way to unleash their creative side, but it can be a great learning experience too. There's no shortage of recipe ideas available online, and you could even ask your children to pick out a couple of their favorites. While you're at it, you can even help your young ones to understand different ingredients. Not only will they learn something new, but they'll have great fun doing it. If you have a balcony or a backyard try and make use of the beautiful spring weather and fresh air and cook something on the grill.

If your children have neighbor friends, create a recipe swap with them. Safely exchange weekly baked treats to keep everyone looking forward to something special.

2. Set up a neighborhood treasure hunt

If you are able to safely take a stroll in your neighborhood, the kids will love going on a scavenger hunt. Team up with fellow neighbors on NextDoor.com and get the whole neighborhood involved. Each neighbor can put either the same or a unique item in their street-facing windowsill and have the other neighborhood families hunt for them. We’ve seen neighborhoods putting a rainbow on their windows, placing teddy bears on their front porches, or placing painted rocks around the neighborhood.

However, if you're not able to leave the house don't worry. If you're lucky enough to own a backyard this can be a great way to get your children into the fresh air as well. This works just as well indoors too. Simply hide items around your home or garden and wait for the fun to unfold. To make it more competitive, you could even throw in a small prize towards the winner. Old or young, it's great fun for all ages. Here’s our pre-made scavenger hunt checklist:

3. Dig out some board games

If you're a parent, you're likely to have at least one or two board games hidden away for those rainy days. Why not put aside time each night for a family game night? From Monopoly to snakes and ladders, there's no shortage of games to play with your loved ones. If you don't have any on hand, you can even create your own using everyday household objects. You could play a game of homemade Pictionary, Hangman, or even search for fun-packed ideas online.

4. Socially-Distanced Play Dates

Yes, play date can still happen, just with a bit more distance. Use chalk to draw “safety zones” for children to stay in. With each child in a safe distance from one another, you can play games such as charades, read books together out loud or have their imaginations go wild. As long as your child is old enough to understand the importance of staying in their chalk box, this is a safe way to still interact with friends.

We’ve also seen plenty of safe meet-ups happening in cars. Have your friends and family stop by and say hello from the safety of their cars. Pop the trunk, have a seat, and enjoy some time together 6+ feet apart.

5. Watch a live stream together

Not being able to see your favorite concerts can be frustrating, but don't worry. In light of the recent pandemic, many musicians are turning to streaming platforms to share their music. Keep an eye out and host your own mini-concert from the comfort of your own home. Kids can dance and be silly across their webcams. There's also a number of museums, zoos, and other venues that also host regular live stream events, so there's sure to be something for everybody.

6. Start a family book club

Being stuck in quarantine doesn't necessarily mean that your kids have to miss out on their education. Not only can reading be great fun, but hosting a family book club each night can be an excellent way to encourage everyone to share their opinions. Have everyone suggest their favorite book each week, then set aside a night to share your thoughts and impressions. It's a great way to bond together as a family, and you get to learn something while doing it

So, while there's no denying that quarantine can be challenging for everyone, this list should keep your loved ones happy for hours to come. Whether it's book clubs or cooking lessons, there's plenty of ways to keep yourself and your family busy. You can use the above ideas as a guide or even add your own -- but most importantly, remember to have fun and stay safe.