Caroline Archer’s top tips for keeping kids occupied at home
April 25, 2020
4 min read
If ever there was a time that put our collective parenting skills to the test, it’s now. Days cooped up at home can feel never-ending for the whole family, especially without the luxury of outdoor space – according to research by the King’s Fund around only 87% of UK families have access to a garden. With that in mind, we asked Caroline Archer, our Brand Ambassador and single mum of two girls, aged 9 and 12, for her top tips on keeping the kids occupied during this unusual time. From crafts to good old fashioned letter writing, we’re channelling our inner Blue Peter presenters and getting stuck in.
Make a daily list
For me, it’s all about doing the little things to help keep a sense of normality. As a family we’ve been writing a list of things to do each morning when we wake up. These include things like ‘make a cake, do some painting, play with our new hamster, plan in some Cosmic Kids Yoga, choose one family movie for 6pm, cook dinner together, rediscover a favourite childhood book, or play in the garden.’ Taking the time to achieve little things every day also gives you a feeling of control and it’s helpful to have a loose schedule in place for when I need to juggle work commitments alongside.
Start the day active
Online workouts have really come into their own and there are some great ones for kids of all ages and attention spans. My girls have been enjoying Cosmic Kids Yoga – each class is themed around a story so it still feels fun and not too restrictive. Or why not go screen-free and set up a circuit or your own ‘mini Olympics’. Old favourites like the egg and spoon or three-legged race work well, or for smaller kids create a tunnel out of some chairs with a blanket over the top for them to climb through. Timing laps helps keep their interest too.
Planting projects
We’re fortunate to have a little garden but you don’t need outside space to enjoy a planting project, a small window box or some old tin cans (tape over any sharp edges) will do. As Audrey Hepburn once said ‘to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’. If you have seeds, great. If you don’t, improvise with what you have to hand. Sprouting an avocado stone over water is surprisingly easy and satisfying, or raid the spice rack for poppy or mustard seeds. Both should sprout in a pot of warm, well-watered soil on a sunny windowsill – and watching out for the first green shoots, and later on watering, makes for a fun daily activity.
Pampering for all ages
It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that we’ve set up our own little garden spa! I’ve already taken the time to complete a full ‘leg exfoliation’ with Cleanse & Polish™ Body (my knees, feet and heels have never felt smoother!) and the girls love my signature pedicures. We often do this on our summer holidays away so we’re recreating this at home now to keep our spirits up and remind ourselves of holidays yet to come. Bright corals on your toes just can’t fail to make you smile.
Get creative
Craft is not only a great way to keep the kids entertained, I firmly believe it’s good for the soul. If you’re short on ideas browse Pinterest for heaps of projects to make with things that would otherwise go in the recycling bin. If you’ve always doubted craft was your forte, Quick Crafts could be the book for you. Packed with projects for kids of all ages it’ll help you locate your inner art teacher and give you some structure for making sessions. There are also some great projects online at the author’s website, thisisladyland.com.
Choose a pen pal
In a time when it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the internet, we’ve been rediscovering the slow art of writing and receiving good old-fashioned letters. Or if your little ones aren’t writing yet, encourage them to draw a picture or colour something in to send to a friend or a self-isolating family member. We really appreciate how Royal Mail are helping to keep us all connected.
Calling all superheros and heroines
How we look can have a huge effect on the way we feel about ourselves, so I’ve been encouraging a little fancy dress empowerment with my two – think female superheroes, astronauts and scientists. For really young children, a day of dress up can help distract from yet another day spent at home – plus a friend of mine mentioned how her little boy was suddenly so much happier to help with the chores when he was dressed up as Spiderman. And if you’re keen to go the whole hog, dig out the face paints safe in the knowledge that you have your trusty Cleanse & Polish™ ready to remove them relatively effortlessly with no rubbing or scratching.
Read aloud
One comforting thing for all three of us (as a single mum I’m the only adult in the house) is to read aloud to my girls for an hour at bedtime in my double bed. I’ve found this helps to dispel any general worries that might slip out at bedtime and hearing my own voice calms me too. It’s something that mothers have done for centuries and tapping into that is very comforting at a deep level. Or if your kids are older, why not try a family book club where you all take it in turns to read a few pages or a chapter after dinner? Finally, if you’re all out of words, audible.com have made their kids stories free to stream for as long as schools are closed – what better way to discover an old (or future) classic with the kids?
Do nothing
Last but not least, a great piece of advice I discovered on the Family Lives website. ‘Don't try and fill every minute of every day. Encourage your children's imagination and independence – let them play in their rooms or the garden.’ This is so important to remember that kids need their space as much as we do. While it’s great to be prepared, don’t feel you have to fill every moment. Neither will you be able to if you’re working from home like me. Right now we are also enjoying a slower pace and just having time to be as a family. There’s really no greater tonic for your wellbeing than that.