From taking care of the kids, cleaning, and cooking —it goes without saying that mothers do a whole lot of things to keep the house running smoothly. That’s why you should give them a well-deserved break from the usual routine for some rest and relaxation or whatever it is they’ve always wanted to do this Mother’s Day. If you’re the one left in charge of the house, you absolutely need to read these fun activities for kids at home to keep them busy as long as possible while mom is out.
Create a mini-golf course at home
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Looking for fun indoor activities for kids? Why not turn your condo unit into a mini-golf course? You can set up challenging obstacles between each hole and the tee box. Your kids are guaranteed to have fun playing golf indoors. Just make sure you don’t break anything that will surprise your mom when she gets home.
Make a greeting card for mom
Start the special day off with a beautiful homemade greeting card for your mom. Use your creativity using various art materials such as crayons, glitter, and colored pens to express your gratitude and love for her. Make sure to write an equally special personal message, too. This is one of the things you can give your mom before she leaves the house or when she comes back from all the rest and relaxation.
Cook a meal with them
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you’re a parent or their caregiver, start your kid’s day with a healthy meal that you cooked together. There are plenty of easy meals that you can make like pancakes with fruits and peanut butter and jelly for starters. You can also let them help you wash and cook the rice, while you prepare a healthy viand to go with it.
Read them a story
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One of the easiest ways to entertain kids at home is to read them a wonderful story. Round them all up in the living room, get them cozy, and read them a fun storybook. Bonus points if it’s a pop-up book with finger puppets.
Another spin on this is to help them write and design their own storybook so that everyone enjoys it. Plus, the creative process eats up time while you keep them entertained.
Make puppets
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Spark their creativity and imagination by making colorful puppets. It can be a sock, finger, or full-blown puppets, depending on their age and attention span. Let the adult do all the cutting unless older kids are directly guided by one and using child-safe scissors. The puppets can even be the characters in the story they wrote.
Paint with them
Bring out the paint, paper, and brushes to unleash your kid’s inner Picasso or Van Gogh. You can get even more creative and use other items as your canvas such as paper plates or cups. Let them explore their artistic side and allow them to use their hands. Just make sure to lay down the rules and a huge mat before things get messy or out of hand.
Melt some crayons and make a candlestick
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Another easy craft idea for kids to make at home is to make a candlestick out of crayons. Don’t use your kid’s crayons. It would be best to use old and worn out crayons, but you can just buy another set, regardless of the brand since you’ll just be melting it.
To do this, ask your kids to choose the color they want or the colors to mix. You’ll also need a wick, glass jar, paraffin wax (or tea lights), a stick, and a clothespin.
First, remove the paper label from the crayon and place it in a jar. To get the crayon to melt well with the wick, you need to mix it with paraffin wax. Put 1/3 crayon and 2/3 paraffin wax in a microwave safe jar. Melt it in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Another way to do this is to put the jar in a pan of water to melt it. Make sure to mix well as it melts.
Once melted, drop the wick in the center. Use the clothespin to keep it upright and centered. You’ll have a colorful candle when it cools and solidifies.
Make a paper mache craft
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If you’re looking for a way on how to keep your kids entertained while you’re out for Mother’s Day, then this next activity should do the trick. Bring out old newspaper or scrap paper and tear it into pieces and create paper mache. It’s a fun way to demonstrate recycling to children.
Make a homemade paste using ¾ cup of white glue and ¼ cup of water. Think of a fun thing to create with your kids such as a car, animal,or doll. Then create a frame for your project and begin covering it with paper mache. Cover it with paper soaked in homemade paste or use a brush to apply it. Afterwards, let it dry completely before you paint it.
Do origami
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One more thing you can do with paper that kids will definitely love is origami, the Japanese art of folding paper. You can buy an origami book at your local bookstore or check out the many online websites that teach it. But since you’re dealing with kids, it might be a good idea to buy a book instead to avoid unwanted damage to your device. The good thing about origami is you can do it without using scissors or any sharp object.
Make edible clay
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If paper mache isn’t your thing, you can ignite their sense of touch by making them play with edible clay or plasticine. The easiest way to make edible clay is by using 2 ½ cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water, and food coloring (optional). Mix it all in a bowl and store it in the fridge. Make sure it’s in a sealed bowl or plastic. Do these ingredients sound familiar? It’s basically homemade cookie dough, which means the kids can eat it. A word of caution though, you need to throw it out before it starts growing bacteria. You’ll know if it’s already bad and unsafe when the dough begins to darken in color and there’s a rancid odor coming from the mixture.
Create a DIY castle out of cardboard
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If you have daughters, you can create a DIY castle made out of cardboard for them to play in. You can involve them in the creating process if you wish, but make sure that an adult will do all the cutting and gluing. The children can help out in decorating. After all, it is their castle.
Feel the force and build lightsabers
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If your kid is a fan of Star Wars, a great activity for them would be to build a lightsaber out of long vertical animal balloons, tissue paper rolls, and a flashlight. Let them choose which color their lightsaber would be from the balloons. Insert the flashlight into the tissue paper rolls, the latter will serve as the handle. Wrap a blown balloon around the head of the flashlight. There you have it: a lightsaber worthy of a Jedi.
Build a racetrack at home
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Boys love playing with cars. If your child loves it too, why not build a huge racetrack at home? You can use used cardboard boxes and draw a racetrack or tape to line up the grid. It would help if they could play with a new toy car, too.
Go full nerd and do science experiments
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Science can be one of the best kid’s creative activities. Go full nerd and do baking soda and vinegar experiments like the volcano you see in movies and other children’s shows.
Make a cork boat
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Do you have empty wine bottles in your house? Do you still have the corks? You can use those to create a cork boat so your kids can play during bath time. You can glue two or three corks together. Use a stick as a mast, and cut a small piece of scrap paper for a flag. You can paint it, too.
Hopefully, you no longer have to ask yourself how to entertain toddlers at home while your spouse or mom takes a break from taking care of the house. But just because she needs some time off from everything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate Mother’s Day in your family’s own special way, too. She deserves all the love, recognition, and appreciation she can get.
