For the Kids... And the Kid In all of us
We all deserve a treat, don’t we?
This is for all you parents stuck inside
And I’m one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my girls (ages 15 & 20). But if your kids are at home, 24/7 like mine are now, and you are now (like you should be… meaning STAY HOME!), this presents an entirely new set of challenges. When your children are young, they are high energy and constantly have to be entertained. Your TV can only be a babysitter for so long. When they are older, there are other challenges (like what are they truly doing on their phone… hmmmm). Thankfully, I am an Amazon junkie, my girls and I have been collecting board games for awhile, we are creative at downtime, enjoy baking (though there is the constant fight of who is going to cleanup), we have makeup tutorials (no pics posted here of those thankfully), singing contests (my neighbors must hate us by now), and so much more. So I am here to impart my mommy wisdom upon you (take it or leave it). But I do have some cool ideas. Some are links to entertaining, virtual ideas, others are Amazon links to items we have bought over the years that my kids love (and gives me breathing room), and the rest are suggestions that, as a mommy, you might want to try at home.
Therefore, make sure to pass along the word to your friends about signing up for my newsletter so they can be made aware when my new blogs are available. I hope to get these out every other day as I have been receiving emails from quite a few of my followers asking for ideas of what to do during this downtime (a lot of people are aware that due to my company, L.A. Any Day, l am privy to really cool info out there in cyberland, as well as I’m just one of those moms that has never been able to sit still and has to find the latest and greatest ideas to try out). Feel free to email me at kimberly@laanyday.com with suggestions or feedback for me to include in future blogs.
VIRTUAL IDEAS
Can’t visit Disneyland (or you really just don’t want to go at any point)? You can ride the most popular attractions via your computer:
Disneyland Virtual TourJK Rowling is AMAZING!!!! Look what she has done for all you Harry Potter fans:
WizardingWorld.comFor the little tykes under 5, here are some ideas for them:
Online School Resources for Kids Under 5It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time (you can now buy your Thin Mints in bulk):
Buy Girl Scout CookiesFind your inner Picasso:
Makers Mess Arts & CraftsEver wanted to be a Disney Imagineer? Your entire family can take a free online course:
Disney Imagineer FREE Online CourseDozens of at home science experiments you can do at home (besides building the usual homemade volcano):
63 Easy Home Science Experiments
AMAZON LINKS
Make super, quick ice cream at home (sorbet, gelato, and even frozen margaritas… yes, you heard me):
Homemade IcecreamHow well do you know Harry Potter:
Harry Potter HeadBanz GameBuzz and Woody go after each other in Monopoly:
Toy Story MonopolyProject your favorite iPhone movies onto your walls:
Mini Movie ProjectorAwesome art set for your budding artist:
Complete Art SetsThe best cooking essential starting kit for your youngsters:
Complete Children's Cooking SetThree AWESOME cookbooks:
Delish Insane Sweets: Bake Yourself a Little Crazy: 100+ Cookies, Bars, Bites, and Treats
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat
Williams-Sonoma: The Kid's Cookbook
SUGGESTIONS
Now is a great time for your family to do something TOGETHER such as learn a language: Fluentu.com Family Language Learning
If you can find a deserted field or park, throw around a frisbee, play ball, have a picnic, play tag, and more
If you are inside, have a picnic in the living room, play hide-and-seek, have the kids dress up in your clothes, challenge the kids to make YOU dinner (or at least create the menu)
Have a slumber party in your den and stay up late watching movies with popcorn and hot chocolate
Build a fort out of your couch (use your dining room chairs for height, sheets for the roof, cushions for the walls)
If the kids have trouble assisting around the house, a chore list might be helpful. Invest in a whiteboard, display it in a common area (such as the kitchen) and write down the household duties. This is a great time for your children to learn how to clean dishes, do the laundry, assist with cooking dinner, etc.
Structure does help, regardless of age. Check in with your kids in the morning, work while they do schoolwork, have lunch together, proceed with work/schoolwork after lunch, and then it’s time for dinner together where you can recap your day. This is a great bonding time for all of us to get back to the days when families ate nightly dinners together
There is a new grocery delivery service I heard about called Dumpling. I have not used it yet (just about to) but give it a try and if you do, let me know your thoughts. Dumpling.us