Keep the kids entertained these  school holidays aka lockdown

It’s time to put the kids snapback hats and sunnies back in the wardrobe and put your comfy trackies on for the winter school holidays. Especially if you’re in a Covid affected area that have sadly gone into mandatory lockdown!

If you’re anything like me who has 2 young and very energetic kids you’re probably starting to get worried about how you’re going to not only keep the kids entertained these school holidays but also how you’re going to stay sane and get a few minutes of ‘me’ time each day.

If you’ve been affected by the latest Covid lockdown or perhaps it’s just too cold to go outside we have you covered with some easy and unique ideas for the kids. We all know of the obvious activities like board games, uno, hide and seek, building a cubby house or baking cookies which are all great ideas but we’ve sourced the internet and asked all our mum friends to come up with a list of different and exciting ideas to try at home. Some activities may even keep the kids entertained long enough so you can relax and have a hot cup of coffee without having to put it in the microwave 10 times before you finish it! Wishful thinking huh?!

Top 5 fun home activities to keep the kids entertained 

1. Kids Art Kit (FREE with the Creative Kids Voucher NSW Only*)
   

   These are a must check out! There’s 4 amazing art kits to choose from:
   • All in 1 Kit
   • Airbrush Kit
   • Girls Creative Kit
   • Tie Dye Kit
   
   All kits come with a huge variety of creative items and a lesson plan giving your kids all the tools they need to get creating and inspired. 
   
   Usually $100 but if you’re eligible for the NSW Creative Kids Voucher you can order your chosen art kit and get it delivered for FREE! How awesome is that?! 
   
   To see if you’re eligible for the creative kids voucher simply click here and hit Apply Online. And check out the Art Kits here. It’s that simple!

   
   
   

2. DIY Play Dough

   Check out this super easy recipe from Australia’s Best Recipes for a no-cook / no-mess play dough that the kids will love to make with you.
   
   Then once made, grab that coffee and let the kids create whatever they want with all the different coloured play doughs. Grab a few utensils from the kitchen like a rolling pin, cookie cutters, different sized Tupperware lids and tea strainer to add to the fun when creating.  
   
   Ingredients
   2 cups plain flour
   1 cup salt
   1 tbs oil
   1 cup cold water
   2 drops liquid food colouring
   
   Method
   Combine plain flour and salt.
   
   Add water, food colouring and oil. Mix until ingredients are combined.
   
   Knead well.
   
   If the consistency is too wet add a little plain flour.
   
   
   Photo by by Australia's Best Recipes Team
   
   

3. Secret Ninja School ($9 monthly membership. 5 Day trial)

   For those kids that need to burn more energy but you just don’t have anything left in your tank to give, Secret Ninja School is awesome.
   
   Ideal for ages 3 - 10+ of all abilities. There’s 80+ episodes (with more added weekly) of unique story-based interactive workouts. There’s an adventure for everyone so your kids will be sure to find what they want from fairies, jungle, nature, magic, treasure and so much more!
   
   These 10-15 min workouts will stimulate their imaginations while letting them have so much fun in the comfort of your lounge room.
   
   No equipment is required, all you need is a screen and the internet. And the best part is it’s not hosted on YouTube so you don’t have to worry about any unwanted content or ads. Let the kids chose their episode, hit play and sit back and relax.
   
   The monthly membership fee is $9 with a 5 day trial to test it first!
   
   
   
   

4. Cosmic Kids Yoga
   

   When you need your kids to unwind and chill out, a Cosmic Kids Yoga class is perfect. 
   
   There are hundreds of short 10 minute classes and activities online including yoga poses, mindfulness and guided relaxations!
   
   These interactive adventures help to build strength, balance and confidence and get kids into yoga and mindfulness early which is such an important life skill! As a mum of a toddler I wish I could perfect the art of mindfulness, it would help so much in those difficult moments when you can feel yourself losing your patience. 
   
   These classes are perfect for the little ones AND you if you need to decompress and recharge.
   
   You can either watch them all for FREE on the Cosmic Kids Yoga YouTube channel or watch them ad-free on the Cosmic Kids Yoga App for a monthly fee.
   
   
   
   

5. Canon Creative Park (ANY printer will do)
   
   

   You don’t need to have a Canon printer at home to use Canon Creative Park! Any printer will do. Check out the website for hundreds of paper craft activities with free downloadable templates to help the kids get creative and busy.

   The kids will never get bored or run out of projects with the massive selection of activities ranging from paper craft, scrapbooking, decoration ideas, wall art, pop-up cards, calendar making and so much more. The list truly is endless!

   Let them browse all the different categories which will give you enough time to at least put that load of washing on and then once you have printed out their chosen activity and prepared the required items for them such as pencils or kid-friendly scissors, sit back and relax while their imagination runs wild and they get inspired.
   
   
   
   
   We hope our top 5 unique ideas to keep your kids entertained these winter school holidays and Covid lockdown have helped and you enjoy them. And most importantly you get to have that hot cup of coffee.
   
   And of course, don’t forget that getting out into the fresh air daily for your dose of vitamin D is also very important. So if you can, make sure to put yours and the kids matching beanies on if it’s really cold out or the kids personalised hats (hint hint 😉) and go for a walk or bike ride around the neighbourhood. You’ll be surprised how much fresh air can help lift the mood for everyone!
   
   Love Mandi
   XX