8 Ways to Keep Your Child Busy Indoor This Summer

A hot day, a rainy day, a windy day and to make it worse, it’s the holidays! It is that time of the year when children look forward to doing different activities without the care of having to wake up early, go to school or even think about homework. But children get bored easily and it is not always possible to step out of the house especially when the weather is so harsh.

Tips To Keep Your Child Busy During The Holidays

Here are a few tried and tested tips suggested by fellow parents that will help prevent ‘cabin fever’ and keep your child happily busy during the holidays.

#1. Help Out in Household Chores:

Involve your child in tidying up, setting the table before meals; hand him/her a cloth to dust a particular area (with supervision to avoid accidents); let your child fold clothes after the laundry; water the plants and the like. The list is endless when it comes to involving a child in household activities. It gives them a sense of independence and teaches them responsibility. Getting them to do their own chores from time to time helps inculcate good habits in the long run.
 

#2. Play Games Together:

Get those board games out (ludo, scrabble, snakes and ladders, chess etc); play hide and seek or musical chairs; organise a treasure hunt and let your child find the hidden treasures; play with water guns or blow bubble games (make bubbles with dishwashing liquid mixed with water) or let your child dance to his/her favourite song. Take time out and have fun as a family and treasure these moments by taking photos.
 

#3. Get Creative Side Out:

Give your child blank sheets to make a picture. Appreciate what your child draws/colours. Let your toddler finger paint. To minimize mess, make your child sit on newspaper and ensure the use of water colours as they are easily washable.
 

#4. DIY Projects:

Older children can work on projects, make collages, make charts about current affairs or science related topics. This is also an opportunity for them to learn new things. Younger children and toddlers can make greeting cards, make a castle from old cardboard boxes (this will make for an ideal hideout for the rest of the holidays); make superhero masks or princess crowns with chart paper and colours (let them be superman/ batman or Cinderella). Do-it-yourself projects boost creativity and self confidence among children.
 

#5. Interactive Games:

Look out for games such as Simon Says. With this game, all you need is a voice! Great to help parents get on with their work and keep children engaged at the same time. Your child is expected to follow a command only if the command starts with Simon Says. If a command is given without the first words being Simon Says, then your child is not supposed to do it. This activity is bound to keep your child interested.
 

#6. Involve Reading Habbit:

Invest in some new story books and read together with your child. Reading is a great way to get your child to learn about various topics from nursery rhymes to Indian Mythology.

#7. Rotate Toys:

Keep some toys away in storage while your child plays with the rest. Once your child is bored of his current toys, get the other lot out. This way they will keep busy on their own and will not fuss for new toys.
 

#8. Organise a Play Day:

Invited your child’s friends over for snacks and games? Involve your child in planning and organising the games. Assign each child a specific clean up task once playtime is over. You may have these in rotation, maybe once a week in each friend’s house. Children will look forward to the play dates.

It is easy for a child to get bored and turn into a couch potato during summer holidays, but by planning ahead of time, communicating your plans to your child and encouraging your child to actively be involved in activities are a great way to ensure that your child has an active and educational summer holiday without having the need to step out.