As we are advised to stay home, we will compile list of home activities we can do to keep us happy and healthy during the Coronavirus Outbreak.
1. Do Yoga
Yoga is believed to make you feel better, reduces stress and anxiety, which in turn reduces the physical effects of stress on the body, mind and spirit.
Here are some links to fun and easy yoga poses:
Fun and Easy Yoga Poses for Kids
Simple Yoga Poses That Help Everyone at Any Age
Rainbow Yoga Yoga For All Ages!
2. Learn a song (or two)
Singing releases endorphions and oxytocin. Both of these hormones can make you feel better. Singing in beleived to help can lower your blood pressure, decrease your stress and anxiety and it has a positive effect on your immune system.
You can listen, sing along or learn a new song or two from Spotify or you can check these links:
3ABN Radio Music Channel (Christian Music)
Tagalog Folk Song for Kids
3. Make Origami
Origami is good for you! It helps you develop fine motor skills, eye hand co-ordination, sequencing skills, spatial skills, memory, patience and attention skills.
Origami.me
Easy Peasy and Fun
Super Coloring
Paper Kawaii
4. Build with Blocks or LEGO
There are many benefits of playing with toy blocks. Toy blocks helps children practice dexterity and improve their creativity.
You can use building blocks or LEGO to create a masterpiece. You can start with simple ones to a more complicated build.
Building Block Pattern
Little Owl Building Block Challenge
LEGO Instructions (by Theme)
Free LEGO Building Instructions!
5. Read a new book or Reread an old favorite
There are many benefits of reading. Reading for pleasure could be the key to a less stressed and more joyful life!
Reading and storytelling with your child promotes brain development and imagination, teaches your child about language and emotions, and strengthens your relationship.
Check out your personal collection or check this list for new titles. Most of the links offer a downloadable PDF you can print and read.
Let’s Read – Free books in different languages and dialects
Free Kids Books
Children’s Classics Books
Open Library
Brill Baby
Zlibris
Books Should Be Free (Aesop’s Fables)
Free Children Stories
6. Complete a Puzzle
One of the benefits of puzzles is that they increase our brains’ production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates our mood and feelings of optimism.
Open that jigsaw puzzle that’s waiting to be started or download and print different puzzles from these links:
DLTK Printable Jigsaw Puzzles
Printable Sudoku Puzzles
Printable Crossword Puzzles
Mazes Printables
7. Have a Fun Family Bible Time
Bible lessons learned while doing an activity or playing a game is a fun way to know God’s word!
Some start their family worship by singing songs, reading the bible and then doing the activity.
Keys to Obedience
Jonah and the Big Fish Worksheets
God Loves Me – 28 Ways
Printable Bible Games
DLTK’s Bible Activities for Kids
Ministry to Children
8. Have a Fun Family Bible Time
Exercise builds a stronger heart, strengthens the lungs and keep muscles healthier.
Check here for easy to follow indoor exercises for kids and the whole family:
Animal exercise for kids with animals
Kids Workout Video
Yoga For Kids
Fitness Blender Kids Workout
Ballet Class For Children
9. Do Arts & Crafts
Kids will learn creativity, problem solving skills, and fine motor skills.
Draw, paint, make paper crafts. Check here for fun arts and crafts activities you can do:
Free Online Art Lessons for Kids
Easy Paper Crafts For Kids: Pinwheel, Kite and more..
Rainbow Yarn Octopus
Crochet a Simple Bracelet Project
Dream Catchers
Easy Hand Puppets
10. Bake or Cook
Cooking with kids provides practical experience with many essential skills such as reading and following directions.
Check here for simple and yummy recipes you can do at home:
Peanut Butter-Banana Quesadillas
Creamy Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
Monster Trail Mix Bites
Chocolate Chip Cookies
11. Play a Board Game
Board games can foster the ability to focus, & lengthen attention span by encouraging the completion of an exciting game.
Check here for free printable board games here:
Simple Board Game
Printable Board Games – Card Deck, Dominoes, Chess
Games4esl Free Printable Board Games and Templates
Game Board Templates
12. Learn Calligraphy
Learn this beautiful form of handwriting and gain patience and sharpen your mind.
Check here for the links to calligraphy tutorials and free calligraphy sheets:
Simple Calligraphy Tutorial for Kids
Basic Calligraphy Strokes (Beginner Calligraphy 101)
Free Brush Lettering Practice Sheets
The Art of Modern Calligraphy by Molly Jacques
Free Printable Calligraphy Practice Sheets
13. Make Greeting Cards
Making cards for your friends and family can be an enjoyable past time. It is way better than store-bought ones.
Check here for sample ideas for DIY greeting cards:
Pop Up Card + Printables
Free Printable Pom Card
DIY Greeting Cards using Unconventional Materials
Greeting Cards using Craft Materials
14. Start a Gratitude Jar
There’s so much to be thankful for – We are thankful for shelter, the food that we have, for good health, for the technology for us to keep in touch with our family and friends who are away from us. We are thankful for you Jesus, for blessing us every day!
What are you thankful for?
Focusing on what you have to be grateful for forces you to become more positive. It can also improve your physical and mental health.
Check here on how to start a gratitude jar:
How to Make the Thankful Jar
Printable DIY Gratitude Jar
Makes and Takes Gratitude Jar
15. Dance
From better physical & mental health to a boost in emotional well-being, moving your body to the sound of music can transform your life.
Check out fun online dance classes you can join and follow:
Gummy Bear Song – Easy Dance
Easy Kids Choreography – (Hip Hop Dance Tutorial)
How to Dance Ballet
JamTimeDanceTV
Zumba Kids (easy dance
16. Play Filipino Games
You can learn more about the Filipino culture when you play traditional games.
Check out the traditional Filipino games you can learn and play:
Patintero
Luksong-Tinik
Sungka
Filipino games to play
Traditional games in the Philippines
90’s Childhood Games
17. Learn a foreign language
Learning a foreign language sharpens the mind & enhances the ability to multi-task.
Here are sites you can use to learn a new foreign language for free:
Let’s Read – Free books in different languages and dialects
Free Tagalog Lessons Online
Learn Tagalog (Filipino)
Duolingo
Khan Academy
Open Culture
18. Join a Painting Class
Painting fosters creative growth & promotes an optimistic attitude. It allows children an educational opportunity that is also fun and exciting.
Check out the painting classes using different mediums you can join:
FREE Video Art Lesson Categories In Kids
Acrylic Painting: Learn the Basics For Beginners
Painting with Colored Pencils
Digital Watercolors on Your iPad
Introduction to Oil Painting
Mixed Media For Beginners
19. Do Experiments
Doing science experiement helps develop a child’s skills at goal-setting, planning, and problem-solving.
Check here for a list of fun and easy experiments:
The Floating Egg Experiment
Homemade Ice Cream In A Bag
Lava in a Cup
Make Your Own Quick Sand
Crystal Candy
20. Make Frozen Treats
Summer is here and it’s the perfect time to make healthy frozen treats to stay cool.
Here’s a list of healthy frozen treats for kids. They are easy and fun to make too!
Nutella Ice Cream Truffles
Frozen Buko-Pandan Balls
Frozen Banana Bites
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups
Almond Cranberry Frozen Yogurt Bark with Chia Seeds
21. Play an Instrument
Playing an instrument relieves stress and gives you a sense of achievement. There are many easy songs you can learn!
Check the list of free music classes, on different instruments here:
How to Read Music – Basics for Beginners – Music Theory Lesson
Beginner Piano Lessons
Piano Lessons: Teach Yourself to Play
Free Christian Piano Sheet Music (Beginner & Easy)
Beginner Guitar Course [Classic]
Worship Artistry: Worship Guitar, Drums, Bass and Keyboard
Free Online Violin Lessons
22. Craft with Yarns
Kids can develop their fine motor skills and when they do crafts with yarn.
We did not include crochet and knitting here as these are easy activities for kids of all ages to follow.
Check out different yarn crafts here:
Yarn Monsters
Yarn Octopus
Rolling Pin Yarn Prints
Dreamcatcher with Baker’s Twine and Yarn
Yarn Wrapped Frames
23. Play Trivia Games
Trivia games can be fun and they also can give you interesting tidbits that you never expected.
Check out trivia questions for kids and teens here:
National Graphic Kids
Kids World Quizzes
Questions For Children
Fun Quizzes, Educational Tests & Trivia Online for K-12 Children
Knowalot Kids Trivia Quiz
24. Check out Virtual Tours
You can explore destinations beyond reach – museums, parks – without having to leave you home!
Museum Tours:
The Louvre
Van Gogh Museum
The Vatican Museum
Musée d’Orsay
National Gallery of Art (Washinton DC)
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art)
NASA Research Centers:
Langley Research Center
Ohio Glenn Research Center
The Space Center Houston (App)
Zoos and Aquariums:
The Cincinnati Zoo
Georgia Aquarium
San Diego Zoo
National Aquarium
National Parks:
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The Google Art Project : “Google partnered with more than 1200 cultural institutions from around the world to archive and document priceless pieces of art and to provide virtual tours of museums using Google Street View technology. The Google Art Project features fine art from the White House, the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, and even São Paulo street art from Brazil.”
25. Play Bingo
Bingo can be used for vocabulary, mathematics & to test mental ability of the kids.
You can play the normal bingo or do it with a twist! Check out a list of free bingo card printables here:
Nature Hunt Bingo
DLTK’s Custom Bingo Cards
Sight Words BINGO with Free Printables
Picture Bingo
26. Learn Sign Language
Learning sign language will help to stimulate your brain and give it a good workout. You get to learn about Deaf culture too!
Check out list of common signs (food, greetings, alphabets, numbers) here:
Filipino Sign Language Online
Sign Language Alphabet
Sign Language Signs for Food
How to Sign about Your Family Members
Learn Sign Language Online
27. Make Recycled Papers
Recycling paper is for saving trees which provide vital oxygen for the planet.
Recycled papers are good materials for arts and crafts too! You can make paper baskets, paper bowls, and recycled containers.
Check out list of sites for recycled paper making:
Make Recycled Paper with Preschoolers
Paper recycling
How to Make Recycled Paper
Making Paper with Kids
Simple Steps to Recycle Your Own Paper
28. Connect with Family and Friends
Keeping in touch with family can keep you healthy in this time of social distancing.
Arrange for a family video call, sing together, or send motivatonal messages to friends. We are lucky to have these technology and we have tools that can help us stay connected.
This is also a good time to offer help to people who don’t naturally use these tools so they can engage with family members.
Check this list on on how to stay connected during physical distancing:
Use Video – While we can’t meet persons outside for now, we can try to use video call to see them! There’s FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, or Viber can keep us connected.
Use Audio – Aside from the normal voice call using the telephone, you can also use voice recordings. Sending voice memos to family and friends can create more connection than just writing a text.
Always spread a little ray of sunshine to somebody you connect with. These are tough times but we are all going to get through this, together.
29. Do Hand Shadows
Shadow play is a great way to capture children’s attention and spark their imagination and creativity.
Here are some sites to help make your own shadow pictures:
Shadow Pictures
Project Gutenberg’s Hand Shadows
Hand Shadow Puppets
How To Make Shadow Puppets With Your Hand
30. Make Puppets
Puppets inspire wonder, creativity and excitement! Puppet play encourages language development and confidence in speaking.
Here are some links so you create your own puppets:
How to Make Finger Puppets
Felt Finger Puppets
DIY Paper Puppets with Templates
Fabulous Free Printable Puppets for Kids
Puppet Crafts
Please stay home and have fun with your kids and family. Remember to practice proper hygiene!
Do you have suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment to let us know and we might include them as part of the list.
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