Article by: Lynne Luakian

Adjusting to the new normal has been a real struggle for all of us. In a blink of an eye, our world has turned upside down. Everything we know for a fact has been challenged with a different truth. The warmth of our embrace and our loving
kisses have now turned into weapons of mass destruction. We need to shift our mindset and embrace the fact that our lives will never be the same again.

On the up side, we get to spend quality time with our family. Here are some fun and free activities we did with our little ones, all the materials and ingredients of which can be found inside our homes.

7 Fun Activities to Do with the Kids

7. Make Bath Jellies

We are crazy about these bath jellies, and they are so easy to make. This is also a great way to encourage the kids to wash their hands.

Ingredients

– 3 tsp Ferna gelatine powder
– 1/2 cup water
– 1 cup liquid body wash
– soap mold/ small cup
– leaves for decoration

Instructions

– Heat 1/2 cup of water in pan, slowly mixing the gelatine powder. Make sure to dissolve the gelatine properly.
– Once the liquid is boiling, pour the liquid body wash into the mixture.
– Pour into the soap mold.
– Make sure the bath jellies are cool or room temperature before putting them inside the refrigerator. Place a leaf or a flower to decorate.
– Allow the jellies to solidify for 2-3hours.

Enjoy! Use as hand soap or body soap. After using, store inside the refrigerator.

6. Rock Painting

Did you know that rock art is the earliest form of creativity and expression of the human mind? Think cave men drawing and painting prehistoric art on cave walls. We collected some rocks from the garden and started painting.

5. Coffee Art

I have been drinking coffee everyday for years and it only recently dawned upon me to use the coffee puck from the espresso machine as paint.  We tried to strain the coffee to extract it, but the grains still passed through the sieve; so we used the cheese cloth instead. I recommend using instant coffee for hassle-free painting. Just add water.

4. Cat’s Cradle

I shared little pieces of my childhood with my kids with hopes that these activities leave happy imprints in their core memories as they did in mine.

This game is called the Cat’s Cradle, one of the oldest games in recorded history. It consists of two or more players making a series of string figures, passing the loop from one person to the other. The game ends when a person makes a mistake.

We used three shoestrings tied together. Yarn or garter works, too. This game develops kids’ concentration, mental alertness, fine motor skills, and dexterity.

3. Cloud Dough

Cloud dough is a homemade mixture using only two basic ingredients: flour and oil. This highly sensory play stimulates fine motor skills and develops tactile and proprioceptive sense important for our kids’ development. This is also a great stress release for parents; you can use it as a stress ball!

2. Bubbles

We made our own stronger bouncier bubbles with one secret ingredient: corn syrup!

Ingredients

– 2 cups warm water
– 1/2 cup dish soap
– 1/2 cup corn syrup

The corn syrup makes the soap thicker, slowing down the evaporation process of the water. Now you can make stronger and bouncier bubbles.

1. Leaf Art

Unleash the potential of these leaves trimmings and interpreting them into different possibilities.

There you go! You don’t need to spend a lot to have fun with the kids. All it takes is a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of imagination.

Article by: Lynne Luakian