Keeping kids entertained is something that we are all facing right now. Especially since we are very limited in our choices. We are so use to going to playgrounds, forest preserves, movies, or other types of entertainment outside of our homes that it is a huge change for everyone.
Sure, we don’t have to entertain them all day long. And I totally let them get bored and come up with something to do by themselves.
However, there are times where I need them to be entertained so I can work. During this crazy times we have found ourselves in, I am working a full time job while my kids are home. I still have to get my work done and attend meetings. And those are the times where I don’t want to hear ‘I’m bored’ or crying because someone looked at someone the wrong way. I’m not the only one with that problem, right?
As a point of reference, my kids are 7 and 4. My son is definitely self-sufficient and does not need much from me during the day. He might get bored, but he will keep himself preoccupied during the times when I need to work. His younger sister needs some help in that department 🙂
Here are the toys they like to play with all the time.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Arts and crafts are definitely the type of kids’ entertainment that have my daughter’s name all over it. So if your child is a fan of arts and crafts, these are a must.
Beads
She absolutely loves beads – she has been making them everyday for the past couple of weeks. We used to have a jar full of them but I found myself being an assistant looking for specific colors all the time. So I found one that was already sorted. When she is done with that, I will be getting one that has mostly pinks and purpose because those seem to be very much a preferred choice in this household.
Window painting
This is something totally new for us. We have never tried it, but it is surely keeping them entertained for a bit. Even my son found it fun – simply because it was something different.
My daughter is also very happy with coloring and painting the old fashion way 🙂 So we have plenty of crayons, paints, and markers each day on the table to keep her busy and let her creativity sparkle.
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Sand
My son loves to play with sand! Since we cannot enjoy the one on the playground, this is the next best thing. The texture is so fun and enjoys building and destroying his creations 🙂 This will keep him busy for about an hour, which is a huge win in my book.
Do I have to sweep the floor afterwards? Absolutely! But it is so worth it in my book.
Play-dough
And we cannot forget about the old good play-dough! I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of the clean up part. Sand, I can just sweep. Play-dough seems to be more problematic than that – I keep finding it everywhere. But it does provide entertainment – they especially enjoy making imprints with different types of things and having the one one guess what it was.
CREATIVE GAMES
One of the best forms of kids entertainment in our household is boxes. And we have plenty of those since things get delivered all the time. They will transform them into houses, stores, or desks. Or they will draw or paint on them. They will use it to throw random toys in there. Or just sit in them and pretend they are in a boat.
So if you are like me, and have plenty of Amazon Prime boxes delivered to your house – don’t throw them away. Keep a few and pull them out when your kids start complaining they are bored.
Experiments
This is one of the favorite things my son likes to do. He watches different YouTube videos and wants to replicate experiments that he sees. So I bought him an experiment book. And he chooses what he wants to do. It’s fun and educational at the same time. Just be sure to review what is needed for each experiment before you get started because some of the items that are needed you will need to buy beforehand.
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Tent/Fort
Just like in my childhood, tents are still popular for kids’ entertainment. Besides building them using chairs and couch cushions, we also have a set that you can use to assemble different kinds of structures. You throw a blanket over it, and the tent is ready.
My daughter especially enjoys when I help her set up a tent and she uses it as her art studio. She asks for paper and crayons and locks herself inside to draw 🙂
Pretend Cooking
We have a little kitchen that we got our kids for Christmas a few years ago. And we also got them a lot of different accessories that go with it. And the absolutely love to play restaurant. They will set up those plates all over the house with different food items on them. Now if they would only be so happy when they are served the same type of real food, we would all be much happier.
HANDS ON
Legos
Both of my kids love Lego. However, my daughter’s idea of playing with legos involves mom building the things for her. And while I love doing that, it does not do me any faovrs when I’m trying to work. However my son, it keeps him busy for a couple of hours each day. We got him a very challenging set for his 1st Communion (which is not postponed) and he has been building it for the past two weeks. We will get him another (less expensive) set for Easter to keep the entertainment going.
Marble run
Another one of their favorites is a marble run. This was another Christmas gift from 2 years ago and it is still going strong. I actually disassembled it a few months ago because I was moving it from the living room to a playroom. So since they have not been playing with it for a few weeks, it’s like a totally new toy. It is one of those toys that will keep my kids entertained for a while.
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Magnetic tiles
We have two kinds of them and they love each one of them. I am thinking of getting another set because the problem we encounter is that they constantly fight over them. They love to create different types of structures and it can really keep them busy for a while.
Puzzles
We have so many of those in our household. My son definitely prefers the alphabet ones while my daughter prefers the pictures ones. I am also a huge fan of puzzles and I plan to take them out this weekend – I think being quarantined calls for some puzzle time for adults as well 🙂
EDUCATIONAL
Workbooks
I also incorporate some education time into their days in order to keep my kids entertained. It’s not a lot of it, but I want to make sure it is still part of their daily routine. I purchased a few workbooks on Amazon for both of them and we use a few sheets every day.
My son will be starting e-learning soon, but these books were a huge help when he did not have any assignments from school. My 4 year old daughter does not go to school so for her it’s more of a play. But she loves to do those sheets and runs to my office to show me each sheet as soon as she is done with it 🙂
Apps
And there are apps to keep the kids entertained as well. I found a few educational ones and they are really fun. My daughter particularly likes Learning Games and my son likes the Letter School app.
Your Turn
What other things do you enjoy from Amazon to keep your kids entertained? Share below!
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