Activities You Can Do With Your Kids During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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In the middle of this COVID-19 pandemic, many communities have ordered strict quarantine rules. This left a lot of families cooped up in their homes to prevent the virus from spreading further. You need to adapt to a different routine while coping with anxiety and fear about coronavirus. 

Going out nowadays is not recommended. So, if you are a parent, we encourage you to engage your kids in therapeutic activities to help them process the things they hear and learn about the coronavirus. But in case you really need to go out, make sure that you wear a reliable face mask. You can check out affordable surgical face masks from somedicalsupplies.com.

In this article, we are going to give you 5 activities you can do with your kids to keep them busy. These can help them overcome anxiety and stress during this pandemic.

#1 Safe Place Pillowcase

Source: Pinterest

You can help create a safe space for your kids with this activity to make them feel secure and relaxed at the same time. This promotes your children’s growth and development. Safe Pillow Case is suitable for ages 5 and above. 

Materials Needed

  • Permanent Markers

  • Pillow Case (white)

Directions

Encourage your kid to draw objects, places, and people that they think they feel safe with on the pillowcase. Also, instruct them to write encouraging words or methods they do to cope with stress and anxiety.

After they are done drawing on the pillowcase, wash it. Dry the pillowcase and ask your child to put it on his/her pillow. This can help in alleviating any anxiety or stress your kid may feel during bedtime. This is because it reminds them of the things that make them happy through the pillowcase.

#2 Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt

Source: Pinterest

This is another activity that you can do with your kids in ages 5 and above. It is an activity that can relieve stress by providing coping techniques that help kids focus on the things they can control. This makes them forget about the things they cannot manage in their environment like stressors.

Materials Needed

  • Objects you will hide

  • Paper Bag

Directions

Just like a normal scavenger hunt, organize one that would allow your kids to use their 5 senses in finding objects. They should be able to use their sense of taste, smell, hearing, touch, and sight. You can hide physical items in your house and ask your kids to listen to specific sounds in nature like chirping birds. Try to incorporate healthy snacks also.

You can give your kids one paper bag each which they can use to collect items. If an item is uncollectable, you can ask them to take pictures instead.

#3 Worry Monster Art

Source: Pinterest

Worry Monster Art is an activity for kids above 5 years old that helps encourage creativity and deep breathing while discussing worries. Deep breathing helps in decreasing stress and promoting well-being. Discussing worries can help in providing your kids with a safe space for them to handle their emotions creatively.

Materials Needed

  • Paper

  • Markers

  • Water

  • Paint

  • Straw

  • Cups

Directions

Mix water and paint in different colors in the cups. Pour the water-paint mixture on a paper. Ask your kid to blow on the mixture using the straw to make blobs. Once the paint has dried, you can now draw a face on each blob and allow your kids to speak out their worries.

#4 Bandaid Butterfly Art

Source: Pinterest

This activity for ages 4 and above helps your kids get familiar with healing using an expressive and creative method. Facilitating medical plays like Bandaid Butterfly Art can help your kids understand the healing environment. This removes their fear of the unknown.

Materials Needed

  • Markers/crayons

  • Paper

  • Tissues

  • Bandaids

Directions

Create butterflies on the paper by folding up tissues for their wings and then taping them down using a bandaid. The bandaid will serve as the butterfly’s body. After that, have your kid draw the remaining parts of the butterfly and the background.

#5 Emoji Clay

Source: Pinterest

Creating emojis using clay can be done by kids of more than 4 years of age. It provides your children with an outlet for them to express their emotions and process them better. This allows for quicker recovery from any struggles they are experiencing.

Materials Needed

  • Molding clay

Directions

Ask your child to create faces showing different expressions using the clay. Ask them about what they feel and give ways on how they can cope with their negative emotions while they are doing the activity.

Conclusion

Although you will find a lot of therapeutic activities you can do with your kids online, they are not meant to replace therapy or counseling sessions. We recommend seeking advice from mental health professionals if your kid is showing signs of depression. Never forget to communicate with your kids often and ask how they feel.