12 ways to help kids burn off energy without leaving the house
... because we're all bouncing off the walls right now.
Of all the tasks that are part of the daily life of a parent, few take up quite as much cumulative time as the search for new ways to keep kids entertained.
Ensuring your child has burnt off enough energy before bedtime is extra tricky on days when the weather is too miserable to venture out.
During a time when the usual fail-safe options of visiting friends or soft-play, have been largely out of bounds, it has never been more critical for us parents to pool our collective knowledge and potentially save each other from agonising over what activity to lay on next or worse - spending another afternoon pretending to be a police car.
So I asked mums and dads on Twitter to share the things they do to keep their kids busy indoors that have helped them avoid tears of boredom (possibly theirs, but more likely yours).
Pin this email to the top of your inbox, ready to reference the next time the eternal chorus of “I’m bored” kicks up.
Toddler Wipeout
Recreating activity gameshows such as Total Wipeout, comes highly recommended. Georgina Durrant, founder of The SEN Resources Blog who has created a festive activity pack for kids, says making home-made obstacle courses with “cushions to climb over and chairs to duck under” always goes down well in her house.
The hit Netflix show The Floor Is Lava was actually based on a kids’ game that involves hopping from cushion to table to get across the room without touching the floor. If you want to give your furniture a break, Goliath has created a board game version (£12 at Argos), which involves completing challenges while balanced on colourful stepping stone pads.
Reindeer Tails
James Dixon, founder of eco-friendly adventure pack The Little Mud Club, recommends playing a game called Reindeer Tails. Each player tucks a tea towel (or similar) into the back of their waistband and “the object is to to take the other person’s tail,” he explains and adds that the game comes with one very important rule: “you cannot block another person grabbing your tail with your hands or arms. Otherwise it just becomes a fight!”
Tiny Taskmaster
Another TV show that is good to raid the intellectual property of, is Alex Horne’s Taskmaster. You take on the role of Greg Davis, the Taskmaster himself, and set your children inventive tasks to complete – such as who can take the most impressive photograph of the smallest object or who can draw the best picture of a horse while blindfolded.
You could prep a whole stack of tasks in advance to keep your children busy for hours – although be warned, you will need to make time to judge their success at completing the tasks.
Can’t think of any good tasks? Thankfully, this is a problem many a parent has faced before - so a quick google of “Taskmaster children’s tasks” will bring up plenty of suggestions. The Taskmaster team actively encourage this and Horne has even recorded a video message you can share with your kids before they start.
Think about what you’ll find fun too
Sometimes kids just want your undivided attention - and at those times there’s no point spending ages setting up an elaborate game in the hopes you can quietly slip away.
Rather than bracing yourself to play a game you find tedious (after all, there’s only so much time you can spend sipping pretend tea under the dining table), find an activity that will leave you feeling happy too.
“I turn the music on and go crazy with them jumping and dancing around,” says Ivana Poku. “It releases a lot of energy and is great for mental wellbeing.” Durrant adds that she likes getting the fairy lights out for her living room discos.
Get crafty
There are lots of craft kits available but all you really need is some cardboard from the recycling. Zara Saleem, founder of cruelty-free skincare brand Delhicious, says her family have been “doing loads of cardboard work inspired by Sydney Piercey - she makes wonderful things for children from cardboard.” You can see one of Zara’s families creations below and more inspiration for things to make out of cardboard can be found on Piercey’s Instagram.
A moment in the spotlight
“Have you tried making a short family film? Mine are really into it,” says Jemma Johnson, founder of Elodie Pictures. “Decide on an activity eg. baking, give them each a turn on the filming while you do some too. Keeps them engaged for a while and you get a fun film at the end.”
Take a fresh perspective
For young children “there is potential for fascination in almost anything,” says Laura House, education lead at tiney. “Introducing a new thing doesn’t mean buying a new toy every day - it could mean inviting them to see something that is familiar in a different way. ‘Look at all the different shapes of these apples! Where are the seeds? What happens if you cut the apple across the middle?’
“It could also be introducing a new texture: ‘What happens if we scrunch the tin foil?’. You could add shaving foam to paint to make it fluffy like a cloud, or squeeze a drop of essential oil into the bath. You could even put on a different kind of music at breakfast time; anything that will remind them (and us!) that the world is big and wonderful beyond our home, and full of exciting things to discover. It doesn’t matter how small it is; what’s vital is the variety.”
Imaginative props
“Leave out enticing creative invitations to encourage children to role play stories,” suggests Laura. “For example sticks, grass, pebbles and cardboard pig puppets is all they would need to create their own version of the Three Little Pigs. Will it have a different ending?
“You can also lay out interesting materials that might invite children to combine things in new ways: loo roll and clothes pegs to make a bridge? Water and cornflour to make slime? Dry leaves and water to make 'fairy tea'? With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless.”
Indoor action kit
Trampoline
“An indoor trampoline has been a very good investment,” says Emma Jarman. “You can get fold up ones for those short on space.” A Galt 2ft Folding Kids Trampoline is £65 at Argos.
Tuff Tray
Lucille Whiting recommends getting a ‘Tuff Tray’ (£13.99 at Early Years Resources or £55 with a stand), a resilient plastic tray that was originally designed for use in construction, but has since become a staple piece of equipment in childcare settings. “Google ‘Tuff Tray ideas’,” she suggests. “There's loads of inspiration on Pinterest and quite a few Facebook groups too.”
Bilibo
Lauren Crosby wrote about discovering that this curved plastic dome (£24.99 at KiddyMoo) was the ultimate action-packed toy for her young sons for The Strategist UK. “One by one, they took turns jumping on it, spinning, wearing, and banging it, each amused by its possibilities for play,” she wrote, adding that the best thing about it is that it doesn’t make a noise and doesn’t need batteries.
Nintendo Switch
“We bought the Zumba game on the Nintendo Switch so we could do that together. Works well for the seven-year-old,” says Cassandra Davis, founder of Cahill Davis Publishing. “We also let the her use our cross trainer in the conservatory when she asks to as she thinks it's fun and we're not going to stop her!”
Can You Help With A Little Thing?
The Little Things is going to be coming out just once a month for the time being, as I have taken on some extra editing shifts.
An upcoming issue will focus on how to stop a breastfed baby from biting (and pinching, scratching and hitting!) – have you had any success at stopping mid-feed attacks? If so, please do let me know what worked for you by replying to this email, your ideas are gratefully received.
Little Lowdown
This section is a little shorter than usual because my son has been fighting sleep this month so I’ve not had as much time to read! Here’s hoping normal service will resume next issue.
Want more ideas for activities? The Good Play Guide is sharing an advent calendar of fun ideas on Twitter with #24daysofplay.
Looking for presents for a new (or expectant) mum? I spoke to the experts (i.e. people who’ve recently had a baby or adopted) to put together a guide to the gifts that will be most appreciated, on The Strategist UK.
I’ve also spoken to booksellers about their favourite board books for babies and toddlers - and it was really lovely to hear their enthusiasm for stories for the tiniest of readers.
About Me
I’m Ellen Wallwork, a sleep-deprived mum-of-one, incessant worrier and freelance journalist. I’ve been writing about parenting for more years than I care to remember and previously launched the Parents section on HuffPost UK. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (but be warned, I’m not a prolific poster).
If you enjoyed this newsletter and perhaps learnt something new, please do forward it to your friends or give it a shout out on social media. You could also buy me a virtual coffee through ko-fi, here (caffeinated please, did I mention I'm tired?)
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Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The use of any information contained in this newsletter is solely at your own risk.