Small Apartment Fun Family Activities for the Lockdown Days

The world today is reeling under the Coronavirus pandemic, with lockdowns being implemented in several places, and social distancing being a necessity.

Staying at home is the safest thing to do in these times, as we all have come to understand. However, this can be very taxing; children get bored when they are not allowed to go outdoors and play; no visits to the beach, park, cinema, mall, or amusement park.

It is very easy for kids to get cranky and go berserk in such a situation. It’s not a pretty situation for sure! Parents are mostly overburdened, with no helpers or maids coming in to work, and many parents having to work from home – double load! Of course, one might argue that with their phones and tablets or laptops, children have plenty to keep themselves occupied.

However, this is not the right thing to do, as too much screen time can spoil their eyesight, affect their brains, and get addicted to passive entertainment where they don’t have to think much.

It also tends to make children lazy and physically inactive, causing problems like childhood obesity. It is vital that you keep screen time to a minimum.

Keeping kids busy, entertained, and happy with minimal screen time may seem like a Herculean task when you take all these factors into account, but don’t panic.

We’re here to save the day with some handy tips. So let’s take a look at how you can keep your kids engaged in a small apartment for days that you cannot risk going out. Also read about some of the new apartment trends.

Fun Family Activities for the Lockdown Days

1. Delegate Work

Get your kids to help with household work; you can assign them tasks depending on their age and abilities. Simple tasks like laying the table for mealtimes, putting away toys after play, collecting clothes to be washed in a laundry basket and keeping it near the washing machine, tidying up the living room and/or their bedroom are good to start with for very young kids.

For older kids, get them to help with sweeping and mopping, washing dishes, drying clothes, dusting, and so on.

Older teens can help with grocery shopping, spring cleaning (fans, appliances,etc) and the like. Cleaning a small apartment will not be a huge chore for children either. It not only keeps them busy but helps them learn the responsibility of sharing housework. They should not grow up thinking that it’s only mom’s or dad’s work.

2. Cook Together

In today’s world where both parents work, or there are nuclear families, it is good for both mom and dad to share household work, especially cooking.

When your children also join you, it becomes even more fun.

Get your young kids in the act for making simple stuff like jam sandwiches (no chopping). Older kids can start with salads, peeling vegetables, and making omelets, dosas, or cooking rice in a pressure cooker.

Baking is also a great activity you can do with even young kids, as it usually does not involve much chopping. And you can be assured that your mixing bowls will be licked clean!

Baking will also fill your apartment in Calicut with delicious aromas of butter, cinnamon, vanilla – perfect for the monsoon!

3. Board Games

You may well roll your eyes, but board games can be really fun and exciting.

There are age appropriate board games for every age – ranging from Snakes and Ladders to Cluedo, Monopoly, and more. This can keep the whole family engaged for hours! Also check out the benefits of investing in a multi-family property.

You could also play UNO and similar innocent card games. If you have older children, a game of chess occasionally will keep their brains sharp, as they will have to plan and strategize on a deeper level.

You could also buy a carrom board and teach your children to play. This is a game that can teach them to focus, and have patience, and is a perfect small apartment activity. For a quieter play time, let them play with building blocks or Legos – this encourages creativity.

4. D-I-Y Projects

This is a very broad and generic term, and can include loads of stuff. With glue, cello tape, chart paper, glitter, a pair of scissors, felt, card paper, string, markers/sketch pens, you and your kids can set off on a do it yourself mission to repurpose old stuff lying about in your apartment in Calicut. Get more  DIY apartment hacks.

 Here’s a partial list of stuff you can do:

• Upcycle old CDs into coasters for cups and glasses
• Make Festival or Birthday Greeting cards
• Craft pretty letter holders
• Make gifting envelopes
• Puppets from paper bags
• Look up Origami tutorials and make animal shapes
• Slather the kids’ hands with paint and press them on chart or card paper and turn them into artwork.
• Paint old glass bottles, stick glitter or shape stickers on them to glam them up
• Make dream catchers with colored ribbons and old bangles
• Glam up old photo frames with bright colored paper, glitter, sea shells, string – whatever is available at home.
• Upcycle old keys into a wind chime by painting them, gluing on some glitter, and stringing them a few centimeters apart on a stick or rod, and hang it in your window.
• Get out old photographs, and arrange them face down in a line. Place a thick string or old wire across them, and use sticky tape to hold it. Hand this adorable memorabilia in your living room.
• Make bookmarks with card paper and let your children decorate them as they like.
• Older children can be taught some embroidery, flower making, or knitting, and small carpentry work like easy D-I-Y shelves for their books, hangable stuff, and so on.

5. Create a Workout Routine

This is a time that everyone needs to take care of their health; fix a time in the morning or evening, and do some exercises with your children.

Vary the activity so that it does not become monotonous. Aerobics, yoga, dancing, stretches, and jogging or walking in place are great small apartment activities. You can also meditate for a few minutes.

6. Create an Obstacle Course

It’s laughably easy to do this in your apartment in Calicut. Use pillows, furniture, bedsheets, cushions, ropes, towels, whatever you have handy, and make your kids run, duck, jump and crawl from one end of your apartment to the other.

Not only will they have a great deal of fun, it will also give them a good exercise and tire them, so that they will sleep well! Check out some low cost interior design for homes in Kerala.

7. Balloon Games

Balloon games are a dime a dozen and can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Some examples of games:

• How many balloons can you blow up in one minute?
• Blow up a balloon, run to the other end of the room, sit on a chair, on the balloon and break – repeat till one minute is up.
• Everyone has a filled balloon, held behind their back. Everyone tries to burst the others’ balloons. Last one standing wins!
• Balloon soccer, balloon volleyball or hockey
• Balloon waddle – walking from one end of the room to the other with the balloon held between the knees.

8. Make a Fort/Cave

Use bedsheets and towels to make your kids their very own ‘fort’ – which is basically an improvised tent.

Make sure it’s in a spacious area so that they don’t bump their heads going in or out – leave enough space inside so that they can get in there to read a book quietly, or enjoy a snack. Kids love these spaces which gives them a special space, yet within the safety of their homes.

9. Conduct Quizzes

This may not be suitable for really little kids, but from age 7 onwards, you can organize quizzes, with questions appropriate for their age.

Make it fun by also showing video clips or playing audio, and give away token prizes, like a chocolate bar, or a small toy. Quizzes are great for small apartments – you don’t need any extra space or disrupt your furniture.

10. Antakshari/Karaoke

Who doesn’t love music? And what better way to bring cheer into homes than some good music.

Karaoke can be performed by children of all ages, though you may need your child to be in double digits to be able to play Antakshari – singing songs beginning with the alphabet the opponent stops singing at.

An Indian favorite at any party or excursion, it is also an ideal small apartment fun activity.

You can also let your imagination take flight and come up with your own ideas for having some quality family time during this dull and depressing period. Consider some of the best ways to increase home value.

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