10 Simple Ways to Keep Kids Entertained While Working From Home

Beat the Boredom Blues With Educational Activities, Arts and Crafts, and DIYs

Although schools are beginning to resume classes, many of us will still be working from home. Staying productive can be difficult - but keeping your kids from feeling restless is even harder. To help keep your kids occupied, we’ve created a list of fun crafts and activities that will engage their brains, get them moving, and inspire their creative sides. From creating an art masterpiece to spending time outside, these ideas are fun and educational and ready to help you bust boredom this school year.

Get the Creativity Flowing with Art Activities

The first step to creating great art? Inspiring creativity! With simple resources like chalk or colored pencils, kids can dive into the world of imagination and stay busy without needing a screen.

Sidewalk Chalk

Provide your kids with chalk and let their imagination shine through their chalk art creations! Or, set up painters tape and let them color inside of the different sections on the sidewalk or driveway. You and your neighbors can enjoy the masterpiece!

Coloring

Transform a piece of paper into a work of art. Let kids explore different mediums, like crayons, colored pencils, markers, pens, and paints. Although simple, coloring is a great way to introduce fine-motor control, concentration, and color awareness. Even better, it’s easy to set up and is entertaining for kids of all ages.

Stay Healthy and Stay Active

Keep your kids off the couch and on the move! Here are four activities for your kids to stay active and burn energy while you work from home.

Spend Time Outside

Being outdoors is great for overall health and allows kids to release all of their pent-up energy. From tag to hide and seek, there are plenty of outdoor games that will encourage them to get moving. Your family can even come up with your own twists on classics to keep things interesting.

Create a Scavenger Hunt

Time for an adventure? Make a list of items for your kids to find around the house while you work. For younger kids, try asking for items of a specific color or shape. For older kids, get more creative and ask for more creative solutions. Of course, be sure to set parameters – make sure little ones won’t be getting into what they shouldn’t!

Bubbles

Grab a large bucket of water, fill it with bubble solution, and let the fun begin! For different shapes and sizes, try creating your own bubble blowers with objects around the house. Pipe cleaners bent into unique shapes, cardboard tubes, drinking straws, and more are all fun for kids to experiment with.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a classic for a reason. This sidewalk game is great for building hand-eye coordinator, balance, and other motor skills. Draw out rectangular shapes with chalk – or get your kids to create their own path – and get your hop on!

Quiet Activities for Kids

Trying to bring some peace into your home while you work? Here are four ideas to keep your kid entertained in a quiet and calm matter.  

Puzzles

Puzzles are a great brainteaser for kids and help improve problem-solving skills. With so many to choose from, this is a fantastic choice for kids of all ages.

Write Letters

Encourage kids to improve their penmanship and writing skills with a pen pal. Whether they write to loved ones or friends, this activity is sure to make the recipient smile as well. For kids looking to expand their cultural knowledge, several websites also offer ways to connect with virtual pen pals from all over the world.

Play Dress Up

Put together a box of hats, socks, coats, purses, shoes, and costumes and have your kids participate in a dress-up challenge. To make the game more educational, try coming up with requirements that encourage them to think about weather, climate, or geography. What outfit would they wear to Antarctica? What about to Hawaii?

Build a Fort

There’s something special about building a fort. Set your kids up with blankets, spare sheets, beach towels, and chip clips to construct their perfect hideaway. Books and snacks to bring inside will keep them tucked away contentedly for hours.

Enjoy a Kid-Friendly Lunch from Timoti’s

With so many fun activities, your kids are sure to work up an appetite. Don’t forget to devour healthy dishes like wild-caught seafood, seaweed salad, and other flavorful dishes from Timoti’s here in Fernandina Beach, Nocatee in Jacksonville, or at Karibo in 5 Points Jax. See our menu below.