How to help kids beat COVID-19 quarantine boredom

Updated Apr. 22, 2020 12:56 PM

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“But, I’m bored!” is billowing through many homes as overactive kids are forced to spend most, if not all, of their waking time indoors thanks to stringent COVID-19 restrictions. They can’t go to school, outside to play with their group of friends, or hop on the soccer pitch to play a match with their team, all thanks to social distancing guidelines. Their abundance of energy has them bouncing off walls and their parents running ragged to keep them occupied so Mom and Dad can get a little work done from home. 

Here are a few ways to keep your little ones beat boredom

Photo by Marina Shatskih

Teddy bear scavenger hunt

You may have noticed teddy bears suddenly appearing in windows while walking through your neighborhood. It’s part of a nationwide Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt inspired by the 1989 Michael Rosen children’s book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,'' which opens with the lines, “We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We’re not scared.” This is a great way to unite your neighborhood while giving kids an exciting, social-distancing safe scavenger hunt during coronavirus lockdowns. You and the kids can simply stroll down your street and keep your eyes peeled for the cuddly teddy bears perched on window sills. Be sure to keep count and take pictures of unique teddy bears you find along the way. 

Photo by Gustavo Fring

Science experiments

One way to keep your pint-sized mad scientist not so mad during coronavirus lockdowns is to encourage them to do a few science experiments. These experiments don’t need to be elaborate and you can probably find all the required materials just laying around your home. They might get messy, but cleaning up afterwards will give the kids something to do. Also, make sure you stick around in case any of these easy experiments need adult supervision. For a full list of at-home science experiments that is updated daily, check out AccuWeather School here.

Photo by Charles Deluvio

Virtual get-together games

We all thrive on human interaction and kids are no exception. They should still be visiting with their friends -- safely and socially distant. Modern technology allows us to do this without even leaving our couches. Virtual platforms, like Zoom, are growing in popularity during this coronavirus pandemic. Zoom allows us to stay visually connected with our friends and family. While your kids shouldn’t take part in your virtual happy hour with the adults, they can do their own version of a get-together with their little friends. Encourage them to play games they normally would in groups, like charades or “Would you rather?” 

Photo by Julia M Cameron

Virtual field trips

You can jaunt off to Buckingham Palace, Los Angeles or even The Taj Mahal without leaving the comfort of your own home. With infinite information at your fingertips thanks to the Internet, you can take your kids on an educational and virtual vacation. You can even play a game of “I Spy” while on these virtual globetrotting trips. 

Here are the Top 10 virtual trips you can take from right at home. 

Photos by Santi Vedrí

Make a time capsule

While we might not realize it, we’re living in an unprecedented and historic time. How will you explain the world coming to a standstill to your grandchildren? An easy way is to have your kids preserve this moment in time with a time capsule. They can write a letter to their future selves on what life was like during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. This is a creative outlet that will let them talk about their current feelings and could be quite therapeutic if they’re struggling to cope with this new way of life. You can toss in today’s front page of the newspaper and a few pop culture trinkets to show the future generations how we survived and adapted to the changes. 

Photo by Johnny Cohen

COVID-19 will still be part of our everyday lives for quite some time so it’s important to stay informed on the latest developments. AccuWeather has everything you need to know about COVID-19, including an interactive map to see where new cases are popping up, a tracker showing how many people are recovering, and in-depth podcast talking about how weather can impact coronavirus. You’ll also find the latest information on Accuweather TV network, Twitter and Facebook.

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