Wellbeing activities for kids stuck indoors

Are you wondering how to look after your child’s wellbeing (as well as your own)? You’re not alone. Searches for children’s wellness ideas have rocketed since the pandemic began in March 2020, with many parents wondering how to keep their children's spirits up.

So, we asked Public Health Practitioner Claire Cheminade to help us create a list of fun ideas that put children’s mental health first. These tips are based on the NHS 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing.

"Encourage children to learn new skills, things to do, not just to know," Claire advises. “There are so many things we can do at home that are fun and good for us. Just take it one day at a time," she adds.

1 Connect with others

You can make the most of the Internet and phone and keep in touch with each other via Zoom or FaceTime.

And don’t forget the joy of sending and receiving a handwritten letter. Write a list of the people to make contact with every day/every few days.

• Ask them how they are
• Share what you have been learning
• Write them letters, or a poem
• Draw them pictures
• Send them photos

Play board games

Now’s the perfect time to learn a new board game or to get better at one you already play, like chess. You can do this at home or there are apps and online games that you can play with friends and family. Explore the Giggly Shop for a range of toys and games that help your kids learn.

Travel the world

Help your kids find out about people in other countries without even leaving the house! Let them choose a new country to visit, virtually, every day. Learn the things that are special about the new places you go to...

• What animals live there?
• What is special about the place and its people?
• What do they eat?
• Which continent is it?
• Identify its location on a map
• What is its climate like?
• Look at and draw the flag
• What other interesting facts did you learn?

Look in an atlas, online, or watch Where in the World? on CBeebies. My World Kitchen teaches children about food from different parts of the world. You can also visit different museums around the world online.

2 Keep moving

Being active isn’t just for physical health and fitness – it’s great for your children's mental health, too. And, of course, it's also possible to venture outdoors on a rainy day. Just put on wellies and tell everyone it’s fun to get wet (you’ll one hundred per cent deserve that hot chocolate when you get home).

Yoga

The most chill of workouts is perfect for keeping even little kids entertained. Try searching for Cosmic Yoga on YouTube (they do this Frozen yoga routine!). Why not learn a new yoga pose each day, or master a more challenging pose depending on your yoga skills?

Dance

Did you learn to Floss yet? Okay, that craze may have passed, but try using this lockdown to learn a new dance – here’s a YouTube roundup of dance tutorials. You can check these exercise infographics for different age groups to see if you are all doing enough.

3 Try mindfulness

How does mindfulness for children work? Tell them it’s like looking out of the window in the morning to see what the weather’s doing, and to help you know what you need that day.

If it’s raining outside, you know you need an umbrella. If you’re feeling stormy inside, you can ask yourself what you need – maybe that’s to be on your own for a bit, or to ask for a hug or to do some exercise.

If you all need some quiet time, try these mindfulness activities for kids. You can also reset and be in the moment by observing nature. Even in a city, you can enjoy listening to the singing of blackbirds and starlings, see magnolia trees in full bloom and even winter bumblebees. So, look up or out of the window and take notice of all the beautiful and wonderful things everywhere. You could even download this scavenger hunt for kids!

Trees

Learn about British trees – learn about a new one every day. Spot a tree you like and identify it using this Woodland Trust tree identification guide, or check out this great resource for Nature Detectives!

Birds

Now’s the time to become a massive bird nerd. Get to know the ones where you live. It’s easy to make a bird feeder to hang outside your window. Then, watch, listen, and identify!

The sky

Take some time each day to watch the sky in the day and at night.

The clouds

When you look at the sky in the day, watch the clouds. Can you spot different patterns? Draw a picture of the clouds or imagine that you can see pictures in the different shapes.

The moon

Learn about the moon and its different phases. Make some time to have a look for it each night. Maybe draw a picture of what you see.

The stars

See if you can spot stars you recognise and give them names. Older children can try to spot different constellations with this guide to the night sky.

4 Keep learning

Children can learn the topics they cover in the classroom at home too – and they can try new skills to help them in everyday life.

Maths and phonics

Our specially-created Numberblocks Maths Programme and Alphablocks Reading Programme both support the way children learn at school.

Each pack contains six weeks of activities that will help you teach your child maths or phonics. They guide you through each topic in a fun and educational way!

Cooking

Cooking is something you can share – don’t forget it uses maths, communication and science skills. Discover a range of easy bakes and fun recipes that you can create with your kids. You can check you’re all eating healthily with The Eatwell Guide.

Growing

Like cooking, getting into the garden is a great way to chill out. There are lots seeds you can grow indoors at any time of year, like cress. Watch them grow, check on them every day.

Write notes or take a picture to keep track of how things are doing. Planting cress seeds is an easy way to start growing your own.

Science

Turn your kitchen into a lab to see science in action with these easiest ever science experiments for kids.

Learn another language

Find a website or app to help you learn your (new) language. Little children can sing along with The Lingo Show on CBeebies and learn some French words.

Reading

Read, read, read! Listen to a story, or learn a poem by heart every day. Explore the Giggly shop for new and classic children's books.

5 Be kind

We can still give people our time without being physically close to them. Check on people and make sure they’re okay. We can also give people gifts like homemade cards or meals.

For more information on mindfulness, Claire wrote this eLearning session.