How do I stop cabin fever in kids?

If you live in Texas like us (or really anywhere in the south), our lovely spring weather is coming to an end, and the heat is setting in with full force! Unfortunately, COVID-19 seems to be here to stay for a while. Many of us are either still in full quarantine mode or practicing extra social distancing when possible. If you’re looking for ways to beat the heat (and the virus!) and keep your kiddos busy at the same time, we have some ideas:

Activities & Crafts for Ages 1-3

Foam Paint

If your little one loves to make a mess, help them turn the mess-making into a beautiful work of art – with a fresh scent to boot! This is a cute way to create clouds on top of blue construction paper. 

Materials: Medium-sized bowls (for the paint), shaving cream, glue, food coloring, thick paper, paintbrush/foam brush

1.     Gather a few bowls (one for each color).

2.     Squirt ½ - 1 cup of shaving cream into each bowl.

3.     Add equal amounts of plain Elmer’s glue (you can omit the glue, it just does not keep or dry as well…but less messy!)

4.     Add a few drops of food coloring (or paint) to each one until you get your desired hue and stir. 

5.     Babies can paint on the paper with their hands, and older toddlers can work on their dexterity by using a paintbrush or foam brush. 

6.     Once it dries, their work of art is complete and ready to showcase!

Easy Wind Sock

 Most toddlers LOVE stickers…but you do not love them on your walls. Let’s make a wind sock instead!

 
Materials: Cup (medium-sized disposable paper, plastic, or foam cup work best), string or ribbon, tape, stickers, party streamers 

1.     Turn your cup upside down. 

2.     Cut a piece of string or ribbon (8-12 inches long). 

3.     Ask your child to tape each end of the string to opposite sides of the cup (this is what you’ll use to hang your windsock). If you want to make it sturdier, cut 2 holes in the cup, thread each end inside, and tie the ends together.

4.     Ask your child to tear long strips of party streamers (about 1-2 feet long).

5.     Use stickers or tape to attach them all around the lip of the cup with the streamers hanging down.

6.     Hang your windsock outside or under a fan, and watch the streamers blow!

Sun Catchers

Want to bring a little color into your home? These sun catchers are fun to make and add a little cheer to every window. 

Materials: Clear plastic plate, colorful tissue paper, water, glue, paintbrush, string, tape

1.     If your child can use scissors, help him/her cut small squares or shapes from the tissue paper. Alternatively, your child can tear the paper into pieces or you can cut them yourself.

2.     Mix some Elmer’s glue with a little bit of water to dilute to a painting consistency.

3.     Have your child paint the entire plate with the glue mixture.

4.     Apply the tissue paper shapes to the plate until the entire surface is covered. (Try not to overlap too much since the light will not be able to shine through.)

5.     Once dry, attach a string to the top of the plate, and hang in a sunny window.

Activities & Crafts for Ages 4-6

Ice Excavation 

 If you make it big enough, this activity can keep their attention for 1.5 - 2 hours ! (Are you getting the materials ready yet?)

Materials: Large bowl or bin (that fits in the freezer), waterproof trinkets, toys, and shoelaces, plastic syringes or small squirt guns, plastic salt shakers.

1.     Add your toys and trinkets to your large bowl or bin.

2.     Fill it with water (this works even better if some toys float and some sink).

3.     Freeze it overnight.

4.     When you’re ready, remove your ice block from the freezer, and set up an excavation table outside.

5.     Set out a syringe or water gun for each child, a salt shaker, and a bucket of water to refill their syringes or water guns. (You can also pre-make salt water instead of salt shakers. Or, use fun-colored rock salt by mixing in a few drops of food coloring.)

6.     Let your child excavate the ice block to free the toys.

This is an excellent way to encourage multiple children collaborate on a task.

Paper Weaving

You might have done this yourself as a child. This activity increases focus and dexterity.

Materials: 2 pieces of construction paper (different colors), scissors

1.     Fold one piece of construction paper in half hamburger-style

2.     Have your child cut straight lines (about 1 inch apart) from the folded edge across to the other opposite edge. Do NOT cut all the way through. Leave about an inch of space from the edge so the paper stays intact. Open the paper back up to reveal the slits.

3.     Cut the other piece of construction paper into long strips. (Cut strips from the longest edge of the paper – landscape orientation – so the strips are the same length as the paper with the slits.)

4.     Have your child practice weaving the long strips of paper over and under the slits for a woven look.

Egg Carton Caterpillars

 Pair this with The Very Hungry Caterpillar — read more below.

Materials: Egg carton (cut to size), pipe cleaner, googly eyes (optional), decorating material (i.e. paint, markers, colored paper – whatever you have on hand)

5.     Cut the carton to make one strip of cups (either 6 or 3 cups long depending on your carton size). This is your caterpillar’s body.

6.     Flip the strip upside down so your caterpillar has “humps” – the segments of his body.

7.     Let your child use whatever you have on hand to decorate the body – paint, markers, crayons, glitter, stickers, paper, etc.)

8.     Cut 1 pipe cleaner in half and poke into the first hump to make his antennae.

9.     Add googly eyes (or color them on).

10.  Add a smile, and your caterpillar is ready to go!

You can use this as supplemental activity to go along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. To continue the activity, draw and cut out some of the food the caterpillar ate in the book.

Bonus: Turn your caterpillar into a butterfly.

Materials: 1 large coffee filters (or 2 small ones), markers, water, dropper (optional)

11.  Have your child color the filters with different colored markers.

12.  Use a dropper to drip water on the colored coffee filters (or just dip your fingers in water and sprinkle).

13.  Watch the colors spread.

14.  Let the filters dry.

15.  Cut in half and attach your wings to the caterpillar body.

Happy summer, friends! We hope you have enjoyed our quarantine resources. Continue to follow along for more, and share with other parents via social media!