The UK has declared national lockdown once again which mean non-essential shops, restaurants and schools will be closed. However, nurseries will still be open for your kids with strict and safe COVID-19 guidelines .

With the current guidelines, families across England will be spending more time together at home this month than usual. We at Banana Moon Day Nursery Chiswick have compiled a few resources and ideas to keep your kids entertained at home from indoor crafting ideas to creative ways to get them to go for a walk outside. There will also be details for social media groups and online support organisations that are offering free informational resources for parents.

Creativity nurtures mental growth in children by providing opportunities to explore new ideas, feelings and emotions. Below are a few ideas on how you can help your child grow by being creative parents. 

A website called Learning Resources is full of fun and wonderful activities for children of all ages. Whether you’re looking for quality time with your kids or if they are feeling creative, there are a lot of printable A4 documents available on Learning Resources.

To get you started, click here to discover a world of A4 colouring documents

Playing, learning and listening to music can be a very soothing activity that brings families together. Start by introducing the idea of a music concert to your kids and ask them to pick up any item around the house that they think will make a sound (not anything dangerous of course). Once you have your musical items, you can enjoy creating wonderful sounds with your children and you can even film this concert at home for wonderful memories. 

Let the best dressed win a sweet treat for the day! Come up with a costume theme such as a princess or a superhero them and ask members in your family to find any piece of fabric around the house; it could be dad’s trousers, mum’s blouse or a clean tea towel. This fun and interactive activity will help your kids to engage more and generate creative ideas.

2. Help your kids grow by learning through play

Educational games such as completing a puzzle or even creating your own maze around the house is always a fun and educational way to help your kids to keep learning at home. Below are a few ideas and learning resources for families. 

Cut up a picture or use the one above to make a puzzle for your kids. It is a great idea to cut up a photograph or a picture and ask your kids to put the pieces back together.

Download the free puzzle sheet here

There are a bunch of free learning resources on Learning resources that are designed to keep your kids engaged.

Download and print your educational pack here and turn this time at home into a fun learning experience. 

Quality family time spent in the kitchen cooking a meal is always the best. Introduce your kids to a variety of flavours and spend quality time cooking with your children.

There are lot of You Tube videos and tutorials for guidance on how to introduce your children to the world of cooking and flavours.

Below are a few outdoor activities that you can enjoy with your family.

You don’t need any equipment; all you need to do is wrap up warm and have a lot of blankets to snuggle up in whilst observing our amazing galaxy. 

This is your chance to be labelled as the best creative parents of 2021. Find any non-dangerous materials in your house and use it to build a warm den. Set up a campfire, get a packet of marshmallows and enjoy quality time with your kids. If it is too cold outside, you can build a den indoors by using cushions and blankets.