These days parents face a constant battle between managing their piles of workload and engaging their kids. It really becomes difficult to balance the kids and work-life, especially when their schools are non-functional. Even when the mother is a housewife, it gets hard to engage the kids at home. Although there are a number of shows and games kids can enjoy online, it is equally important to restrict their screen time as well. Children are little balls of curiosity, they want new changes every other minute. Initially, all this might feel good, but after a while it becomes challenging as parents become clueless on how to engage their kids.
Why Is It Important To Keep The Kids Engaged?
It is always an easy option to leave your kid with a TV remote and a spare phone. But this is definitely not the right way to engage them. Thus, it is better to keep the kids engaged in productive playtime so that their energy gets channeled in the right direction. You cannot expect a child to ace all the school tests and have a well-rounded personality. There are a lot many things that play a vital role in their cognitive development.
Have a look at some of these reasons:
1. Opens Up Imagination
Life has so much to offer, but one can only make the best out of it if he/she has a growth mindset. It is very important to engage kids in activities that broaden their imagination.
Reality may have limits, but when kids are given tasks to draw, paint, and read, their imagination goes wilder and limitless. This helps in developing their brain function.
2. Improved Motor Skills
Kids of this generation might be better than you at operating gadgets, but they may not have proper hand-eye coordination and handgrip. Engaging kids in DIY projects and crafts improves their motor skills and spatial management skills.
3. Proper Fostering
Children easily grasp and mimic everything they watch their elders doing. And this can have an adverse impact on their little minds. Thus, it is always important that kids spend at least some part of their time with the kids of their age. This enhances their social interaction skills and makes them better at communicating and expressing themselves.
4. Healthy Body
Physical activities play a vital role in enhancing a kid’s immunity, reflexes, and developing stronger bodies. Thus, an hour of outdoor activity is always advisable.
Activities To Engage The Kids At Home
Now you know why it is important to keep the kids engaged in a proper direction.
Let’s have a look at how you can do this:
1. Painting
Painting has been the most sought after activity to engage the kids. Colors never fail to excite the kids. Thus, introducing them to sketching, painting, and coloring books helps in opening up their imagination and keeps them engaged for a few hours.
2. DIY Activities
You can always surf the internet for DIY projects for your kids. There are many simple and interesting activities like building robots out of waste products at home, building castles with boxes, painting old tablemats, making beaded jewelry etc. Also, there are many small STEM toys available in the market which are quite affordable and will also help in enhancing kids creativity.
3. Reading
This is something your kid may not like in the first place. But as a parent, you can always try developing their interest in reading books. You can always start with short comics or any cartoon based books with eye-captivating pictures. And if your child has some specific interest, you can introduce science and space-based books.
4. Treasure Hunting
Even if your kid is a lazy bum, he can never refuse an exciting treasure hunting game.
You can always hide a few toys in every corner of the house and give them a list of hints to find them.
5. Outdoor Activities
Always take an hour out of your busy schedules to take them outside for sport activities, biking, or to the playground. This will keep them energetic and will improve their focus.
Conclusion
Whether you are a working parent or a homemaker, it is always your responsibility to keep your child engaged with newer ideas. You may not be able to give them all day long attention, but introducing them to fun activities like crafts, block building, and sports will always keep them interested. Also, they will be able to explore and learn new things.