Keeping the kids in the house entertained is a challenge for all families. One of the most used resources today is screens, an almost inexhaustible source of fun. Boys can spend hours watching series, movies, or playing video games. Although it is inevitable that screens are part of everyday life, we all know that the body is an irreplaceable instrument of expression and communication with others.
In this note, we propose some artistic activities to awaken creativity, interact more among family members and prevent the routine from revolving around a tablet, computer, or cell phone.
Sing, dance, and play instruments
Music is a resource that offers many possibilities. If singing and dancing are what they like the most, put together a list of songs with everyone’s favorite songs. If they dare, they can improvise choreographies or transform the house into the recital of their favorite artists.
They can also become luthiers and create their own instruments from recyclable materials. The idea is that the boys participate actively in the assembly of the piece. Maracas are very simple to make: you only need a small plastic bottle that you can fill with buttons, legumes such as rice, or other small items that you have at home and make noise. Another alternative is to assemble them with tubes of toilet paper rolls covering the ends, the sound will be different from that of plastic. Decorate them with colored paper, ribbons, or stickers. Also, you can line them using the technique cartapesta paper and plastisol mixed with water. Kids can have a lot of fun doing it!
Paint and experiment
Activities that involve painting tend to attract kids. Depending on the age they use crayons, pencils, fibers, oils, or watercolors. In addition to these elements, they can also combine other materials: such as shaving foam mixed with tempera, or add relief by sticking sugar or polenta for the kids to experiment with.
They can paint on a large sheet, on cardboard, or directly on the table that you can cover with nylon-type plastic to avoid staining. A little foam should be mixed with a few drops of tempera until a uniform color is achieved. If you do not dare to do it directly with your hands, you can use forks, toothbrushes that you no longer use, popsicle sticks, or corks.
This is an exploration process where you are allowed to get dirty. The boys as they are creating get new ideas and gain confidence. Therefore, we recommend that you give them an old kitchen apron that you no longer use or old clothes.
Read tales
Books are great allies for kids to entertain themselves by imagining other possible worlds. Set aside a space in the house to set up a reading corner. You can put a rug, pillows and a lamp. The idea is to make that moment a family ritual.
There are multiple options when choosing a book: For the little ones, the ideal is to offer them short books with many pictures and colors. For the older ones, you can look for stories that help them express and understand their emotions.
Recreate a play
If you like to create stories and characters, you can write a script and then interpret it dressed up with what you have at home. For the little ones, puppets are a good tool to strengthen their imagination and creativity. In addition, they favor your attention and concentration. You do not have to buy them, you can build them with stockings, buttons, fabrics, or wool that you have on hand.
There are many ways to keep kids out of boredom without resorting to screens, it just takes a little inventiveness and time to share with them. It is important to find the balance between all the resources that we have at home so that they unfold their imagination, and learn and explore the world around them.
