ARTICLE

Activities and Apps to Keep Kids Entertained at Home

4 min read

We know parents are always looking for new activities, games and apps to keep kids entertained during school holidays – particularly in Winter! Finding indoor ways to keep kids busy and happy is a life saver.

Check out these fun activity ideas and apps for entertaining all different types of kids, including those who love to be social, the creative beings, budding masterchefs and kids who need to keep active.

For the Social Kid: Stay Connected

The internet, mobile phones, tablets and laptops allow kids to stay connected when they aren’t able to see their school friends or family. If your child is missing their usual catchups and playdates, video chatting is the next best thing.

Zoom playdates have become very popular and are a great way for kids to interact with other children. You can set up an account on your device and make as many 40 minutes calls as you want. Kids can chat with friends, have a “show and tell” session and play games like Bingo and Guess Who (if households have the same games). Some children might like to turn on music and have a dance party together, while for others a Lego building session/competition could easily fill in a few hours on a dreary afternoon. Facebook Messenger Kids is another fun app that allows kids to video chat, send audio messages, send stickers and emojis, and play games with their friends from their device or your phone. It’s a safer option because parents can see what their kids are doing and approve contacts. You can download Messenger Kids from your favourite android or IOS app store – then create an account for your child via your own Facebook account.

For something a little more education but still loads of fun, Kahoot! is a great game-based learning platform that keeps kids (and adults) entertained for hours. Kids can create their own trivia quizzes using a range of formats (multiple choice, true or false etc.) and can include images, videos and diagrams to make it more engaging. They can then share their trivia with friends (using a unique PIN to join) and can play together via a video chat, each person answering questions on their own device. The sky is the limit with this one – they can choose themes, dress up and even enjoy half time snacks at interval.

For the Creative Kids: Smart Pens and Apps Open Up a World of Creative Technology

Drawing is a great way to stay creative and can be a soothing mindfulness activity for both kids and adults. Digital drawing can be a fun craft activity that will keep your kids entertained at home for hours, and in many cases the programs used will allow your kids to easily share their masterpieces with friends and family, they can even email them straight to Grandma. Better still if Grandma has a Smart Fridge with built in display, we’re sure she’ll display them there proudly. Your kids will love playing with Smart Pens that help make their masterpieces shine!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 has an included S Pen which is fantastic to help the kids draw on the tablet and keep creative.

Check out apps for drawing such as dotpict and PENUP – available for download from your favourite android or IOS app store. (Please always check age restrictions or limitations such as software requirements before downloading).

Other products that are Smart Pen capable include Microsoft Surface products, Samsung Galaxy products and Apple products. Don’t forget you’ll need the applicable laptop or tablet to use your Smart Pen.

For our Little Film Makers: Smart Lighting for your At Home TikTok Movie Set

Simple things like smart lights are great for putting colour into kids’ lives, particularly when they’re stuck at home or the weather is dark and dreary. They have varying levels of brightness and many can change to almost any colour, making Smart lights a great idea for our little film makers ‘at home movie sets’. If your children are interested in making little videos, stop motion animations, or if they are a little older – TikToks, the smart lights can really add to their set! They can choose the colours they want to film with and make their videos look fun and professional.

Check out our range of phones and tablets that will record videos.

Some Apps for simple film editing are: iMovie (ioS only), Tik Tok (12 years +) and Video Star. These are available for download from your favourite android or IOS app store. (Please always check age restrictions or limitations such as software requirements before downloading).

For the Little Chef: Get Creative in the Kitchen with these Ideas

Getting messy in the kitchen with your kids is a great way to keep them both entertained and fed – kids seem to always be hungry! Using the KitchenAid Stand Mixer or Sunbeam’s Pie Maker why not get creative and bake their favourite sweet or savoury afternoon snacks together. Encourage your kids to decorate their creations once baked allowing them to concentrate and use their imaginations. Or simply get the kids involved by having them help you prepare lunch or dinner for the family. Using the KitchenAid Mixer Accessories and Attachments you can make your own pasta and so much more!

Why not complement those weekend movie nights by getting the kids in the kitchen to make a bowl of freshly popped popcorn using the Sunbeam Popcorn Maker. You could even get the kids to create movie tickets with the name of the movie and time and set up some cushions allowing them to have the full cinema experience from home.

As we enter the colder months it is important to load your kids up with fruit, vegetables and vitamin C. Using the Russel Hobbs Luxe Cold Press Slow Juicer, you could get your kids to make their own delicious juices with their favourite ingredients whilst simultaneously getting a boost of vitamins and minerals.

For our Active Kids: Entertaining and Energising Games to Keep Active Indoors

The Nintendo Switch console, Nintendo Switch lite and PlayStation PS4 Pro are great entertainment consoles for active kids. These consoles paired with an energetic game such as Just Dance 2021 can ensure your kids get the most out of their daily exercise while they are indoors. Plus, they will be having so much fun that they won’t even realise how active they’re being.

Just Dance 2021 has multiple challenges and dance activities as well as access to over 500 songs for your kids to dance to. Additionally, if your kids are dancers and are really missing their lessons during this time, a game like Just Dance 2021 can be perfect for keeping their spirits up.

Find our range of gaming consoles here.

Find more ideas to keep the whole family entertained and stay active at home here.