The severity of the coronavirus pandemic is more clear than ever, and now, schools across the nation are closed to slow and prevent transmission of the virus. That's an important step for public safety – but it leaves many parents completely unsure what to do with kids that are suddenly home all day, every day. At 5 Little Monkeys, we work to help kids everywhere get better sleep with our parent-approved mattress, but we also strive to be a resource for every aspect of parenting. So to help you make it through the quarantine, here are a few ideas for things you can do at home with your kids during quarantine.

Ideas for Quarantine Activities with Kids

Feeling lost on what to do all day? We've got you covered. Being quarantined with your whole family all day may sound daunting, but there are plenty of fun, family-friendly activities you can do to keep your kids – and yourself – happy and entertained during lockdown.

For preschoolers and younger children, you'll likely need to be more hands-on to keep them happy. Reading with your child is a great way to foster language development, especially when you encourage them to guess what will happen next in the story or reflect on how a character might be feeling. Another great concept is "elaborative reminiscing," which involves revisiting a memory and asking your child questions to help them elaborate on the who, what, when, where, and why of the event, as well as how they felt about it. Both of these activities help with language development.

For older kids, unstructured and less supervised time is more doable. As tempting as it may be to park them in front of a movie or tablet, it's best to resist the urge. Instead, try challenging your kids with collaborative activities that are both fun and educational. For example, they might try building a tent or a fort using stuff from around the house as a way to develop spatial intelligence. And of course, playing a board game or cooking a meal together is a great way to bond and enjoy your time inside together!

Try Our Children's Mattress

We hope these tips help you think of fun activities to do with your family during quarantine, and if you need more, you're always welcome to reach out to us at our contact page. Quarantine may also be a great time to upgrade your child's mattress, so don't forget to take our 100 Night Rest Test and try our kid's bed risk-free. But regardless of how you spend your quarantine, we hope that in the midst of these strange and uncertain times, you and your family are staying safe, healthy, and happy – and that we'll all get to go back outside real soon.