More Fun Things To Do At Home With Kids
Hello friendsss! I would like to take this time to hopefully provide all of you guys with some new and fresh ways to spend your quarantined time at home with the little ones! Because let's face it, some times it's hard to come up with new and exciting ways to fill up our days while also trying to be creative and intentional with our kids. But not to worry, that is why I am here.. for all of you parents, grandparents, and siblings going in to week two of staying at home full time with children in tow. All of my nursing courses have been moved online completely, which works perfectly for us right now with Maya's daycare being shut down since last week. I have been really enjoying our time at home during the day together. And let me tell you, for our little girl, this staying at home stuff is a dream come true. I mean RY and I have always been home bodies, but she is like the ultimate home body lol. It makes me happy to know that we've built a home that she absolutely loves and feels the most comfortable and loved in.
1. Have A Spa Day
Last week I told My that we could have a spa day, as we set up shop in the living room! We applied a DIY face mask that consisted of turmeric, brown sugar and honey and left our skin glowing and radiant, while rocking our matching head bands to ensure that our hair stayed back and out of our way. I gave Maya a pedicure and manicure, and then painted both our nails! She loves getting pampered, it's the cutest thing. But I find that doing things like this allows for her to see and feel the importance in taking care of herself. I grew up doing the same with my mom, and love how I now get to do it with my daughter! You can mix up a cute little drink for the both of you to sip on while doing this, play some background music, and just really get in to character, kids love it. Let your imaginations run wild with theirs, and I promise you'll enjoy yourselves. Oh and daddy came home early that day, which was a great surprise as well!
2. Whip Up A Big Breakfast Together
Okay so kids love to be in the kitchen right! So why not let them help you out, even though most of the time their help means extra work for you. That's okay! Embrace it, and let them mix, and pour, and mash their hearts out. This gives them a sense of purpose and something to be proud of when they see the final product of what they helped you whip up. I think it's great to start the day out in the kitchen together, and then be able to enjoy and eat together. If your kids are picky eaters, this might also help get them to eat better, since they are more likely to eat what they feel proud of! But of course, keep them away from turned on stoves and ovens at all times. Some thing so simple like this can really set the tone for a good day ahead. And if you're lucky they might even be willing to help with cleaning up afterwards! We're going to be in the kitchen anyway, so why not include your children in this and show them all of the work and patience that goes in to curating a good meal!
3. Go For An "I Spy" Nature Walk
Okay so while we are at home, we do still have the liberty of getting outside for a nice walk around the block. The fresh air is really good for us all, and the benefits of getting out to see some of nature's glorious work are endless. But as I mentioned to you guys above, Maya is a total home body and it really takes some convincing to get her to go outside these days. There has to be something fun in it for her lol. So why not try to take the famous I Spy game outside and allow them to explore freely. This is a great activity to do with younger kids! Or even seeing what shapes they can recognize outside is a great way to practice learning about all of the different types.
4. Face Time And Send A Photo Journal To Your Loved Ones
Maya has not stopped letting us know how much she misses her Nana, and the feeling is definitely mutual. My mom and Maya were so use to seeing each other multiple times throughout the week, but of course that has now slowed down a bit. So we have all been staying in touch over face time. And usually I would send my mom photos of Maya and the fam to see what we are up to and how things are over here, but just recently I have been introduced to this amazing app called NEVEO that allows me to upload a bunch of photos with captions that will eventually be made in to the cutest photo journal, and shipped off to my mom directly. This kind of thing is perfect for times like these when we are all safer at home, but still wanting to keep in touch with other important family members. Plus Maya loves helping me choose the photos and write the captions for the journals we will send to her Nana. I would definitely suggest that you guys check out this app as it provides us all with a new way to stay in close contact with family and friends around the world. You can use the code FAMILY right now and receive a 50% discount on a journal for 3 months. Your parents, grandparents or who ever else you choose to send a journal to, will feel so loved and appreciated, and that much closer to you during these unimaginable times. Pictured below is the February journal that we had made, and our March journal is still in the works!
BONUS NIGHT TIME EDITION
Have a movie night under the stars with the whole family! Some of you may have had the chance to see in my instagram stories how we transformed our living room in to a dark starlit space to enjoy watching a movie together, as a family. This was a night filled with popcorn, cuddles and family fun. We used Maya's spinning galaxy night light projector, from the seller peyou on amazon (pictured below) that she got for her birthday, and we lit up our living room ceiling with rotating moons and stars. It was truly magical, especially when paired with some classic movie snacks for every one to enjoy. Maya has not stopped asking for us to do it again lol, she truly enjoyed it and so did we. It's the simple things!
Just a little something for all moms out there, to remind you of your greatness! Happy quarantining guys, and remember to stay home as much as possible so that we can all continue to stay safe!
S.S.