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How to play with children during COVID-19

– Gagandeep Kaur

‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, this is a proverb that we all had studied when we were kids but in reality, it is for the very first time that we are witnessing the practical implication of the same. It is true that the recent outbreak of the ongoing pandemic COVID-19 is seen only as a catastrophe that has crippled our lives and put us under house arrest but we need to have a keen eye and a matured brain to be able to perceive the blessing which God has showered upon us in the disguise of Coronavirus.

The hectic lifestyles of today’s parents had started taking a toll on their kids’ development by playing havoc on the little ones and robbing them of their childhood. The kids have been longing for their parents’ quality time but could only get replacements of it in the form of social media, online gaming, digital movies, etc. but due to this extraordinary circumstance, the children all over the world are now bonding with their parents as never before, all thanks to Coronavirus. Being a parent is one of the most important jobs a person will ever have and one needs to invest time and efforts into it and keep a spirit of adventure and fun while dealing with the most playful beings on earth. The need is not just to focus on their physical growth but their mental and emotional development too must also be kept into consideration while planning anything for them. Therefore, one of the most challenging aspects of this lockdown period is to keep those little pixies engrossed in something which interests them, soothes them, recreates them, enlightens them and even empowers them at the same time. Finding innovative ideas for playing is not a child’s play as children get bored very soon and very easily. So parents must never run short of ideas to deal with children.

There are many things that parents can do at home to support their child’s learning, development and recreation. However, at the same time it must be remembered that there is ‘no one size that fits all’ as every child is different and grows at his own pace and therefore, parents must plan different age-appropriate activities for their kids. These activities can be varied based on the interests of kids. 

Age Group (0-1 year)

  1.  Peek-a-boo
  2.  See and Say
  3.  The body game

 

Age Group (1-3 years)

  1.  Free Draw
  2.  Handprinting
  3.  Name that noise
  4.  Kitchen Drummer
  5.  Ball Pass
  6.  Balloon games
  7.  Veggie printing 

 

Age Group (3-10 years)

  1.  Building blocks
  2.  Art and Craft
  3.  Make Greeting Cards
  4.  Dance Party
  5.  Board games
  6.  Practise meditation together
  7.  Plan a scavenger hunt

 

Age Group(10-15 years)

  1.   Learn a new language
  2.   Dumb Charades
  3.   Bake Cupcakes
  4.   Practise Yoga
  5.   Create a story- 1 line per member
  6.   Dance to their favourite song

And don’t ever forget to praise your child even for his littlest effort as positive reinforcement works wonders. 

COVID 19 is the disaster none of us deserved but is the one we needed to reset our lives and hit a pause button. In the fast-paced life, we lead today, we had almost forgotten how important it is to slow the tone of life and enjoy the time spent with family. We had accustomed ourselves with the monotonous beat of life but we now need to take upon the opportunity given to us in the name of COVID 19 pandemic to ensure we live along with friends and family as you never know for sure what will happen tomorrow. 

Good Luck out there Parents and remember we all are sailing in the same boat.