With visits to relatives, fun farm days out, and cinema trips out of bounds, those of us with little ones are set for a tough time keeping them entertained this Easter. But never fear, there are plenty of fun and educational activities you can do within the comfort of your own home and back garden. With the right knowledge, you can avoid complaints of “I’m bored!” this holiday, instead using the free time to get back in touch with nature and try out some seriously cool activities. So check out our guide to what to do with the kids at home this Easter.

what to do with the kids at home this easter coronavirus

Easter Egg Hunt

What better way to celebrate Easter than with a classic Easter egg hunt. Hiding Easter eggs around your garden to find is a simple yet fun activity the whole family can enjoy. If you have limited garden space or simply fancy branching out, you can optimise your full living space and extend the hunt to your house too. For a twist on the classic tradition, you could also create a treasure hunt with clues leading to the next hiding place, with a pile of Easter eggs as the final prize.

Planting Flowers & Vegetables

April is a key month in the garden, and there are plenty of flowers and vegetables that can be sown. Make the most of the Easter break by getting the kids to help out with gardening. Growing plants is a highly rewarding activity, and it will give children the opportunity to appreciate where their food comes from. Flowers and vegetables you could grow this month include carrots, peas, broad beans, cauliflower, sweet corn, poppies, wildflowers, sunflowers, tomatoes, and pumpkins. Check out our collection of seeds and our guide to planting vegetables to get started!

Cooking

Cooking a meal or dessert together as a family is a great way of bonding, and equips your children with vital skills they will appreciate once they head off to university. So now the restaurants are closing, take the opportunity to create a delicious feast in the comfort of your own home. If you are not sure where to start, the BBC has a great collection of recipes for families and children. If the weather is sunny, you can also take the culinary activities outside. Our range of chimeneas make a great addition to your garden and function as a standard oven, and our pizza ovens allow you to get creative and create your own pizzas!

Read, Read, Read

Minimise screen time during the pandemic by getting your kids into fiction reading. Our modern society is so obsessed with our phones, iPads, and video games that reading is becoming a lost art. However, reading can improve concentration; teach children about the world around them; and develop their language skills, vocabulary, and imagination, so it is a great hobby to get your kids into. Not to mention it can be huge fun. So make sure to stock up on books during the isolation period and get your children reading again. Here’s the BookTrust’s list of the 100 best books for children to get started.

Easter Crafts

If you’re not sure what to do with the kids at home this Easter, arts and crafts are a fun and educational way to engage children in the comfort of your own home. The possibilities are limitless: you can draw and paint, knit scarves and jumpers, create cards, make leaf rubbings, create a collage, or get stuck into papier-mache. One Little Project has some fantastic Easter craft ideas.

Puppet Show

The theatres may be closing, but you can still make your own entertainment at home. Allow your kids to get creative and create a show all of their own. They can try adapting a popular story into play form, or get creative and start from scratch with their own storyline. There is a great selection of puppets and puppet theatres on Amazon, however you could also use existing toys and dolls, or get creative and craft your own: Crafts by Amanda has a great compilation of ideas. Once they’re all prepared and rehearsed, make an evening of it by dimming the lights and bringing out the popcorn for a performance in front of the family. Who needs the theatre anyway?

Family Magazine

Take a twist on the traditional Christmas round-robin and use your time off to create an Easter family magazine. There are tonnes of things you could include: from interviews with family members; to recipes and craft ideas; to creative writing; to fun puzzles, quizzes, and jokes. You could even get creative and include photography, drawings, and artwork. Make it into a project and assign roles such as editor and photographer. Once it is complete, print it out and send to relatives and family friends to spread joy this Easter.

What are you doing with the kids at home this Easter? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!