Tips on simple indoor activities for children
Here are some thoughts on indoor activities for children from me, Elvira, a nanny. As a nanny, a big part of the job is to entertain your babysitting children, but it can easily be the case that children are drawn to screens and computers over physical play - this is something you want to cut down on. According to 1177 Vårdguiden, too much Screen time in children leads to mental health problemsAccording to Lovisa Fagerlund, a qualified optician, more than two hours of screen time per day for children often leads to digital eye fatigue, tired and irritated eyes, and screen time too late in the evening disrupts the circadian rhythm, which in turn leads to poorer sleep.
Simple indoor activities for children I like to do as a nanny:
- Drawing - Colouring and drawing develops fine motor skills, focus and concentration, and encourages creativity in children. Something I've found to be particularly enjoyable for children is if you sometimes turn it into a game. An example of a colouring game could be to draw their best cat, or flower, or whatever comes to mind in a minute. My babysitters also found out that it's even more fun if you choose some coloured pencils with your eyes closed and have to paint the figure with them, even if the colours don't match at all.
- Crafting - This can include origami, beading, cutting and pasting together new inventions, etc.
- Building with Lego or similar - Children practise problem solving, fine motor skills and use their imagination to build new creations to play with.
- Baking or cooking - It's fun for children to be involved in helping with cooking or baking. They get to feel like they are helping and being good, while learning something new about how to do things in the kitchen.
- Play cards or board games - This can be a lot of fun when the kids get to choose which game they want to play!
- Playing musical instruments or singing - Many children enjoy music and learning to play parts of songs they like.
- Reading - Reading is always good practice, and when children get to choose their own books they often find it extra fun! One tip is to make reading at the end of the evening a routine. It provides some relaxation for the children before they go to sleep, as well as something to look forward to at the end of the evening.
Do you activities like these into a routine over games on screens and everything will be much easier and more fun for everyone! A tip for both babysitters and parents.
Sources:
Neil, L. (September 20, 2018). 7 reasons why colouring is good for your child. ABC Toys.
KlarSynt(n.d.). Too much screen time - how it affects your child.
Bolin, M. Lööf, M. (15 April 2019). Children and screen time. 1177 Vårdguiden.
