How to keep busy at home with the kids when you're self-isolating

27 July 2021, 13:15

If you're self-isolating and are looking for some fun ideas on how to keep busy, we've got your covered...

While the country is opening up and thing are slowly starting to go back to normal again, self-isolation rules mean a number of people will still be spending time at home

Whether you have tested positive for Covid or been pinged by the NHS Covid app, many of us will be looking for ways to keep entertained while quarantining.

If you're isolating at home with the kids, here are some ways you can keep entertained...

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Have a picnic in the garden

You may not be able to go out to the park, but that doesn't mean you should lose out on the fun of a summer picnic.

If you're lucky enough to have a garden (and be blessed with warm weather...), you could set up a blanket and food basket, and spend the day outside together.

You could even make a day of it, and play outdoor games like rounders, football and frisbee.

Do a treasure hunt

Who said Easter Egg hunts are just for Easter? A great way to keep the kids occupied is to hide little presents and sweet treats around the house, and challenge them to find them.

Write a story together

Reading together is a well-loved family tradition, but why not go one step further and write your own story as a family?

This will use your kids' creativity, and you could all chip in with writing it down and drawing pictures to illustrate it.

Do a family-friendly YouTube workout

Keeping active is so important while isolating, and a great way to do this is to do a workout together.

There are countless family-friendly exercise videos you can try for free on YouTube, including all of Joe Wicks' lockdown PE classes.

Set up a spa at home

While it probably won't be at the level of a real-life spa break, setting up a home spa can be a really fun activity for the whole family.

You could put on face masks, paint each other's nails, or just relax with ambient music playing and cucumber over your eyes.

Go camping in your garden or living room

While you won't be able to go camping in a campsite or field, you can still set up a tent (or fort...) at home.

If you have a garden and the weather is nice, you can set up a tent in your garden and camp out for the night together.

If you don't have a garden, that's no problem at all - you can still bring down sleeping bags and camp out in the living room.