Happy Friday, y’all! Can you believe it’s already Friday again? One day runs into the next and I have to look at my iPhone screen to know for sure what day of the week it is.
As you know, typically on Friday I share something vintage with y’all as part of the on-going French Vintage Friday posts that my friend Emily and I do. This week we decided to share something a little different that might be helpful.
You see, so many people are at home currently, unable to go about their normal routines and schedules, and with all the kids out of school – whether they are being homeschooled for the time being or doing it online – it’s a whole different scene than you are used to.
As you know, I have 5 kids (2 girls, 3 boys) and Emily has 4 boys. Even when there is no such a thing as “social distancing” we have had to get creative to keep our kids entertained and out of trouble. That being said, we thought we could maybe share some things that might come in handy for you during this time. A survival kit, of sorts.
Diamond Painting Kit
See these pictures? It’s the “new” thing called Diamond Paintings. Basically you receive a kit with an unstretched canvas that has a painting on it, and various parts of the painting are designed to be embellished with these tiny gem like beads that are flat on one side and rounded on the other. There is a tool you use and it’s all done like a paint by number concept with tiny letters that correspond to a certain color of gem. You simply follow the pattern and the background already has the appropriate adhesive on it to stick the beads on.
When the picture is complete, you can stretch it and frame it as you wish.
Why am I sharing this? Because!
I had never tried one of these before although I had seen them in places like Hobby Lobby, but I received a beautiful one for my last birthday. A couple weeks ago I took it out to start working on it and voila! Child magnet!
It provides hours and hours of fun for them and is a beautiful picture when they finish! Win Win!
They come in every design under the sun and are very inexpensive. Links will appear at the bottom of this post.
Headphones
Yes, you heard me correctly!
Let’s face it, your kids are GOING to end up spending a little more time on their hand-held devices than normal, during this period when we are all at home. Do you really want to have everyone fighting over whose is the loudest and is preventing everyone else from hearing?
Yes, I speak from experience!
So I ordered each of them a set of their own headphones for their tablets so they can watch their movies or play their games in peace and so mommy doesn’t end up with a migraine from all of them having something going at the same time!
These are the exact ones I ordered, each child got a different color because they have lots of color options. They fold, they have the sort of nylon covered cords that are so much more resistant to damage, they have LONG cords, and they are very comfortable for child or adult alike. I couldn’t be happier with them.
Did I mention they are super affordable?
Craft Ideas
Need some ideas for fun and simple crafts you can do that you most likely have the supplies for already?
Look no further!
I’ve got you covered! This should supply you with enough ideas to get you through until we are allowed to leave our homes again!
Plan and Start a Garden
I don’t know if y’all normally have a vegetable garden, or any kind of garden for that matter but either way – now is the perfect time to plan it. With your kids.
If you typically buy starter plants a little later in the spring for your garden, consider starting your own plants from seeds this year. You can order the supplies and the kids can help. This will make it much more exciting for them.
Why not give each child a section of garden (or a planter) that they can choose what to plant in. Help them research the needs of the various things they would like to plant and determine how much sunlight and water their plants will need.
These little greenhouse trays are the perfect way to start your plants. They have everything you need to get started except the seeds themselves.
You can get small ones like this or larger ones for a reasonable price.
You can choose a variety pack of seeds like this, or choose the individual items you wish to plant.
Remember some seeds can go directly into the ground while others need to be started earlier in the house. Have the kids help you research this if you don’t know which is which already.
Even if you don’t have a garden already created, you could make a patio garden in containers or you could start preparing a garden space now.
Is someone more into flowers? No problem!
Outdoor Games
Okay so we can’t get together with friends or go to parks or recreational places. That doesn’t mean we have to spend 24 hours per day INDOORS!
Clearly you can’t have all the neighborhood kids over but here are some awesome things for your kids to play with outside, that will keep them in your own yard or driveway.
My kids love playing with sidewalk chalk. Making hopscotch games, drawing roads to play with their cars, making pictures….
Ever heard of cornhole? This is a really fun game you can play on your lawn and it doesn’t take much space to store.
Lawn bowling can be a lot of fun and can burn off some of that excess energy.
Or how about a good old game of lawn croquet?
I hope this has give you some great ideas of fun things you can do to make this time pass more quickly and much more creatively. Who knows? When all this coronavirus pandemic is over, we might all be quite excited to try and keep life at a slower pace and spend a bit more time at home, with family.
I have provided product links to each of the items I’ve shared in this post. They ARE affiliate links but that does not change the price for you in any way, it just makes it more convenient for you to find.
Until next time, my friends…
Want More Ideas?
Just click on the photo below to go straight to Emilyโs post, full of more fabulous ideas for you.
