How to keep kids engaged in Holidays

Sort through the toy cupboard:

It’s surprising how much fun this can be! Get everyone together and aim to clear one shelf
or drawer. You will probably find that old treasures are rediscovered, odd pieces can be
thrown away, and some things will be ready to be passed down or sold. If you are not sure
whether to get rid of some of the toys, try packing them away in a box and hiding them in a
dark corner of the cupboard for a few months. When they come out again they will either
cause a sensation or not, which will make it easy to decide!

Make a story tape:
Grab that tape recorder and a blank cassette, find a story you enjoy, and make your own story tape! Each child can read for a while, or can take on the part of a particular character.

Make the appropriate noises too! You will probably have to practice a few times to get the hang of it, and be prepared for lots and lots of giggles! Tip: a home-made story tape makes a great present for a child.

Record the sounds around you:

Get out the tape recorder and make a project out of recording everyday sounds. Try water running in the bath, someone ringing the bell and opening the door, flushing the toilet! It certainly makes you think about things a little differently than usual! Suggest that some friends or neighbours do the same thing and then get together to see if you can identify each other’s sounds!

Make a map of the neighbourhood:

Have you ever tried making a map? You have to imagine that you are a bird flying high in the sky and looking down – what would your neighbourhood look like from up there? See if you can draw what the bird would see. Mark your house and your garden, and perhaps your neighbours’ houses too. Where does the road go?

If you find it too difficult to draw your neighbourhood, try drawing a plan of the room you are in instead. You don’t have to imagine being a bird now – just pretend you are stuck to the ceiling by the back of your trousers and while you are up there, take note of what you see! First draw the outline of the room, then use rectangles, squares and circles to represent the furniture and rugs. Where are the doors and windows?

Mark these too. You can try doing this two or more people: each draw your own plan and then compare notes to see each agree!

Leaf art

Collect leaves and draw around them. This is fun for little ones and an educational tree identification game for older children. Colour in the details with crayons or paints. The leaves could then be stuck on to paper collage style or dipped into paint and then pressed firmly on to paper for a lovely leaf print.

Pebble Paper weights:

Give each child a rock that has been washed with soap and dried. Have the children decorate the rocks with craft paint to create their own unique paper weights.

These paper weights are unique gifts from kids to elders

Collages

Give each child newspapers, scissors, glue, and notebook paper. Have each child cut words and sentences from newspaper pages and combine them to create a unique story. Have them arrange their sentences on the notebook paper and glue them in place.A theme for the stories can be decided beforehand. Let the children share their stories with each other.

Dear Rajmiarun,

Nice ideas to keep kids occupied. With holidays in a month or two, we have to think of ways to keep the little ones busy with fun things.

Bye,
Malini

Dear Rajmi

Good ideas. Very useful for engaging children in holidays.

Varudhini

Thanks for your support. Keep looking out for more.