Surf’s up — the sun is high over picturesque Australia. Waves are tempting surfers to ride on the semi-cold water, national parks are blooming with vibrant flowers and wildlife, and even the driest landscapes seem like an oasis after months of idleness.
Unfortunately, many are still locked up at home, from Sydney to Adelaide and the far edges of Goolwa.
After months of no travel, you might be running out of ideas to keep yourself — and your kids — entertained. But there is a surprisingly good number of fun things to do indoors, from building lego in Australia to making recyclable crafts. Here is a list of equally fun and educational ideas that encourages creative thinking and handiwork among children and adults.
Build Legos
Legos charmed the world in the 1950s when a little-known shop in the picturesque, Danish town of Billund invented the revolutionary set of interlocking bricks. Before long, the invention flourished, and children all over Australia and the globe were putting together makeshift towns, cities, and whatever their imagination could create — all because of the magic of building blocks.
Nowadays, everyone knows about the iconic brand. From hobbyists to children and parents, almost everyone has purchased and played lego in Australia. While they now come in dedicated sets to help you build specific sceneries, you can amp up the game by starting from scratch. This activity will help children explore the creative process, from drafting a plan to its creation and completion.
Make things fun and engaging by working with your child: help them draw what they want to build, comment on their ideas to truly transform them into realistic goals, and encourage them to figure out solutions to hiccups in the building process. Legos have been attributed to building a generation of engineers and architects — there is nothing better than spending fun and educational afternoons with your child.
Make Recyclable Crafts
The grocery stock-up from a couple of months ago might now reflect as piles of single-use plastics, tin cans, and glass jars in your home. Instead of waiting for the next recycle drive or throwing everything away, consider reusing these materials to create something fun with your child. Children naturally enjoy creative stimulus, and if they are forced to stay at home amid online schooling, then take the initiative to start an activity and get them excited.
- Tiktok Tie-Dye Project. Tiktok has recently boomed in popularity and is now the source of plenty of trends among Australia’s school-aged children and teens. A recent viral trend is to tie-dye shirts, which you can do with an old T-shirt, water, paint, and a tub. It is a super-easy way to renew old clothing while keeping up with the neverending quarantine trends — a fun activity to do with teens.
- DIY School Desk. School is not going to be in-person anytime soon, which means that your kids will have to study at home. There is no better way than to spice things up with DIY desk supplies, such as pen holders, binders, and bookcases with recyclable items from the house.
Being stuck at home with a child does not have to be a boring and excruciating ordeal. Australia’s sights may be tempting to visit, but you can also bring the fun into the home and bond with your children in the process.
Incorporating an artistic and educational element in your household activities will surely pay off in the future.