6 Ideas to Try Right Now
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#1·Any
Audiobook + Drawing
🛒Materials: Phone/tablet (audio only), paper, crayons
- 1Put on a children's audiobook.
- 2Give your child paper and crayons.
- 3Ask them to draw what they hear.
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#2·15 min
Fridge Magnet Stories
🛒Materials: Magnetic letters or word magnets, fridge
- 1Use fridge magnets to spell out silly sentences.
- 2Each person adds one word to make the sentence longer and sillier.
- 3Read the final sentence out loud — guaranteed laughs.
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#3·5–10 min
Blanket Burrito Roll
🛒Materials: A blanket
- 1Lay a blanket flat on the floor.
- 2Child lies at one end and rolls themselves up into a 'burrito'.
- 3Add 'toppings': pillow as cheese, stuffed animal as salsa.
💡
Deep pressure from the blanket is genuinely calming — great before bedtime.
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#4·10 min
Laundry Basket Race
🛒Materials: Laundry basket, soft floor
- 1Child sits inside the laundry basket.
- 2Parent pulls them across the floor — or they scoot themselves.
- 3Set up a 'race track' with turns and a finish line.
😂
#5·10–15 min
Mad Libs Story
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Write a short story leaving blanks: 'The ___[animal] ran to the ___[place].'
- 2Without showing the story, ask for random words to fill the blanks.
- 3Read the finished (hilarious) story aloud.
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#6·20–25 min
DIY Puzzle
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil or crayons, scissors
- 1Draw and colour a detailed picture on thick paper.
- 2Cut it into 10–15 irregular puzzle pieces.
- 3Swap puzzles with a sibling or mix up and reassemble.
