All Kiwi families must stay at home during this lockdown period in order to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19.

Ordinarily, when children are home for long periods – such as the school holidays – there are programs and activities available outside the home to keep them busy. In the case of a pandemic, however, it is time for parents to start thinking of ways to keep the kids entertained while on lock-down.

It can be hard to keep kids entertained indefinitely.

Fortunately, we have rounded up some top tips and tricks to help parents keep their kids exploring and entertained. Here are some activities to keep children busy during self-isolation:

1. Spring clean
Keep the kids occupied and organise a day to declutter and re-decorate their bedrooms. Doing a spring clean as a family will keep everyone busy and provides parents with the opportunity to make some extra cash by selling unwanted items online. Gumtree’s ‘Second Hand Economy’ report revealed that Australian households have an average of 23 unwanted or unused items lying around the house, so it’s a great time to get rid of some of that clutter.

2. Plant an indoor herb garden
Herb gardens are a great way to keep children occupied: They are easy and quick to grow, are hardy and their multi-sensory nature make them very appealing to children. Many herbs grow well indoors on a warm window sill and the gardening supplies can be sourced easily.

3. Create an indoor camping experience
Create a personalised camping ground in your own living room. Unplug from all technology for a night, and spend the night in a tent to make a memory that will stick with you and your children for years to come in the comfort of your own home. Gumtree offers plenty of tents, blow up mattresses and camping chairs to kit out the campsite.

4. ‘Go’ to the movies
Host a family movie night with a cinema that’s set up in your home. All you need are lots of pillows and snacks, and your children’s favorite movies! Or take it one step further and create a backyard movie theatre for your kids to enjoy a cinema experience under the stars.

5. Cubby House
Gift your children a cubby house or have them build one out of the materials they can find in your home. Cubbies provide hours of entertainment for kids – whether it be decorating the space or playing games under their own roof. Renovating a second-hand cubby house could even become a great project that involves the entire family.

This has been adapted by KidSpot