5 fun indoor activities kids won't realise are educational

Struggling to keep kids entertained on the homeschooling front?

Dreading another week of trying to engage them in lessons and running out of bright ideas to keep everyone smiling? Then this post is for you!

We’re entering week four of homeschooling in the latest UK lockdown at Crummy Mummy HQ, and not only do I have two reluctant pupils on my hands, the truth is they’ve got a reluctant teacher too!

If, like me, you’re finding it hard to keep the momentum going and mix fun and excitement with education, in this collaborative post we’ve got five fun indoor activities that will boost their learning without them even realising – and even better they can (mostly) do them by themselves too!

5 fun indoor activities kids won’t realise are educational

1. Build a fort

Kids love having a space of their own that they get to be in charge of, even if it’s nothing more than a few blankets thrown together. Building a den or a fort is actually an activity you should actively encourage your children to do because it’s great for their development. When kids build a fort, they develop cognitive and practical skills, such as problem-solving and visual-spatial reasoning. What’s more, they put their imagination at the forefront, which nurtures creativity and helps them to express themselves. It even helps with their social skills, too.

2. Solve a home-delivered mystery

If you’re a fan of mystery books, films, or TV shows, you’ll know how good this genre is for getting you to think. That’s why it’s worth considering a postal detective game, like mysteriousmail.com. After receiving a letter in the post, your kids will find themselves wrapped up in the mystery of the Pharaoh’s Curse. They’ll be tasked with investigating the truth, using realistic artefacts and documents to help them find the solution. They’re bound to feel like genuine detectives as they work towards the goal, with each new letter giving them a reason to get excited about receiving post. This personalised gift for kids is a great way to teach them about history away from computer screens, without them even realising they’re getting an education.

3. Design an obstacle course

Nothing gets the creative juices flowing quite like designing an obstacle course. This is an activity you can easily leave in your children’s hands and see what they come up with. Obviously, your kids will be limited to the space and resources they have at their disposal. However, those limitations can actually be beneficial, as it teaches them to make use of what’s available in new and exciting ways. If you have multiple children, this is also an excellent opportunity for them to develop their teamwork skills.

4. Go on a scavenger hunt

If you’re stuck at home and need something fun but secretly educational for your kids to do, send them off on a scavenger hunt. It’s so easy to turn this activity into an opportunity for teaching because of the many different ways you can conduct a scavenger hunt. Whether you use it for boosting language and reading skills, problem-solving skills, or something else, there’s plenty your kids can learn from this. Plus, it’s hard for them not to have fun when they get to run around looking for stuff, especially if there’s a prize at the end.

5. Bake!

Baking is my go-to activity when we all need a break from homeschooling because it gets us up off our bottoms and away from screens! The kids absolutely love it and what they don’t realise is just how educational it is, from the maths involved in weighing to the physics involved in the actual baking. Plus you get something nice to eat at the end too!