Exploring the Web with your Kids
One of the most fun and educational of rainy day activities for kids is exploring the web together. But many parents are wary of allowing their children to access the internet due to the risk of accidental information sharing or stumbling across age-inappropriate content. However, as a shared activity between parent and child, using the web can be fun, educational, and, most importantly, safe. Here are some great ways to explore the internet together with your children:
- Research Fun Days Out
Are you getting tired of taking your kids to the same places every week? Believe it or not, there are some excellent, unexplored venues right on your doorstep that you won’t have heard about. Many local businesses have a strong online presence these days, so browsing social media networks and dedicated activity websites together may be a great way to find some new events and groups in your local area. From art and craft fairs and baby and toddler groups through to parks and playgrounds and farms and zoos, you and your kids can create a whole list of new places you’d like to discover over the coming weeks.
- Get Great Ideas for Messy Play
If the weather is being typically British and the rain isn’t holding off for long enough for you to get the kids out for a walk, use the web to source inspiration for some great indoor activities to help your little ones burn off some steam. Websites such as Persil.co.uk list some fun activities for kids that are messy, educational and exciting all at the same time, encouraging creativity, imagination, and logical thinking. Best of all, Persil give some fantastic tips on how to clean your kids up after they’ve gotten themselves covered head to toe in paint!
- Play Online Games
Computer games tend to have a very bad reputation amongst parents, with media outlets frequently reporting on how gaming is contributing towards the rise in childhood obesity. However, there are a whole load of educational games available online that are perfect for a parent-child internet session, not only encouraging child development but also ensuring that both of you have fun. Mathematical games and alphabet games take many forms, with basic number and letter recognition and association games perfect for little ones, and puzzle games such as word searches and sudoku ideal for older children looking for more of a challenge.
- Learn New Songs and Dance Routines
Music and dance are renowned for being able to encourage a child’s creativity, help them learn and develop, and instil self-confidence. Yet many classic nursery rhymes and dance routines are heavily overused, very outdated, and become quite boring for both the kids who perform the songs and dance, and the parents that have to watch the routines over and over! Using the web together, you can source new inspiration through online videos, on video sharing websites. You’ll find popular music videos, concert footage, and even exercise videos made available digitally.
- Find Delicious Baking Recipes
Baking is one of the most fun (and tasty!) activities that parents and kids can enjoy together, and there’s no better source for new, delicious recipes than the internet. Practically every celebrity chef shares their own unique recipes online, but there’s also cooking channel websites and food blogs. These days, even popular baking programmes have their own websites where they share favourite menu ideas from the series. Work together with your kids to pick out the most mouth-watering cookie, cake, and brownie recipes, and bake up something amazing in the kitchen – it’s a great bonding activity, and you get to really enjoy your hard work at the end of the day!
