Kids in Quarantine. . .(Part 1)

25 ideas for family fun and activities to do during quarantine!

Each activity has a Bible verse included with it.

Day 1
Go outside in your yard or on your porch or balcony. Count 10 things that God created (swallows, sun, etc.). Make a drawing or a painting of one of the beautiful things that God created.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
⁸ or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?
¹⁰ In his hand is the life of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12: 7-10

Day 2:
Make the dough for sugar cookies with an adult. Roll out the dough. Use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes. An adult can put cookies in the oven to cook them.

When they are ready they can be decorated with icing or with melted chocolate and sprinkles. After lunch or dinner, taste one of your cookies. Aren’t they sweet?! Do you know what’s even sweeter?! The Word of God!! His words are sweet. It is full of sweet words for each of us. To encourage and help us and remind us who we are in him.

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119: 103

Day 3:
Create masks of different animals using paper plates (or paper if you don’t have plates). God created all the animals on earth. And we see in Genesis 2:20 that gave Adam the privilege of naming every animal that God had created! What a beautiful and important task.

Create your own unique animal- an all-new animal just the way you might imagine it. When you are done then choose a name for your new pet.

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32: 17

Day 4:
Put on a concert with all the musical instruments you have at home! Drums, keyboard, flute, etc. Don’t have any instruments to play? Create one yourself! Use the pots and a wooden spoon to make a drum. Or make these shakers with just a few simple materials.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

Psalm 98:4

Day 5

Build a mega tent with blankets, sheets, chairs, tables, etc. Make sure it is big enough for your kiddos to comfortably get into. Let your kiddos bring books, cuddly toys, cushions and blankets to your tent. You can even use a flashlight and tell each other stories.

God is like a tent for us, where we can hide when we are afraid!

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Day 6:
Do some physical activity together. Based on age and space, organize an appropriate activity.

For example: 1- Going for a jog around the block (if you can maintain social distancing), 2- Having a competition to see who finishes more quickly doing 10 sprints from the front door to the living room (you can change the location according to your home, and the weather), 3- Do sets of exercises together: 10 sit-ups, 5 push-ups, 25 jumping jacks, 2 minutes planking, 10 squats.

Exercise is important for our bodies. It keeps us strong, it keeps our heart, blood and lungs healthy, etc. But there is one thing that is even more important than keeping our external body healthy! God wants us to look like Him!

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:8

Actually this is something I would recommend you do once a day! It is an excellent outlet and is good for our bodies. You can do it together as a family.

Day 7:
Make salt dough with an adult. Do you know that God says he created us special and unique? Our fingerprints and footprints are unique, there is no one else like you in the world! Just as each hand is unique, each of us is unique and special.

Now put your hand in the dough to make the impression. Cut a circle around your hand. An adult can cook the dough in the oven for you. If you want you can paint your hand when it comes out of the oven. You are unique! You are special!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 14

Day 8:

Organize a “DANCE PARTY!” An evening of dancing and silliness. Turn on your favorite music and dance. Parents, don’t be shy! Be an example! Rejoice, jump, dance for joy! You can create your dances or use apps like Tik Tok or Just Dance on Youtube to follow along!

You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30: 11-12

Dance is another way to praise the Lord! We can thank him for who he is and for everything he does for us!

Day 9

Let’s go on an adventure!! … We can’t really go on adventure right now because we are stuck in our houses. But our imaginations aren’t!! Let’s pretend!

Let your kids choose where they want to go. Do they want to go to the beach? Everybody throw on their swimsuits!! Grab a beach towel and beach toys and some snacks to eat at the beach. Fill the bathtub with water or an outdoor pool and let them “dive” in.

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.5

Psalm 146: 5-6

If you have slightly older children who don’t want to “imagine”: create a work of art that shows what you like about the sea. Use sand (or salt), shells and paint to create a work that makes you feel like you are truly at the sea!

Day 10:

There is no need to always be busy !! Plan an evening to just relax! Have the whole family put on their favorite pajamas! Everyone can gather in the living room, with quiet music. Everyone can choose to read, draw, listen to music, or cuddle. Read a verse from the Bible together. Pray for one another. Be silent and listen to the praise music. Seek the voice of God.

A relaxing evening is possible even with smaller children! It is important for you to remain peaceful and to give options for calm activities. Ask them to bring their favorite blankets and pillows and stuffed toys into the living room. Make a giant bed on the sofa. Cuddle together on the sofa with a stack of good books to read. The relaxation time will likely not last as long, but it will still be a pleasant time of cuddles and love.

Do you know that God wants us to stop? God asks us to stop, because when we stop it is easier to listen to what He wants to tell us! Let’s practice !! When I say, “Stop” Everyone must remain frozen in place – motionless !!

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

Day 11:

Let’s go on a treasure hunt! Mom and Dad have will have to plan ahead for this activity. Or in alternative, your kids can take turns creating a treasure hunt for each other (mine used to do it all the time when they were smaller). You don’t need anything complicated! You can hide small prizes like candies, crayons, a ball, or a new toy, or even use items that you already have! The joy is in the search, not only in what is found. Letters or words for older children can also be hidden to form a word puzzle that they can put together once they find all the letters !! When they guess the word puzzle that can be the prize itself or it can be the last clue, telling them for example where the prize is or what the prize is. For example- They find the words: INSIDE, ROOM, THE, DRAWER, IN, LOOK, DRESSER, MOM’S. They put the word’s in order and the prize is hidden in the dresser drawer in mom’s room.

A traditional treasure hunt works like this: Give the first clue. That clue brings you to the next clue (with or without a prize), which brings you to the next, which brings you to the next clue and so on. It is very simple but lots of fun.

Do you want to know something amazing?! God teaches us that if we search for Him, we will find Him! He does not hide from us! He is always present. Just knock on his door and he opens it to spend time with us!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7: 7-8

Day 12:
Put on a puppet show for Mom and Dad! First you have to make your own puppets. You can use toys and stuffed animals that you already have, or create your own puppets. You can use rolls from toilet paper to create characters, or paper plate masks. When you have created several characters to tell the story, then you can create your own theater to perform your show! There are several ways to do this: A huge cardboard box that you can cut a window out of and decorate to make it look like a theater, cover a table with a sheet and the performers can stand or sit behind the sheet, the sofa, a sheet hanging between two chairs or two people can hold the sheet… be creative!

Now make up your story. There are tons of great stories in the Bible. One of my favorites is the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. To tell the story of Daniel you will need: two lions, Daniel and king Darius. This story tells how God protected Daniel when the king put him in the lions’ den. God protects us too! We can pray with confidence because God cares for us!

At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty. The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel 6

But there are so many stories in the Bible that you could tell! Choose a couple with Mom and Dad and then put on a good show for them!

Day 13:
Let’s play, “Follow the Leader”: To play this game, Mom or Dad must demonstrate something that your little one can imitate. For example, clap your hands, roar like a lion, sit down, jump, flap your arms like a chicken, etc. This is a simple imitation game, which is perfect for smaller children.

If you have older children you can play “Mom (or Dad) says” [Simon says]. Every time you say “Mom says” then the children have to imitate you. If you don’t say “Mom says” then they MUST NOT IMITATE YOUR ACTION! It is just like the classic game of Simon says. An example: “Mom says clap your hands. Mom says jump. Mom says sit down. Get up!” They SHOULD NOT get up because Mom didn’t say it. This classic game is simple, but good for a lot of laughs! Whoever messes up sits out until the next round begins. The last one left in the game becomes Mother.

Do you know that the Bible tells us to imitate God? God is the example par excellence. We want to look more and more like him! That is why he tells us to imitate him.

Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children;

Ephesians 5:1

Day 14:
A day in the snow! Make your own play snow to keep your little’s hands busy. This easy recipe is simple to make and requires only two ingredients!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 1:18

When we ask God for forgiveness for our sins, not only does he forgive us, but he washes us of all our sins and we become snow white!