Lockdown life isn’t easy – especially when your little one isn’t allowed to go on playdates and outside options are limited. Playtime is so important as it helps hone a whole range of developmental skills, from hand-eye co-ordination to creativity. It can be really tough to keep them entertained (that doesn’t involve a screen), but not to worry; we thought we’d compile a list of fun indoor activities you can do with you tot…

A list of indoor activities to try

• Have a bear hunt. Collect your child’s soft toys and hide them all over the house. See if they can find them, using ‘hot’ ‘cold’ to help them. 

• Make a den. Drape a blanket or sheet over a clothes horse or over two couches pushed together and have a picnic inside. 

• Play the memory game. Gather household objects, put them on a tray, let your child look at them for a while, and then cover the tray with a tea-towel. See how many items they can remember. 

• Play hide and seek. Strategically place a couple of large blankets around the house to add extra hiding spaces. It’s best if you play too. 

• Create an obstacle course. Make tunnels out of stools or furniture for your child to climb through. 

• Play pretend games. Doctors, kings and queens, beauty salons, or take turns being a shopkeeper. 

• Make music. Get out the pots and team them with wooden spoons to make a kitchen band. Plastic containers filled with rice make good shakers. Play musical statues, or turn down the lights and have a disco. 

• Create a city. Get out the blocks, Lego, train sets, toy towns, cars and trucks and make a mini-city.

• Play balancing beam. Attach a strip of coloured tape to the floor and get your little one to ‘balance’ on it. Use different rules for different colours. Good for motor skills and concentration!

• Make a touch and feel box. Put different items in a shoebox, blindfold your child, and let them guess what’s inside by touch.

We’re sure these ideas will help you to keep your little one’s imagination engaged. They’re all super easy to set up, and, they’re so much better than a screen. Have fun!