by Mariam Versyani

With homeschooling on pause during the Eid holiday’s, and movement in Qatar still restricted, parents are now more than ever looking for ways to keep their little ones entertained.

If you are running out of ways to keep your child entertained as the week rolls on, don’t worry, here at Doha News we are giving you a roundup of our favourite activities to try this holiday with your children, that can be done from the comfort of your home.

For the younger children:

• Make a Homemade objects puzzle and let your toddler figure out the pattern with everyday objects found in your home.
• Throw a few ice cubes into a plastic bowl and watch your little one discover what happens to them. Refill as needed. You’ll be surprised at how long this can occupy a small child. *Remember to lay down some towels!
• Pull out the pots, pans and some wooden spoons. No explanation needed; just brace yourself for the noise.
• If you don’t mind the mess, make some home-made edible paint made with simple ingredients found in most kitchens, and let your child release their inner Monet, and if they decide to take a taste it will cause no harm.

Older children:

• Make a stop motion animation video, these are a lot easier to make than you may think, and kids can use lego or their favourite toys to create a mini-movie.
• Set your kids a 7-day Lego challenge, and get their creative juices flowing, here are examples of 30-day Lego challenges, pick your favourite ones and start a daily challenge.

• Get baking and a little help from a professional in Italy by taking a kid’s pizza making class with Chef Francesco, in Florence!
• Take an online quiz with friends and family, no matter where you are! Choose from the free resources over at Kahoot, where you can pick features and host game show type quizzes that can be held over video conferencing apps like Zoom, google hangouts etc.
• Take part in a daily online PE class, hosted by Joe Wicks and join in as a family (or grab yourself a cup of tea, and get yourself a 30-minute break!)
  Joe holds a 30-minute YouTube live class Monday — Friday, 11 am (Qatar time), or make it work around your holiday schedule and check out his past workouts, it’s sure to get the family all moving, and use up some of those energy bursts!

Whatever you end up doing, our advice is, do not stress about filling up every moment of their day, it’s all about balance during this strange time we are all going through! Have a lovely Eid