5 ways parents can get quiet time on the weekends
If there’s one thing parents can agree on, it’s that everyone can use a break.
Especially on a weekend morning, you’d love a few quiet minutes to drink your coffee without interruptions or responsibilities.
But how can you get this precious time when the kids always need to be occupied?
With a little planning, you can occupy your kids with fun activities they’ll enjoy and that you’ll feel good about. These 5 ideas can help.
1) Tap into your kid’s love of characters
Character drawing. Do a quick Google image search for your kid’s favorite character. Even better, a quick search for “how to draw {character name}" offers lots of helpful images and tutorials. Then, give them some pencils as well as crayons or colored pencils to color it in afterwards.
Bonus resource: Live online character classes for kids
Outschool as an Employer Benefit
That quiet time doesn't just have to be on the weekends. We partner with companies to offer Outschool as a benefit to employees. Talk to your employer about offering Outschool as a benefit to parents (read more about our referral program!) or direct your manager or HR leader here to learn more, so you can take your work meetings knowing your kids are learning and happy!
Learn more about Outschool Employer Partnerships.
2) Clean out the closets and let kids dress up
Play dress up. You might have old Halloween costumes, clothes for older siblings, uniforms from sports or other activities, or even your own clothes that you're willing to let your youngster use. Whatever it may be, let your little one use their imagination and step into character, with maybe some background music to help.
Bonus resource: Live online fashion classes for kids
3) Let your active youngster go wild
An indoor ball pit. Your child likely won’t even want to bother you if you make them an indoor ball pit. This can be an inexpensive idea, too. All you need is a cheap plastic pool and fill it with some small plastic balls, both of which are available through online stores like Amazon and Wayfair.
Bonus resource: Explore yoga, dance and other active classes for kids
4) Challenge kids to crack the code on puzzles
Puzzle challenges. Whether it’s a physical jig saw puzzle, a Sudoku or the Rubik’s cube, you know better than anyone which kind of puzzle will keep your kid occupied.
For kids who respond well to awards and challenges, line up a few puzzles, and set up a timer, challenging your child to race against the clock and solve as many as they can.
Bonus resource: Digital escape rooms and brain-teaser classes for kids
5) Let your future engineer use their imagination
Pull out some Magna tiles, LEGO, and blocks. If they can’t think of anything to build, give them ideas. For example, encourage your kid to build their dream house, a garage for their cars, or a scene from a favorite show or movie.
Bonus resource: Live coding and tech classes for kids
As the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
By using some of the ideas and resources above, we hope you can get your child excited about fun activities and let them learn and play independently while you enjoy your favorite show, sip some coffee and read a book, or just enjoy some time to yourself.
You deserve it.
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