5 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained
Whether you’re hosting a children’s birthday party, a slumber party or trying to keep your own kids entertained, it’s no easy feat, and boredom can quickly turn a well-behaved group into one that’s out of control. While a survey by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as reported by Pittsburgh Parent found that more than three-quarters of parents turn to tech gadgets to entertain bored kids, setting them all up in front of the TV or giving them all iPads is really not the best bet (or even feasible) in many cases.
Here are some better ways to keep the kids happy and entertained.
Set Up a Craft Table
Most kids enjoy interactive activities like arts and crafts. Setting up a craft table with art supplies can work for just about any type of gathering, whether you’re hosting a children’s party, or it’s an adult event with kids attending too. Be sure that you have supplies that fit the various age groups, perhaps items like butcher paper with colored pencils crayons and markers, coloring books, and Playdough.
Hire a Magician
From kids to the grownups, magic never really loses its ability to amaze, leaving the crowd speechless. Hiring a magician is a great idea for children’s parties as well as for events where adults will be in the audience too. It will take the stress off having to entertain everyone while providing nonstop fun. Plus, it’s probably a lot more affordable than you might think as these days, a wide variety of talent can be hired simply using an app and searching for options in your city. When you hire a local entertainer it almost always comes at a lower cost.
Send them on a Scavenger Hunt
Kids love mysteries and adventures. If you’re hosting a party, you could create clues and a list of objects they’ll need to find around your house. Of course, this idea works best with children who can read and follow instructions. It could also be a family game in which the adults and kids participate – for larger groups, teams might work together to figure out mystery clues. Get some prizes to give out afterwards that will help keep them entertained throughout the event too, like activity books, puzzles, bubbles, etc.
Put Together a ‘Busy Box’
If you’re attending a gathering where there won’t be child-friendly activities provided, you can keep the kids entertained by bringing your own fun in a “busy box.” Place items like art supplies, toys, puzzles, activity books, card games, notepads, stickers, and the like into a box – try to add some new items that are sure to get them excited about it.
Put Together a Food Decorating Station
This fun idea is great for a kids’ party, or an adult party when you want to keep the younger ones occupied. Set up a table and tape some butcher paper across it to make a food decorating station such as cookies or cupcakes. Then provide the toppings such as miniature candies (M&Ms are great), sparkle decorating gel, various colored frostings, and so on.
*This is a collaborative post.
