Daily Activities during Lockdown

Every day of the lockdown we will post a new activity to keep everyone sane - linking to a website where you can find free activities to download and print.

Day 1: Paper Models

1. Paper Diorama has a few detailed paper models that you can download, print and build. Our favorite is the VW Westfalia van - https://www.paperdiorama.com/downloads/ 
2. NASA also offers free paper models of some of their space craft, with instructions and interesting facts - https://science.nasa.gov/toolki…/diy-paper-spacecraft-models 
3.  Canon Creative offers a wide range of amazing paper models for free, but you do have to register to download them. We want to try the Space Shuttle first - https://creativepark.canon/…/categor…/CAT-ST01-0071/top.html

 Day 2: Marble Runs

1. Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls have more than one design, but their most epic one is pictured here and the instructions can be found at https://frugalfun4boys.com/turn-cardboard-box-epic-marble-…/
2. The Crafty Mummy has a great idea for a Lego marble run but browse around on the site, there are several more Lego ideas available - https://thecraftymummy.com/2014/07/kids-lego-marble-run/
3. Craftulate shows us how to make a very easy marble run from recycled material - https://craftulate.com/diy-marble-run/
  
Day 3: Free Audible Stories

Since it is Sunday, let's find an activity the is a bit more passive: Free Audible stories.
Audible has made hundreds of children's audio books available for free, from stories for the little ones to books for teens, and even some classics. You don't have to register, you can just go to the site and start listening - https://stories.audible.com/discovery
  
Day 4: Origami
  

1. Origami Fun has several printable origami figures, from animals to little boxes and cards - https://www.origami-fun.com/printable-origami.html
2. At http://www.supercoloring.com/paper-cr…/origami-paper-folding
you can find printable origami animals that you don't have to colour in
3. Brother Printers offer some very colourful origami printables - http://www.supercoloring.com/paper-cr…/origami-paper-folding

  

 Day 5: Virtual Museum Tours
  
Since we are all getting a bit of cabin fever, why not go on a virtual tour of some of the greatest museums in the world?
1. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History offer virtual tours of most of their amazing exhibitions - https://www.si.edu/
2. The British Museum has an interactive virtual tour where you can travel through time and go on a tour of their collections - https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
  
Day 6: Toilet Paper Roll Crafts
  
Since everyone bought so much toilet paper before lock down, you must have quite a few toilet paper rolls lying around. And if you tossed them in the bin, hopefully they are still there.
1. Red Tricycle has some amazing ideas for toilet paper rolls - from Star Ward figurines to racing cars - https://redtri.com/things-to-make-with-a-toilet-paper-r…/…/1
2. Crazy Laura (love the name) shows you how to make animals from toilet paper rolls - https://www.crazylaura.com/toilet-roll-craft-ideas/
3, The Kids Activities Blog also have a range of ideas, including some games you can make using toilet paper rolls - https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/…/toilet-paper-roll-crafts-3/
  
Day 7: Harry Potter at Home
  
( seems like we are posting this a bit later every day 😁)
For all the Harry Potter fans! JK Rowling was kind enough the wave some of the royalties and copyright on the Harry Potter series in order to create an amazing space where you can explore Hogwarts with puzzles, quizzes and several fun activities - even going so far as to offer the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for free as an audio book! Go have a look at the Harry Potter at Home portal - https://www.wizardingworld.com/collect…/harry-potter-at-home
  
Day 8 : Keeping their brains active
  
Our kids normally get quite irritated about halfway through the December holidays - we realized early that they actually start missing the mental stimulation that school offers. So there are some fun brain teasers to wipe away all the cobwebs that have gathered in their minds:
1. Brainzilla has endless riddles, all categorized in easy to print pdf sheets - https://www.brainzilla.com/brain-teasers/riddles/printable/
2. Icebreaker Ideas have a long list of word play riddles that can keep the whole family busy - https://icebreakerideas.com/brain-teasers/
3. And if you prefer math riddles, have a look at Math in English, testing your logical abilities - https://www.mathinenglish.com/brainteasers.php
4. Lastly, we found a free, printable book call 536 Puzzles and Curious Problems than can keep you busy for a while, all 442 pages of it - http://jnsilva.ludicum.org/HMR13_14/536.pdf
  
Day 9: Word Search
  
1. The Word Search has multiple large Word Search puzzles that you cam simply print and use - https://thewordsearch.com/printable/
2. At Puzzles to Print you can choose your difficulty level and they also have a few that are really hard - https://www.puzzles-to-print.com/word-searches-…/index.shtml
3. Education.com's Word search puzzles are all subject-specific. Pick your subject such as Animals, Camping, History, etc and print the puzzles available - https://www.education.com/worksheets/word-search/
  
Day 10: Get the kids to make supper tonight
  
We are all probably getting a bit tired of suddenly having to prepare so many meals for the kids, so let's give them a turn to make supper tonight!
1. Taste of Home have some great ideas for meals kids can make easily, without needing a stove or oven - https://www.tasteofhome.com/…/easy-recipes-for-kids-to-mak…/
2. A Couple of Cooks take it a bit further, with great ideas such as home made pizza and quesadillas - https://www.acouplecooks.com/10-easy-recipes-for-kids-that…/
3. Tasty's recipes even include a home made bread that kids can bake on their own and also Oreo brownies! - https://tasty.co/article/melissaharrison/cooking-with-kids
  
Day 11: Make your own board games
  
Yes, we are past half way! If you don't have enough board games in the house to keep everyone busy, why not make your own?
1. Hobby Lark shows you how to print and make your own Monopoly game, with a free printable board and game cards - https://hobbylark.com/board-games/make-your-own-monopoly
2. Garrison Street Design has a great idea for a family-sized Scrabble game that you can even mount on your wall - https://www.garrisonstreetdesignstudio.com/diy-giant-word-…/
3. And how about a home made Lego chess board with chess pieces? The instructions can be found at Teach Beside Me - https://teachbesideme.com/lego-chess-set/
  
Day 12: Back to School
  
With most of our kids getting update from school with homework and assignments, the reality of how much they have to do is setting in.
The Department of Education has launched a new DSTV channel on 1 April to make this easier. DSTV channel 137, called Mindset Pop, contains educational programs and focus specifically on Grade 4 - 9:
https://bit.ly/34h806x
  
Day 13: Tips for homeschooling 
  
Getting into the habit of doing school work at home is not that easy, so we have found some handy tips and guides with ideas how to make the temporary homeschooling experience a bit easier.
1. Blessed Beyond a Doubt shows you how to create a peaceful home study space, no matter how small - http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/make-your-home-work-for…/
2. This Reading Mama was kind enough to create printable daily schedules for all of us that you can download and use - https://cdn.thisreadingmama.com/…/u…/2017/08/VSSC-SF-TRM.pdf
3. Stuff New Zealand explain how to create a daily schedule that works and also have several tips to make the day as productive as possible - https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/coronavirus-how-to-create-a-study…
4. The Homeschool Mom is an extensive resources to use, starting with her Quickstart Guide to Homeschooling - https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/…/quickstart-guide-to-hom…/
  
EASTER BREAK
  
Day 20: Birdwatching
  
We took a break over Easter, but our daily activities are back!
Birdlasser is a mobile app available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. They have created the SA Lockdown Bird watching challenge. By using their app, you can identify and log as many bird species that you can find, in your garden or around your house. The only rule is that you can only identify species where you are locked down.
So far the record is 233 species, and the record for an apartments is 54 species!
Now that so many birds have re-appeared while all of us are inside, this is a great way to get the kids to interact with nature. Read more at https://www.birdlasser.com/challenges/lockdown2020/overview
  
Day 21: Build a Bird feeder
  
If you are trying to see as many birds as possible, an easy way to attract more birds is to place bird feeders everywhere in the garden. Here are some ideas on how to make your own bird feeder.
1. The Spruce Crafts has some great ideas for easy bird feeders that can be crafted from everyday items that should be in the house - https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/diy-bird-feeder-ideas-41594…
2. The Family Handyman shows you how to build a more advanced bird feeder, that may just need some help from mom or dad - https://www.familyhandyman.com/…/14-easy-diy-winter-bird-f…/
3. And then The Farmer's Almanac shows you how to make bird feed if you don't have any, with some easy recipes - https://www.almanac.com/content/homemade-bird-food-recipes
  
Day 22: Rock Painting
  
Yes, day 22, the day we thought we would all be outside again! We've been rock painting for quite a while, making door stops and garden ornaments for our house.
1. To start off with there is Rock Painting 101, explaining everything you need to know in order to paint rocks - https://rockpainting101.com/how-to-paint-rocks-top-questio…/
2. Modgepodge Rocks have some great ideas if you're not sure what to paint on your rocks - https://modpodgerocksblog.com/10-painted-rocks/
3. The Whoot has some more ideas with a step-by-step video tutorial for painting your first rocks - https://thewhoot.com/…/…/painted-rocks-ideas-best-garden-art
4. You can also look at Evermine's ideas for garden rocks - https://www.evermine.com/blog/diy-painted-garden-rocks/
  
Day 22: Printable Puzzles
  
1. Puzzles to Print has several word search puzzles that you can use to keep everyone sharp - https://www.puzzles-to-print.com/
2. Krazy Dad has sorted their puzzles by type, from Sudoku to word search to even a Battleship game - https://krazydad.com/
3. Printable Puzzles also has a large variety, from easy to much harder - https://www.printable-puzzles.com/
  

Day 23: Grow vegetables from scraps

  
1. Food Revolution shows you how to take off-cuts from vegetables and regrow them, from basil to carrots to celery - https://foodrevolution.org/…/reduce-food-waste-regrow-from…/
2. Rural Sprouts has all the instructions to regrow potatoes, onions and even sweet potato - https://www.ruralsprout.com/regrow-vegetables/
3. Garden Tech show you how to even regrow fruit! -https://www.gardentech.com/…/growing-food-from-kitchen-scra…