Fun activities to do with your kids indoors

It's lovely having so much quality time to spend with the kids during lockdown, but it's easy to run out of fun activities to keep them entertained! Luckily, we have your back with 4 activities you may not have already thought of. Be sure to tag us in your creations on instagram @kinn_living! 

Make your own pavement chalk paint

This paint is easy to make, washable and will give your kids some creative freedom. You can use it on the pavement outside your house or on the patio in your garden. When you're finished with it, you can hose it off or wait for the rain to wash it. 

What you'll need: 

• Cornstarch 
• Baking soda 
• Food colouring 
• Water

Method: 

1. Mix together equal pars of the cornstarch and baking soda in a large bowl
2. Add the water one tbsp at a time, until it has the consistency of poster paint
3. Divide the mixture into different smaller bowls and mix in different food colouring with each one
4. Take your chalk paint outside and start painting!!! 

Try out some fun and easy science experiments 

There are lots of fun science experiments you can do at home. These are not only fun, but also educational - which might be useful now that schools are shut! A home classic is the glitter volcano experiment - here's how you do it. FYI - it makes quite a mess, so try it outside or in an area that is easily cleaned! 

What you'll need: 

Grow a herb garden

It's spring here in the UK, and the summer has been fabulous! However, being stuck at home - which likely means indoors - isn't exactly fun or healthy, especially for kids. However, you can bring the outdoors in by growing an indoor herb garden. Of course, if you have a garden you can do this outside! 

1. Purchase some seeds of the vegetables, herbs or flowers you want to grow. 
2. Take some old plastic plant pots, or any pots with a drainage system (i.e. holes in the bottom for the water to drain out of) and a bag of compost. 
3. Fill the plant pots with the compost, water the compost, then scatter the seeds on the surface.
4. Cover the plant pots in transparent sandwich bags, then leave for about a week in a sunny position (like a window sill).
5. The sandwich bags will keep in moisture and warmth, allowing the seeds to germinate. Some seeds may take longer than others to germinate, so stick with them! 
6. Herbs and flowers are great for an indoor herb garden, while vegetables will need to be planted in a vegetable patch or much larger pots to grow. For indoor vegetables, try tomatoes or chillies! 

Tie-dye using permanent markers

Traditional tie-dying can get a bit messy with young ones, but it doesn't have to! For a mess-free, easy tie-dye activity, you'll need: 

• Permanent markers in different colours 
• Rubbing alcohol (at least 70% strength)
• Cardboard (this will need to be the same size as the main body of the t-shirt) 
• Light-coloured t-shirts (or white!) 
• Pipette (optional)

Here's what you need to do:

1. Cut the cardboard into a rectangle that will fit inside the t-shirt. This will stop the markers bleeding through to the other side of the shirt, so make sure it's big enough. 
2. Draw on your design with the markers. Make sure the drawing is a little smaller than the final size you would envision. 
3. Next, sprinkle the alcohol on the drawing and the areas around it that you want the colour to spread. You could use a pipette here. 
4. When the t-shirts are dry, iron them to set the colours and they'll be ready to wear! 

If you have any other ideas for fun, at-home activities, we'd love to here from you. Comment your thoughts below or tag us in your creations on instagram!