Four indoor games to keep your child active and learning

During lockdown and beyond, parents can find creative ways to keep children playing and learning even when the family is stuck inside. Here are four fun games to boost your child's learning and development, while only using items found around the house. Have fun!

1. Physical development and gross motor skills 

Did you know that activities like crawling, climbing, balancing and jumping are fantastic for developing gross motor skills which are such a necessary part of our physical development. This activity also promotes other skills, such as executive functioning skills needed to follow instructions and processes. Plus it creates an adventure at home, which everyone can join in.

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Physical development and gross motor skills - UNICEF Montenegro #Playathome

2. Numeracy Skills 

This bowling game can promote all sorts of learning for your young children. From early numeracy skills related to counting out the number of pins knocked over, to hand eye coordination and other gross motor skills, this game can also promote socio-emotional skills such as taking turns and sharing.

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Numeracy Skills - UNICEF Montenegro #playathome

3. Hand-eye coordination  

Similar to the bowling game, this tunnel game is excellent for early numeracy, hand eye coordination and socio-emotional skills. It’s also a chance to practice some of the fine motor skills associated with holding and controlling the wooden spoon, as well as to get creative and solve problems in order to build the tunnels together with your child.

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Hand eye coordination - UNICEF Montenegro #Playathome

4. Motor skills and perception

This is a simple and fun game to build motor skills and perception in your small child as they solve the problem of how to balance all the balls on each of the spoons. It also promotes problem solving, while your child finds which spoon still has space for a ball. Using every day objects in new and creative ways can stimulate your child’s imagination and encourage them to engage in very important pretend play as they get older.

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Motor Skills Game - UNICEF Montenegro #Playathome

Thanks to our friends at UNICEF Montenegro who developed these games as part of their #PlayAtHome video series, an initiative to help parents engage in play time with their children. 

See our COVID-19 resources for more advice, tips and activities to support you and your family through the coronavirus pandemic, from UNICEF experts in health, early childhood development, education, and child protection.