Stay-at-home ideas for Mother’s Day tomorrow

Thousands of South African families have chosen to stay home and celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow, while social distancing. But that doesn’t mean the kids don’t need constant entertaining…

If you are staying away from the group gatherings, and you’ve already exhausted the entire Netflix kid-friendly catalogue during the course of the week, here are four family-friendly activities to try tomorrow to ensure maximum enjoyment and entertainment for both mom, and the kids!

Google is your friend

Google is more than the search engine we all rely on for answers to life’s various questions. The company has a number of separate apps and programmes that will go a long way in helping you keep entertained indoors. For example, take a look at the Play Store and see what fun games the editors are recommending this week. There are so many games that everyone in the family can enjoy. Also, give the Google Podcasts app a try. Here you will find podcasts on everything from storytelling to meditation to true crime. There is something for everyone! And of course, YouTube is always there for video entertainment, while Google Books and Google Movies can also be used if you’re willing to purchase some of these items.

Cook up a storm

Create cooking challenges! It could be a potjie competition, a bake-off, or even pizza day. Get all you need today so tomorrow you don’t have to head out to the shops. For those with younger children who aren’t yet able to cook or help much in the kitchen, get them to be the judge of the competition and allow them to score each dish on their own scoring system. This not only gets everyone involved in making Mother’s Day lunch, but it turns the entire process into a game rather than a chore.

Game on

Create a games day either with board games or games that you can download off the internet. Set it up so that everyone has a chance to play most of the games. Games such as 30 Seconds, Jenga, and Monopoly are always favourites among the younger ones in the family. If mom’s not keen on board games, consider creating games using items in your house – in a Minute-to-Win-It style – and there could be a family champion. This could be repeated every few months to ensure that everyone can compete for the title.

Set up a cheese and wine tasting

If you’re not keen to go out for a cheese and wine tasting, why not set one up at home? Select a few wines and some delicious cheese to pair it with, and use your dining room, yard – or whichever room you choose – to set it all up. For the under-18s, substitute the wine with grape juice so that everyone in the family can be part of the experience. Have some fun trying to see which cheese pairs best with the wines that you choose. You can take this activity as seriously as you wish – or don’t take it seriously at all and simply make things up as you go along. As long as everyone has a great time.