What to do with the kids during load shedding

We look at some fun activities to enjoy with your children during load shedding so there holidays aren’t totally ruined.

Have a braai

South Africa’s favourite pastime requires nothing more than a fire, grill, and meat. Having a braai with your children is a great way to bond around the open fire, teaching your older children how to make a fire, spice and marinate meat, and grill meat under your supervision is a step to improve their self-sufficiency, while roasting marshmallows on an open flame with younger children is a great treat for them. Be sure to impress the importance of safety first when around the grill and the fire.

Play some traditional games

With the advent of modern technology, children are more likely to know games like hopscotch or hide and seek through an app, when the lights go out, why not teach your children the traditional games that you played as a child without electricity. Why not take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and play games like hide and seek, hopscotch, blind man’s bluff, or diketo.

These traditional games require next to nothing in terms of setup and are a great way to teach your children that there is fun to be had without the need for a cell phone or tablet screen.

Read a book with your kids

The importance of reading in children’s development cannot be understated, not only does reading a book with your child encourage language development and spark creativity and imagination, it also an opportunity to spend quality time and bond with your child. A fun activity after reading the book is to play dress up as the book characters and put together a play about the book that you just read, Let your children choose a character that they relate to and read out their part.

Also Read: BOOK REVIEW: WANDA by Sihle Nontshokweni an Mathabo Tlali

Children will empathise more with their character if they are acting as them, and will also ask deeper questions and get a better understanding about why the characters made their choices in the book. So light a candle, open a book and get entertaining.

If you found this article useful or interesting, why not subscribe to Parenty’s weekly newsletter for a wrap up of that week’s best content.