This is what I looked like before Quarantine. 

This is what I look like now.  Ha ha. Just kidding...sorta. :(

Actually, this was how we dressed up for Mini D's 100th day of kindergarten... spent blissfully AT HER SCHOOL before quarantine. But, um, it's how I FEEL after nearly 200 days at home with my child...all day...every day...with no end in sight. {screams for help}

Thankfully, I was a stay-at-home mom for a few years so this isn't my first rodeo. I've stared down hours and days and months that needed to be filled at home with just my child. I've had to be creative and resourceful and relentlessly upbeat because children smell fear.

But I forget that many working moms only experience being home all day with their kids at the very beginning of this motherhood gig.  When their kids were basically cute sacks of potatoes. Which was  overwhelming but was NOTHING compared to dealing with the chattering-inquisitive-constantly-moving-demanding-Tasmanian-devil-meets-Enegizer-bunny-school-age version of that baby. {screams for help again and again}

Thankfully, on March 11, when we started quarantine, I was prepared with some go-tos and quickly researched some new favorites. Here are some of the activities that are keeping us sane at home. 

If even one thing is new to you, YAY! That might be the very thing that saves your life on a Sunday at 4pm, staring down a bored child sheltering in place. You're welcome.

Magna-Tiles

My child is NOT a child that prefers to play alone...ever. But with these pricey magical magnet shape thingies, she play independently. Since she was about 3. Bless the ingenious makers. 

Expensive, yes, and almost never go on sale, yes. BUT that's most good things, right? Think Chanel and Disneyland. Go get them...yesterday. 

Legos

I have issues with the lego sets marketed to little girls. In a nutshell, they are pretty lame and princessy. I loved this more gender neutral LEGO City Space Mars Research Shuttle one. EXCELLENT for the price and for all the time it kills assembling and playing with afterward. 

Play-Doh

We love all things play-doh. Have many a princess kit. But this Doctor Drill and Fill set is a scream. Tooth fairy brought it when she lost her first tooth last year. 

On heavy rotation lately because some tooth is always loose right now. 

Jewelry kits

Feels like a lot of kids (read: annoying moms like me AND their kids) got into making jewelry and tie dye early in quarantine. What was that about???  Here's one of the kits I liked best.

I got myself a grown up version (sold out) for Mother's Day. Love me some Roxanne Assoulin. This DIY necklace kit + some magazines made for a blissful Saturday night while sheltering in place. 

Kiwi Crate

We've been getting this monthly subscription for about two years but you can get specific boxes/projects to try iout. Each box includes 2-3 STEAM projects leveled for your child's age. Very hands-on. 

The projects required more of my help when she was 4 but now she does 80 percent of the work. Remarkable to see the progression in fine-motor skills and engineering ability. Every month we say, "This one is our favorite one yet!" like nerds. But truly we look forward to our box every month. 

Perfect Saturday mid-morning activity that kills at least an hour and gives us a couple of toys we can play with the rest of the weekend. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 

Little Passports

Always get the ads for this one. Takes your child around the world to learn about different countries and cultures. Got the monthly subscription early in quarantined. We like but don't love. Wish there was more to MAKE instead of read. She might be a bit young for it. 

Easy Playhouse

My kid never met a box she didn't love. Also adores cramming her entire self into places that are too small. Et voila this playhouse was everything. She painted it and played with it for weeks.

A mom friend told me she gets one over the holidays when the kids are out of school and need a project. We got ours around Fourth of July.  Sparklers sold separately. 

Next up in the Things to Do with Kids series: Screen time in quarantine.

 Spoiler: We went from no screen time to two devices in under six months.