19 Free Resources to Keep Kids Entertained During Quarantine

Keeping the kids entertained can be difficult on any given day. But during the lockdown, it’s even harder.

Luckily there are a ton of great resources available to parents to help keep the cabin fever at bay — even better, many come free of charge.

From extra learning tools to keep young brains sharp, to fun things to do online, it has never been easier to find great ways to entertain your kids (and yourself!) without having to leave the house. We’ve pulled together some of the best examples of free ways to ensure your children are kept happy and occupied during this frustrating time, which hopefully will help ensure a happy, harmonious home!

Free educational games for kids

Educational games and apps are a great way to kill two birds with one stone; entertaining your kids and getting some extra teaching in on the sly!

There are apps and games to suit all ages and styles, like My Panda Chef or Duck Duck Moose Trucks which provide fun, diverting ways to learn life skills for toddlers and preschoolers. Skyscrapers helps kindergartners begin to learn the basics of engineering, and elementary school kids can do everything from practicing maths and literacy to learning to code.

These educational games will help your kids flex the skills they might be missing out on by not being in school, while at the same time ensuring that they keep on having fun.

Free video content for kids

YouTube and other video streaming channels have become a haven for parents looking for interesting and alternative ways to keep their kids entertained. Loads of influencers, creatives, teachers, and entertainers have started streaming amazing, entertaining, and educational videos each week — bringing their skills and experience into everyone’s homes.

Some great examples are How to Toon with Joe Woss, where a professional cartoonist teaches the basic skills of drawing cartoons, or Bedtime Stories with Josh Gad, where the voice of Olaf the Snowman reads classic books from his own collection.

Free podcasts for kids

Podcasts are a great way for kids to learn new things and explore new places without leaving the house. A podcast can also provide a relaxing moment with a fascinating story and — at a time when kids’ use of devices and computers is skyrocketing — podcasts cut back on screen time.

Shows like Smash, Boom, Best and The Two Princes are specifically designed to bring the whole family together in friendly competition or on a virtual adventure, while podcasts like Ear Snacks and KidNuZ are super accessible while also being surprisingly refined.

There are even podcasts to give you a hand at bedtime, with shows like Be Calm on Ahway Island and What If World providing chilled out stories to send your little ones off to sleep.

Free books for kids

Not all of the best free resources to keep kids entertained are digital, and you might well have everything you need already in your home — with no associated costs!

Now’s the time to encourage a regular reading habit, whether your kid reads on their own or with you as a family. Reading more has been shown to have great benefits on kids, both emotionally and developmentally, so nudging them to dive into the world of literature as a way of entertaining themselves can have some huge positives later in life.

If concentration is a challenge, try and think of fun ways to make reading more engaging — perhaps by reading aloud together, adding in funny voices, or acting out exciting sections!

Free worksheets for kids

Of course, there’s no reason that straight-up learning has to be boring. There are plenty of online resources that help make traditional education fun — even exciting! — and much easier to do at home.

KidsKonnect has a huge range of printable worksheets that are specifically designed for homeschool parents, covering every subject from history and geography to math and science. They provide a great balance between helping to develop great, engaging lessons, and making learning fun and enjoyable! All premium worksheet topics come with a free sample of a fact file and one activity.

Free baking resources for kids

Lockdown has seen a huge boom in home baking, with sourdough starters and banana bread taking over social media feeds around the world. But why not get the kids involved?

Getting your kids helping in the kitchen is a great way to keep them active, include them in more grown-up hobbies, and carve out some valuable bonding time. It’s also a valuable life lesson in understanding where food comes from, and what goes into your kids’ favorite things (for example, just how much sugar is in cookie dough!). You can just let them loose with a good brownie recipe if you like, but there are also some great online resources to help structure their culinary experiments, like America’s Test Kitchen and FoodSchool.

Free art resources for kids

Although it can be monotonous, being at home for long periods of time can also be a perfect opportunity for kids to explore their artistic side. Giving kids some paints, colored pencils or crayons, and pointing them towards the nearest window to draw what they can see is one of the simplest ways to keep them out of trouble.

For something a little more structured, children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems offers master classes in drawing and sketching every weekday, complete with downloadable activity sheets to help follow up afterward.

Free exercise resources for kids

Keeping our bodies healthy and active is just as important as focusing on the mind — and this is doubly so for kids. Without being able to play sports or run around outside, kids can get fidgety and frustrated very quickly.

Luckily, exercising at home is really simple, and there are loads of online classes, videos, and routines designed to keep kids moving even during quarantine. UK fitness instructor Joe Wicks has been providing PE lessons Monday to Friday for kids who aren’t in school, while choreographer Debbie Allen gets everyone moving and shaking with Instagram Live dance classes.

Make the most of lockdown as a family

No doubt about it, tensions are running high and patience is wearing thin. But if you can keep the kids a little more engaged with these 19 resources, the home should be a more enjoyable place for everyone.

Stay safe!