Raise your hand if during the past couple of weeks you’ve reached a whole new level of appreciation for every teacher’s job. I know I have!
Suddenly, you went from working full time and going out and about to voluntarily locking yourself up at home with your spouse and kids. The first few days were probably fun. And then you slowly began to run out of ideas for new and exciting things to do. Kids started to rebel when asked for the 100th time to paint you a picture, the playdough dried up, and the amount of cake you baked together could feed a small village. Everyone has been growing restless and you began to wonder: what other options of entertainment are out there?
Luckily, there are plenty of things to do, spread across the internet. The downside is: it’s quite difficult to find some of them as they are not advertised widely.
Below you will find 6 of my hand-picked favorite options, as well as a bonus one, especially for tired Mommies! 🙂 Because we need to remember about our own wellbeing, too!
Here we go:
1. Order a Creativity Set from Curiocity Qatar.
The idea behind their Creativity Sets is amazing! Each set focuses either on creating one particular craft (think: sock bunnies, wall decoration, clay art etc.) or on providing general entertainment (toddler fun set, science set etc.). They are on a pricey side, but Curiocity offers home delivery, and you basically have everything you need in one place, which saves you multiple trips to supermarkets! If you’re not into the sets, they offer a wide range of educational toys, too.
You can check out what they have and order via their Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/curiocitydoha/
2. Let them sweat a little – join a live online PE class with Joe Wicks!
This one has been a huge hit with my 5-year-old! John Wicks (also known as The Body Coach) goes live daily to lead an online PE class for both kids and adults. Exercises are simple and easy for the little ones to follow. I tried it myself and I have to admit that I did break a sweat! It’s a great way for the kids to release the energy they have after spending so much time indoors!
You can see all the past workout and participate in the live ones on John’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ
3. Explore online resources of Qatar National Library for children.
Unfortunately, during the pandemic Qatar National Library building remains closed. It upsets me a lot because I’m a die-hard fan of paperbacks and books are crazy expensive (and hard to come by!) in Doha. Luckily, the Library has an extensive collection of all kinds of online resources, for all ages. There’s a special section dedicated particularly for kids and teens, including reading material, audiobooks, video books, etc.
You can find it here:
https://www.qnl.qa/en/children-and-teens/children/online-resources
4. Take a virtual tour of a museum, a zoo or a theme park.
So many establishments around the world made themselves accessible to the general public via online tours! That includes Legoland and Disney World, hooray! If you don’t mind letting your kid spend some time in front of the screen, it can be a perfect source of excitement and entertainment. Heck, I also love to browse various locations around the world and take peeks into what’s inside! 🙂
You can find a pretty comprehensive list of what’s out there if you follow this link:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/travel/a31784720/best-virtual-tours/
5. Get inspired by one of many craft ideas at the Qatar Children’s Museum Instagram page.
This is one of my most recent discoveries that I’m really excited about. Qatar Children’s Museum’s Instagram page is a great resource for fun things to do with kids at home! Baking, upcycling, storytelling… And there is a new activity uploaded every day. Bonus points for having everything explained both in English and Arabic 🙂
You can visit their page here:
https://www.instagram.com/childrensmuseum.qa/
6. Out of all options? Get’em some new toys or craft supplies!
It’s a real hassle to find toys these days! Granted, there are some available in big supermarkets such as Carrefour or Lulu, but the choice is limited and quality usually low. This is why I was really happy to receive information that ELC opened for online orders!
According to the text message I received, you should first browse their website (HERE), and once you’ve selected your items, contact them for delivery on: +974 55433514.
And finally, Mommy’s self-care time! Join an online yoga or pilates class, courtesy of Yama Yoga Studios!
There are multiple classes to choose from every day, dedicated to different levels and different kinds of yoga and pilates (including prenatal yoga!). Classes are done via Zoom app and are absolutely FREE! (It’s possible to make a donation to support the Studio).
You can view the schedule and join any class you want here:
https://www.yamayogastudios.com/schedule-1
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You might also like:
— Living in the Covid-19 crisis: why I chose Qatar over Poland.
— Everything you need to know about online shopping in Qatar.
— Time management for moms: how to get the most out of your day.