Metro photo Hide and seek is just one way to tire out kids who are stuck at home during the coronavirus.

GTT — Families have been doing quiet organized school activities in the morning to help children keep up with learning using activities from grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com, wnmufm.org “Learning Through the Seasons,” khanacademy.org, home school sites, and teacher suggestions. They are spending time with board and card games, reading, and media rewards.

Afternoons and evenings can be time for many easy indoor active games to put everyone in better moods without wrecking the house. Any outdoor sport or activity can be done inside with adaptations. An indoor ball or puck can be a tightly-rolled up newspaper or computer-paper ball gently reinforced with duct tape, a balloon, or beach ball. You can snowball fight with paper wads.

Adaptive Hockey

Families can make an adaptive indoor hockey stick by using a paint stir stick for the shaft. The head can be a piece of cardboard reinforced with smaller sticks and attached with duct tape to the shaft. Tip over a large plastic storage bin for a net and take shots in the hall, basement, or garage.

Golf

You can make a miniature golf course with the hockey stick, paper ball, and imagination. Children can design their own course with pillows, kitchen materials, and plastic cups. Place materials in a plastic bin to set up any time. Let children do the engineering, and construction. They can roll a newspaper/duct tape ball around an obstacle course on the floor. Encourage them to think up their own games and rules.

Bowling/Basketball

To bowl set up plastic cups with numbers on them. Children knock them over with a safe ball in a hallway. Add up the score.

For basketball, place a plastic bin at a reasonable distance and throw a ball in the basket.

Gather small plastic cooking spoons that are not brittle. Get on the floor with small children and bat a homemade ball, balloon, or small beach ball back and forth. Teach them never to bite or place their mouths on the balloons.

Volleyball

Children can gently tap a ball back and forth with their hands or arms placed together. While tapping, practice counting. How many times can you tap the ball before it falls to the floor? Families can go through a list of sports they like and adapt them to your house, basement, or garage.

Get Outside, Or Stay In

If you still have snow, cut out some chunks and throw them at trees and yell at the top of your lungs at the same time.

Children can make up many forms of tag, including slow motion tag indoors. Wear them out!

“Play Hide and Go Seek” when times get too rambunctious. They may fall asleep behind the couch.

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Grandparents Teach, Too is written by a group of teachers and former teachers who contribute ideas and resources to help educate children and grandchildren. For more GTT articles and resources, visit them online at http://grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com.