While we continue to be stuck inside our homes, it can feel pretty daunting to keep your kids entertained. Between your usual work, their online school program, it can be hard to constantly schedule fun activities.

However, we think it is a great opportunity to teach your kids certain life skills inside the home - and have them help out where they can! We have a few ideas to get you started.

1. Learn How to Cook
Usually, there isn’t enough time in the day to have your kids help with dinner. Between work and their afterschool activities, teaching your kids to cook can seem like a low priority. However, having them learn to feed themselves is a super useful skill for when they are older - and maybe even being able to help out with dinner when everything returns to normal. Choose five basic recipes together and help them through the process. Having five “go-to” meals will definitely come in handy.

2. How to Repair Clothes
Learning how to sew at a very basic level can be incredibly rewarding. Teach your kids how to sew on a button or fix a small tear. It works their fine motor skills and teaches them to repair items instead of throwing them out. You never know, maybe your child will fall in love with sewing and design!

3. Practice with the Toolbox
If your kid has never had a chance to use a hammer and nail, wrench or screwdriver, it’s a good time to learn! Together, you can build a piece of furniture, hang a painting, or do another DIY project. Your kid doesn’t need to be naturally handy for them to benefit from learning what each tool is for and how to use them safely.

4. Learn How to Do Laundry and Iron
It might sound boring but teaching your kids to do their own laundry can provide them with a different sense of independence while taking some chores off your own workload. If they are old enough to use an iron, you can also teach them how to properly care for their nicer clothes too.

5. Discuss Financial Planning
It is never too early to start teaching your kids how to save money and budget for the items or activities they want to spend money on. If your kids receive an allowance, they can learn the benefits of saving for a bigger toy than spending it on smaller toys every month. If your teenager is going to be able to apply for a credit card within the next few years, then it is even more important to be discussing finances and budgeting.

6. Any Miscellaneous Life Skill
Teaching these life skills doesn’t have to feel like a chore! Decide with your kid what skills you want to teach them and what they want to learn, and start knocking things off the list. These can range from how to change a tire to how to unclog a toilet. Learning these skills is a whole different side of learning, and you’ll get to spend bonus time doing an activity together.

While these items aren’t typically considered “fun,” you can definitely make a game out of them, with rewards and prizes for mastering the skills you’ve set out to cover together. There is no better time than now - they have nowhere else to go!