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Keep Your Kids Busy

Post Date: 16 Apr 2020

As many of us enjoy the remainder of the Easter holidays, the reality of a continued lockdown is, undoubtedly, a little daunting. How will we continue to juggle working from home and keeping the little ones educated, entertained, fit and healthy – while staying sane!

PE with Joe Wicks and dance classes with Oti Mabuse are great ways for children to burn off energy and, with so many streaming services and social media platforms delivering kid friendly content 24/7, you’ll certainly have an opportunity to distract them in front of a screen now and then.

But how do you fill the days? Well, here in Clapham Junction, a number of local businesses have created some superb ideas and initiatives which will keep your children extremely busy! You don’t need to fill every moment of every day, however, if you like a little structure, these little nuggets are bound to please the little people in your life…

TIME TO LEARN

What better way for children to start the day than a heart-warming sing-a-long to old time favourites from Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, to Wheels on the Bus and A Sailor Went to Sea.

Image credit: Wandsworth Libraries & @carolynlibrarian

Rhyme Time, hosted by libraries across Wandsworth Borough, is half an hour packed full of fun, with interactive singing for parents, carers and their little ones. Aimed at children aged three months to five years, Wandsworth Libraries will bring you Rhyme Time every weekday morning, plus Saturdays, at 10am.

Over at The Bright Emporium, the team are hosting a number of free online stories and workshops, all accessible through Facebook, every Sunday at 10.30am. Following the reading, children can join the online crafting workshop and learn how to make a creative craft, inspired by the story, ready to take pride of place on the kitchen fridge!

Image credit: The Bright Emporium

If the thought of helping your older children with Pythagoras Theorem and quadratic equations is giving you nightmares, you’ll be relieved to know that The Mathnasium Learning Centre have taken their educational programme online with Mathnasium@home. Phew! So that’s the maths homework covered then.

LUNCHTIME

How to jazz up lunchtime? Baking together is a great way to learn about measuring, ingredients and, of course, creating delicious treats. Which favourites will hit the spot in those hungry tummies? Pizza and cookies, of course. 

Image credit: Made in Italy

Get those rolling pins at the ready and be prepared for a light dusting of flour…Made in Italy are delivering pizza making kits with dough balls, tomato sauce, cheese and toppings so you’ll have everything you need to prepare pizza perfection with the kids. You’ll also be able to pick up a pizza making kit at Pizza Metro on Battersea Rise.

Image credit: Biscuiteers

The clever Biscuiteers on Northcote Road have come up with an ice-olation challenge. Each week you can join Lucy, Head Designer, on Facebook to learn about biscuit recipes and icing tips, creating plenty of flour-filled fun for you and the family. Share your baked creations #iceolationchallenge and you may even win an adorable Biscuiteer cake tin!

Of course, pizza and cookies are a special treat, but you’ll have just as much fun whipping up a homemade coconut milkshake and baking a delicious paleo veggie bread – two of the tasty and wholesome recipes you’ll find online, courtesy of our friends at The Source Bulk Foods.

PLAYTIME

Looking for boredom busters? Then here's a novel solution! QT Toys are taking orders via WhatsApp for home delivery. From slime labs and colouring pads, to model plane kits and painting packs, there're plenty of creative ideas to occupy your children.

Image credit: QT Toys

For the mini Van Gogh in your family, Killik & Co are running a colouring-in competition. Just pick up a colouring sheet from outside their office on Northcote Road and simply drop off your child’s masterpiece on your next daily walk. Killik & Co will kindly donate £5 to the NHS for every entry.

Hotel Chocolat have come up with chocolate inspired children’s activity packs to keep your little ones busy for hours on end with chocolate knowledge, colouring, wordsearches and a handful of yummy chocolate recipes.

Image credit: Hotel Chocolat

Or, why not spend some family time in the garden learning how to grow plants, fruit and veg? M&S have launched an at-home family gardening series on social media with CBBC presenter Lee Connelly, aka 'The Skinny Jean Gardener'. If you don’t have a garden, don’t worry, you’ll also learn how to turn unwanted household objects into your very own plant palaces.

DINNER TIME

Many of you will be familiar with local nursery, Abacus Ark. While the nursery is closed, Anthony Ioannou and his team have turned their hand to working with a company that creates 'Free Range Kids' – a nutritious range of frozen ready meals for children. A great initiative which will certainly help busy parents! 

To order, visit the newly launched Clapham Junction ShopAppy.com website – a platform which enables loyal and new customers to show local businesses their support during the current climate. And, during this time of lockdown, ShopAppy will arrange delivery within a two mile radius of Clapham Junction Station. Be sure to keep an eye on the Clapham Junction ShopAppy page as more businesses will be added each day.

Image credit: Abacus Ark

For dessert, your kids will need whisks at the ready to create 'Sophie's fresh lemon ice cream recipe', courtesy of Sophie Mirman at Trotters Children’s Wear & Accessories – simple and delicious!

STORYTIME

After a busy day of fun-filled activities, it’s time to tuck up your little ones, ready for story time with Wandsworth Libraries. Tune in live, Monday to Friday at 6.30pm @wandsworthlibrarians Facebook page for happy tales that will have them drifting off in no time.

Alternatively, create your very own story telling library with a helping hand from Waterstones and their list of best-selling books, conveniently listed by age category:

Baby & Toddler | Age 5 to 8 | Age 9 to 12 | Teen & Young Adult

As always, we’ll keep our social media platforms up to date with fantastic new ideas and initiatives from the local businesses who are working hard to help us navigate life in lockdown. On their behalf, we’d like to thank you all for your continued support during these unprecedented times.

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