Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Erika's stay-at-home picks for March 21 and 22

Staying in doesn't have to be boring! Plant a garden, bake soda bread, play games or (pretend to) take a trip.

Scavenger Decoder Game – Leave clues around the house in the form of equations whose answers match letters. For example, if T=21 and the first ‘word’ was 10+11, 23+23, and 44-10, then obviously the first letter in that word would be T. Make the problems easy or hard and lead your kids all over the house. When spelled out, have the word lead them to a fun or yummy treat.

 

Word Game – Put your kids to the task to find an answer for each category that starts with first letter of their last name. If that’s too easy, try the last letter of their first name. Have them write them down for a little handwriting and spelling practice too: Something You Wear, A Drink, A Place, A Food, An Animal, Girl’s Name, Boy’s Name, Profession, Word to Describe Someone, Something in Your Home, Body Part.

 

Easy Irish Soda Bread – Why not stretch out St. Patrick’s Day festivities, since the celebrations were cut short this year? Get the kids in the kitchen and have them bake this simple soda bread. It’s foolproof and filling and fun. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Measure into one bowl: 4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup butter softened, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 egg. Mix, knead, then form into round and place on parchment on baking sheet. Cut a large X in top of loaf, then brush whole loaf with a little extra melted butter and buttermilk. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Slainte!

 

Get Out and Garden – Use recycled materials like egg cartons, glass jars, and water bottles to create hanging tomato planters, butterfly feeders, and earthworm hotels. Even if your thumb is not typically green, you can find simple projects like these to kept the kids entertained for hours outside.

 

Travel (Virtually) – So you can’t be there in person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy these incredible museums. Pick one museum a week and ‘walk’ through it. Choose a favorite painting and create a copycat piece of art right at your kitchen table to hang on your walls. And if the museums seem too sedate, check out the wild animal video cams at the San Diego Zoo.

About the Author

Erika Bigelow