Coronavirus: how to keep kids entertained at home without screen time, from cooking and baking together to playing board games with grandparents

Getting cabin fever from being stuck at home? Have your children cook with you, make playdough or create an indoor garden, or introduce them to jigsaw puzzles

Anything that gets them off their phones and tablets is good – research shows children who have more than two hours of screen time a day face problems

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The coronavirus outbreak means plenty of time spent at home with the family. Bond with your children by doing things such as cooking in the kitchen together. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:56am, 11 Feb 2020Updated: 10:56am, 11 Feb 2020

It’s a challenging time for parents of children and young teenagers. With the coronavirus forcing the closure of schools – and with some parents working from home – the family environment can potentially get stressful as cabin fever takes hold.

Trying to keep kids entertained while at the same time limiting their exposure to iPads, tablets and mobile phones can make for a tough balancing act. And parents’ concerns over screen time are real.

A four-year study by the University of Hong Kong, released in 2017, found that children who had more than two hours of screen time a day were more likely to be overweight and at higher risk of behavioural issues.

To help battle the boredom blues, here are five ideas to keep children – and even adults – entertained at home while they ride out the coronavirus crisis in Hong Kong.

Bring the outdoors indoors with plants, kitchen herbs or even a vertical garden. Photo: Shutterstock

1. Make an indoor garden

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