UC Merced Connect: Expert offers advice and ideas for parents working at home

Look anywhere on the Internet and you’ll find thousands of ideas for activities you can do interactively with your children during this time of social distancing, and those are great — unless you have to work while you’re home with the kids.

Here are some ideas for fun, developmentally beneficial and educational activities for children 5 and younger, that require minimal supervision and will keep your kids occupied, allowing you to focus on work:

Coloring in a box — get a large box, put your child in it and let her color. Colored pencils and crayons are safe against skin coloring, just watch for those who might try to eat them. If you have small crayons and want to make larger ones that are difficult to put in the mouth, have your child peel off all the paper wrappers and break them up into small pieces. You can melt them in the microwave in silicone molds or in a 200-degree oven in silicone molds, muffin tins or an old can.

Loose parts — Everyday materials can become interesting. Find a collection of things to sort into containers, tape boxes together to make a city, give a child scarves to stuff and pull, to dress up with or tie together, or washers and nuts from the junk drawer to put together. Get out the holiday cookie cutters and let kids use them as stencils to draw with. Set up these items in bowls, baskets or boxes and leave them in a place to be discovered (and safely viewed from where you’re working) — the hunt can be part of the fun. Reminder: Make sure items are not choking hazards.

Water play — Use a large pot or dish pan, add just enough water to keep your child’s interest and a few toys, plastic cups, sponges or even rocks, and put it on the kitchen floor within your sight. Make sure to have a towel or two handy, and make sure the container is not big enough for a child to sit in.

Ice play — Wash out a 1/2-gallon milk or water jug, fill with water, add some small toys and freeze. When it’s frozen through, cut it out of the plastic jug, put it in a dish pan or small pot. A block of ice will keep your child entertained for a while, especially if the child’s job is to free the toys. You can provide salt, water, eye droppers, a small rock other tools for your child to try and free the captive toys. You can also offer a plain block of ice — there’s still plenty to explore. Provide toys and other loose parts for your child to use with the ice and their imagination. Just remember to have a towel nearby.

Homemade playdough — It takes a little prep work, but it will last for weeks. It’s edible, scrapes out of carpet once it’s dry, followed by a little soap and water. There are number of recipes online, just avoid recipes with Kool Aid, because they will stain.