How to keep your kids entertained when stuck at home

When your children are stuck inside all day, there are things you can do to keep kids entertained while you keep your sanity.

If you're home for the day, or a few days, here are a few things you can do to stay entertained without going crazy or running up your data plans.

Do some family-friendly baking:

One way to keep kids occupied is with a slew of simple cooking tasks (cracking eggs, manning the mixing bowl) and the promise of sweets.

Betty Crocker has a roundup of “kid-friendly desserts,” including dessert pizza, chocolate chip cookie cupcakes and more. If you run through that list, the Food Network has another.

Check out these party games:

Childhood101 has a list of the best party games for kids. You can also dust off those old board games and puzzles to pass the time.

Get crafty:

Create a crafting area in your home. Fill it with crafting materials like tape, paper and boxes. When inspiration strikes your child, they can create fun things in their own "workshop."

Get clever:

At night, kids’ imaginations can light up. Reading stories by candlelight will stick with them more than just another movie night.

Get ahead of a power outage:

Stock up on glow sticks. Kids can really have fun with these simple light sticks. Once you crack them, they provide a bright light for up to 12 hours and a dim light for as long as 36 hours. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors, and can provide hours of fun for children.

Build a fort:

Kids love building forts just for fun anyway. Gather up pillows and blankets, and plan on moving some furniture around to help your little ones build the perfect fortress. You can even make it more like an adventure. Plan to snuggle in for the night, and maybe tell a few ghost stories, too.

Cox Media Group