March 14th, uVillage, our partner location in White River, South Africa, held its 5th Day of Royalty event. It’s such a fun time where all the kids in the feeding program there are bused onto the uVillage campus for a day where they can just be kids to laugh and play! Stations are set up all over the place, and kids enjoy 6 hours of non-stop FUN! The hope is that they can come out of the chaos they experience and be treated like kings and queen, princes and princesses for a day. In these extraordinary times right now of isolation and shelter-in-place, we wanted to pass along our Day of Royalty stations to spark some ideas that might keep your kiddos entertained right now.
Photo Booth
Photo booths are always a fun hit. Go through your house and gather all sorts of props. You can use a wall or create a backdrop using various scarves for the background. This year we got fancy and bluetoothed this printer directly to the phone. It prints right after you take the photo. Win! The kids also decorated foam frames to put their smiling mugs in.
Legos
Legos are great for so many reasons. We love incorporating them into activities for the kids, because they love building things, and Legos are great at developing fine motor skills. If you want to keep with the royalty theme, you could dump a pile in front of the kids and ask them to build a castle, or you could go the extra special route and buy a new castle set for them to build.
Parachute
There’s lots of giggles to be heard at the parachute station. You need several people for this one, so mom and dad, be prepared to participate. Throw it up, run underneath, and tuck it under your bum. There’s different sizes, but for a smaller number of people, a 6 ft. parachute is probably plenty big.
Crown Making
This is a super easy activity, and all you need are some crowns and stickers. You can buy pre-made crowns or make your own. We use a wide variety of stickers but always make sure we have jeweled stickers, because after all, crowns and jewels go hand-in-hand!
Hand Art
What kid doesn’t like getting messy? At our painting station, we get a white sheet and have different colors that the kids can dip their hands in and imprint on the sheet. If you don’t mind the kids getting messy, then this activity is sure to keep them busy for hours. Outside, of course. You can even have weekly challenges to create different scenes! Or maybe you have a quarantine mantra? Write it on the sheet and have the kids decorate around it! Just get assorted tempura paint colors and a sheet or some kind of canvas to create on, and you’re good to go!
Noise Makers
We all need a little more noise in our lives, right? Well, maybe not, but these are super easy to make! All you need are cups (styrofoam or paper), beans (or something that can make noise…in South Africa we used samp), ribbon, duct tape, and markers. It’s an easy craft that will keep kids busy for a while. Want to go a step further? When they’re finished crafting, have them write a song and perform it!
Games
We play soccer and relay games with the kids. Soccer is easy. All you need is a ball! For this year’s relay, we did sponge buckets. All you need is a large trash can filled with water, a sponge, and a small container. The kids run to the trash can, dip the sponge in, run back, and squeeze the water into the small container. The idea was the first team to fill the container won. Only have 2 kids at home? Well, all that running back and forth is sure to tire them out!
Nails, Face Painting, and Hair Chalk
Just get out your nail polish for a nail painting party. Combine that with some stellar face art and hair chalk, and there’s lots of fun to be had. Just don’t blame us if your kids come out covered in body art. Check here for lots of options for face paint.
Pin The Crown On The King Or Queen
Have the kids draw a king or queen on a piece of paper and print crowns. Blindfold each kid, turn them around 3 times, and let them pin it. You could even have prizes for whoever gets the closest.
Bible Story
Pick a story, and have the kids act it out as you read. You can even find props laying around. It’s a great exercise in impromptu creativity.
Jewelry Making
Every king or queen has to have jewelry. Get some pipe cleaners and beads, and let the kids go. Note: pipe cleaners are great at inspiring creativity. Lots can be made with them!
And if all else fails, turn on some music and have a dance party! Dance parties are great for lightening the mood and the heart.
Whether you plan your own Day of Royalty or spread these activities out over several days, we hope you are inspired with some fresh ideas to do with your kids and that many happy memories are made!
Note: The purpose of this post is to be a resource for you! We realize that staying at home is the norm right now, so for your convenience, we’ve included Amazon links to supplies in case you don’t have these on hand. As an added bonus, purchase through Amazon Smile, and choose Ten Thousand Homes as your charity of choice, and we’ll get a percentage of your purchase at no cost to you.
