With school and office work moving in to the home, many parents have found themselves scratching their heads and wondering what the heck to do with their little darlings (and themselves) for an extended period of time at home.

If you're not snowed under with your own work, being stuck in isolation is the perfect time to get creative with the kids. Here are our top 15 activities to look after each other, stave off cabin fever and get comfy with the sight of your own four walls.

Dig out the recipe books

You know all those gorgeous coffee table recipe books gathering dust that you never have time to read? Now is the time to the say goodbye to the same three dinners on repeat, get creative with the kids and try something new. Play restaurants, Bluey-style and involve the kids in the magic.

Explore the surface of Mars

Yep, that's right. The real surface of Mars, recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover. Have a squiz, here. 

Tour the San Diego Zoo

Help the littlies learn about the animal kingdom with plenty of kid-friendly fun facts, videos, activities and games at the famous zoo's online home, here.

Spring cleaning, kid-style

Make a list of all those tasks you’ve been putting off for months and kill two birds with one stone by getting the kids involved. Make tidying up fun with a reward chart and the promise of pocket money to spend when we can all venture back to the shops. Nothing like a bit of good, old-fashioned bribery to kick-start the little treasures into action.

Do a street museum tour

Thanks to Google you can make your screen time productive with virtual tours you can take from the couch. Explore the Guggenheim, Musee d'Orsay and plenty more. Read more, here.

Get painting

Painting truly is a tonic for the soul and great fun for kids and adults alike. Disconnect from stress, focus and meditate. Use water colour pencils to make sure all those surfaces you just cleaned don't end up covered with toddler-sized splashes of paint. 

Learn how to knit

Improve hand-eye coordination, reduce stress and make something useful.  Get started with finger knitting for kids, here and knitting 101 for grown-ups, here.

Get your thumbs green

Don't have time for gardening? Well, now you do. And plenty of it. Plant Autumn veggies like peas, cauliflower, onion or radish or even start your own compost heap. Find out more about the best vegies to plant in March, here

Take an online drawing class

Mo Willems (of the beautiful book, Knuffle Bunny) teaches young and old alike how to draw in short video episodes, here

Backyard picnic

The best way to soak up some Vitamin D and fresh air on work-from-home lunch breaks. And just quietly, we know where to get the best picnic rugs.

Lounge room yoga

Keep frustration and boredom at bay and take care of everyone’s mental health at the same time. Get those bods moving with a lounge room yoga sesh. Jump on to your local yoga studio’s live stream classes or settle in with one on YouTube. The Realistic Mama has rounded up a collection of the best, here. 

Backyard obstacle course

Desperate times call for creative exercise ideas, like setting up an obstacle course in the backyard. Encourage problem solving and physical movement with some ideas at Playtivities. 

Get things done

Use the time (if you can) to feel a sense of accomplishment at ticking off that never ending, "I'll do it tomorrow" list. Sort out your digital photos, order a wedding album, declutter, clean out the fridge, sort through old clothes and bag up for the op shop.

Watch Outlander

When the kids are in bed, the TV is your friend and so is Jamie Fraser. Trust us.

Online retail therapy

For when you can’t get to the shops, Australia Post have announced new measures to keep their delivery staff safe and the online economy going strong. Aussie businesses need our support now more than ever, and we can all still enjoy that little shopping thrill without leaving the house.

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