The summer months in the UAE are like no other! In previous years families took the opportunity to escape the extreme heat by travelling. Since Covid-19, however, travelling has become more difficult, so this year, many families have opted to stay at home for the summer holidays.

This means parents must figure out how to keep their children busy indoors as the temperature outside can go from pleasant to scorching very quickly!

With only a couple of weeks left until back to school, our team have put together some home-centred activities for your, or your childcare provider to use on those days that you don’t feel like executing an outing to external activity providers.

• Heuristic Play Basket: Instead of playing with toys, put together a basket of safe everyday objects that you have at home. Use kitchen tools like wooden spoons and plastic cups or bowels. Bath sponges or brushes. You can even use old gift bags and wrapping paper. Theme your basket and your baby will have fun exploring the different textures and sounds!
• Look at Me! Use a portable mirror to encourage your baby to explore their reflection. You can place tape (printed wrapping tape works best) around the mirror to encourage fine motor skills or sit behind them and move toys around to encourage tracking.
• Mess is always best: A fun (and yes, messy) way to explore colours is to combine plain yoghurt and food colouring to explore painting. A way to avoid a mess if you don’t have a tub big enough to contain the little explorer is to use the bathtub! A good idea is to use prime colours so when your child explores, the colours combine to create new ones.
• Sensory bottles: Create different shakers using an empty water bottle, rice, beans, bells and pompoms or baking sprinkles (use what is available in your home!). You can create calming sensory bottles using ¾ water, food colouring, and ¼ baby or cooking oil. Make sure you seal the bottle cap tight to avoid any spillage.

For Toddlers (18 months to 36 months):

• Muffin tin counting: Use a muffin tin and small toys or items available at home to explore counting out how many objects are in each section.
• Dancing disco: Dance parties are fun and a great way to expend energy. Use sensory bottles (see above) to dance and shake along to your toddler’s favourite music. Play Freeze or clap along to the beat. This encourages rhythm and rhyme exploration.
• Cloud paint: Mix a bowl full of shaving cream, 2 tablespoons of school glue and 2 tablespoons of paint. Paint on paper, empty boxes or the inside of the bath.
• Go on Safari: Fort building is a timeless classic game for children. Create a fort using spare bedsheets, couches or sturdy chairs to create the ‘fort’. Fill the fort with pillows, blankets, flashlights, books to explore and even a snack. Encourage your kid to explore their imagination by placing jungle animal toys around the fort-like you are on safari or sea animals if you are in a submarine!

Prepare 4 different activities for your child to explore in conjunction with their everyday toys and games; this will help keep them not only active but also learning through play!

And if you need a helping hand to guide these activities or simply ensure your child’s day is filled with safe, enriching play while you handle other responsibilities, explore our Childcare & Babysitting services. Our trusted professionals are here to support your family with flexible and compassionate care—especially during those long summer days indoors.