Not everyone has the good fortune to have someone watching their kids during a move. Sometimes you have to have your kids right there with you, whether it’s due to summer vacation, or another reason. Keeping children occupied while you’re trying to do the bulk of the move is important — no need for nagging children, or children getting in the way. Here are some great ideas to help you keep your kids busy while you’re conducting a move.
Give your kids an important task
Kids like being treated like adults. They may just want to be involved in the move and help with it. Give them an “important” task that will leave them out of your foot space and keep them occupied. This task can be making sure the dog doesn’t get in the way, or if they’re older, checking to make sure traffic isn’t coming as the moving truck is backing in. Remember that younger kids tend to have a shorter attention span, so make sure that you only give short tasks, and you have a bunch of them ready.
Pack your kids last
Sometimes, screens are a saving grace in our modern world. A Nintendo Switch, for example, can keep kids occupied for hours and hours. If you have something portable or semi-portable that they like to do, allow them to just do that thing by packing it absolutely last. You can pack up the rest of their room and move it out, but allow the activity to stay so they can keep busy while you move.
Create a moving day kit
Breaking out a cool new activity that kids can do by themselves (and away from you) is always a good way to make sure you have adequate time and space to conduct a move. Grabbing some activity books, a new toy, or a board game from the store can help make a “moving day kit” to hopefully keep your kid out of your hair. Even better is if you have a yard and the day is nice, you can send them outside to play with their new activities.
Let the kids unpack first
Kids might be excited or apprehensive about their new surroundings. Let them unpack their stuff first by unloading all their things off the truck as the first line of business. Then, your child can spend their time unpacking their things in their brand new room, allowing them to get used to their space and know where all of their things are.
Create a scavenger hunt
If you’ve done your due diligence in packing, you should have your boxes appropriately labeled and/or color coded. Creating a scavenger hunt for your child or children can help them find some fun during the move. Have them look for their favorite movie, or stuffed animal. You can even add things in the house or the yard that you may have noticed that they have not to allow them to acclimate to the new home a little more. Remember, if you’re giving out prizes, siblings may get a bit competitive, so ensure you’re handing out two lists, if possible, and making it as fair as you can.
Have some other ideas for keeping kids busy that we didn’t go over? Let us know in the comments below!
