20 March 2023

What are the Activities to Do at Home with Children after an Earthquake?

Activities that can be done at home with children after an earthquake help to reduce their anxiety about the earthquake, help them feel safe and help them return to daily life. 

After an earthquake, children are affected both psychologically and emotionally. At this point, it is useful to utilize activities that will make it easier for them to express themselves. By engaging children's minds, you can help them reduce stress, relax and improve their mental skills.

What can be done with children at home?

  1. Playing board games
  2. Making a finger puppet
  3. Making a reading clock
  4. Making play dough
  5. Cooking together

Activities with children develop their manual skills, increase their self-confidence, improve their communication skills and support their personal development. Children discover their interests and skills during these activities. Let's take a more detailed look at the activities you can do with children at home.

1- Making Finger Puppets

One of the activities that you will have a lot of fun making and at the same time develop children's hand skills is finger puppetry. First, get the materials you need for finger puppets. These are fabric, colored paper, pencils, paint, scissors and glue.

Draw the puppet you want to make on paper and cut out each part of the puppet separately. You can decorate these parts with colored pencils, buttons and beads. Then glue the cut out parts together with glue. Assemble the puppet's head, torso, arms and legs. Now your puppet is ready and you can put it on your finger and start playing. Making finger puppets will help children develop their imagination while developing their hand skills.

Suggestion Article: The Role of Post-Earthquake Games in the Recovery Process

2- Playing Board Games

Box games are an entertaining and educational game played on a flat surface by moving the game pieces according to certain rules. At first, children may have difficulty understanding the rules of the game and may make mistakes. So try to answer their every question until they understand the game.

Give them the opportunity to correct their mistakes. This will improve their problem solving and practical thinking skills. Board games should be chosen according to the age and developmental level of the child. Board games also help children develop their mental and social skills.

3- Make Reading Time

Regular activities such as reading time help children get back to their old routines after an earthquake. Reading time allows children to better express their feelings. The books chosen for post-earthquake reading activities should be appropriate for the child's age and interests.

Taking breaks during reading to talk about the characters in the story will increase their engagement with the book. Regular reading time will support children's emotional development.

4- Making Play Dough

One of the things that children enjoy playing with the most is play dough. It is also possible to make play dough at home instead of buying it outside. The ingredients you need for this are flour, salt, water, oil and paint. There are multiple recipes for play dough. You can choose a recipe that suits your possibilities at home.

You can also give children small tasks when making the play dough. Playing with something they made themselves will increase their self-confidence. Activities that require manual dexterity, such as play dough, support the development of hand and eye coordination.

5- Cooking Together

One of the most enjoyable activities to do with children at home is cooking. Starting with a favorite dish will attract his or her interest and increase his or her enthusiasm for cooking. Give your child simple tasks to do while cooking. These tasks can include stirring the food, washing and chopping vegetables.

Children can get bored very quickly if the meal takes a long time. So try to attract their attention by creating a fun environment. Cooking together with the child after the earthquake will help them feel the warmth of home. In addition, cooking together can help change eating habits while improving the child's hand skills.

Last words.

We all have a great responsibility to support children's development after these difficult days. In order for children affected by the earthquake to return to their daily routines, it is useful to create a play environment according to their age and development. Playing games for children is very important for their mental, emotional and social development. They both have fun and learn while playing. Therefore, allow them to be creative in games and explore their interests and skills.

For more information on the effects of post-earthquake play on children's mental health, please see our The Role of Post-Earthquake Play in the Recovery Process.


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