You’re three minutes into your Zoom call and bam the toddler’s climbing the bookshelf. Meanwhile, your five-year-old suddenly needs help “finding” her doll… the one she left in your coffee mug this morning.
Welcome to the beautiful chaos of working from home with kids.
If you’ve ever found yourself nodding at your boss while discreetly muting to stop a crayon battle, you’re not alone. Parenting while working remotely isn’t just a juggle it’s Cirque du Soleil-level acrobatics with a side of peanut butter.
But here’s the thing: with a little creativity, flexibility, and a solid stash of snack cups, you can keep your little ones entertained long enough to answer emails and maybe even drink a warm cup of coffee.
Let’s get into it 25 real-life-tested ways to keep your kids happily busy while you get things done.
1–5: Quick-Hit Activities That Actually Buy You Time
You know those magical 20-minute windows where nobody cries, spills, or climbs the curtains? These ideas are perfect for that.
1. Sensory Bins
Grab a shallow tub and fill it with rice, beans, water beads, or kinetic sand. Toss in measuring cups or toy animals. It’s messy-ish, yes, but it buys you time. Set it on a mat and let them go to town.
2. Puzzle Station
Rotate through different types of puzzles every week (wooden, foam, magnetic). Add a timer if your kid likes a challenge. Bonus: quiet hands = quiet room.
3. DIY Play Dough Lab
No fancy kits required. A few colors of play dough, cookie cutters, and plastic animals can keep kids sculpting stories for half an hour (or more if you’re lucky). Add baking trays to extend the pretend play.
4. Kitchen Sink “Science”
Plastic bowls, water, a whisk, and some food coloring. Tell them they’re mixing magic potions. You get 30 minutes. And possibly a soaked floor. Worth it? Usually.
5. Reading Nook + Story Time Playlist
Create a cozy corner with pillows, books, and an iPad or Alexa playing audiobooks (try The Gruffalo or Winnie-the-Pooh). It’s screen-free but still keeps them captivated.
6–10: Burn-Off-Energy Ideas That Don’t Break the House
Let’s face it: kids have so much energy. Here’s how to channel it when you still have 15 Slack messages to reply to.
6. Dance Party Breaks
Blast a “Kids Dance” playlist on Spotify or YouTube. Give them scarves or socks to wave in the air. Sneak in a couple moves yourself, it counts as exercise and boosts your mood.
7. Mini Obstacle Course
Use cushions, chairs, tape lines on the floor. Time them. Cheer. Repeat. Rotate the setup every couple of days to keep things fresh.
8. Balloon Volleyball
Blow up a balloon and challenge them to keep it in the air. Add soft boundaries with couch pillows. This one never gets old.
9. Backyard Bug Hunt
Equip them with a plastic magnifying glass and notebook. Ask them to log what they find: ants, beetles, mysterious “flying spaghetti bugs.” Yes, that’s a real toddler species.
10. Bubble Blowing Marathon
This is your go-to “I need to take a client call” trick. Send them outside (or to the bathroom with a mat down) with a bubble wand. Works like a charm.
11–15: Quiet, Focused Play for Zoom Call Survival
Need 30+ minutes of quiet? These ideas give kids something to do while giving you blessed silence.
11. Art Tray Magic
Fill a tray with paper, markers, tape, and stickers. Call it their “office project.” Even better? Assign themes like “design a zoo” or “draw Mom as a superhero.”
12. Sticker Books
Peel-and-stick pages are the unsung heroes of WFH parenting. Reusable sticker sets (like Melissa & Doug) last longer than regular ones and offer endless variations.
13. LEGOs and Building Bricks
Open-ended and deeply engaging. Set mini-challenges: “Build me a dinosaur hotel before I finish this spreadsheet!”
14. Story Stones
Paint small rocks with pictures stars, houses, animals. They use them to “tell” stories, solo or with siblings. One mom told me her twins played with these for an hour straight. That’s basically magic.
15. Audiobook Hour + Quiet Box
Put together a box of quiet fidgets (Velcro boards, maze balls, pop tubes). Pair it with an audiobook and some headphones = parent peace.
16–20: Screens That Teach (and Save Your Sanity)
Let’s get real. Screen time can be a lifesaver. It’s all about using it wisely.
16. Educational Apps
Try:
- ABCmouse – Great for preschoolers
- Khan Academy Kids – Totally free
- Sago Mini World – Adorable and creative
- Endless Alphabet – Fun for early readers
Let them “learn” while you crank through your inbox.
17. Nature or Animal Cams
Livestreams from aquariums or zoos are fascinating. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s jellyfish cam is oddly calming, even for adults.
18. Dance-Along Videos
Cosmic Kids Yoga and GoNoodle turn screen time into movement time. Perfect pre-nap or post-lunch.
19. Virtual Playdates
Schedule 20-minute video calls with cousins or classmates. Provide some coloring sheets and let them “work together.” It builds social skills, too.
20. Story Podcasts
Let them chill out with Circle Round or Brains On! podcast episodes. Even toddlers can enjoy calming audio during wind-down time.
21–25: Mini Moments of Connection That Still Let You Work
WFH doesn’t always mean “ignore the kids.” Sometimes, the best way to keep them busy… is to bring them in.
21. “Work” Together
Give them paper, a clipboard, and a toy laptop. Let them take notes “just like mommy.” It’s hilarious—and surprisingly effective.
22. Snack Time Assistant
Prep snack bins in the fridge they can access alone. Or make snack time together. They feel involved. You get a break from refereeing.
23. Plant Something
Grab clear jars and lentils. Sprouting seeds takes days but watching growth is oddly absorbing for kids. Ask them to “report on it” daily.
24. Quiet Journaling Moments
Encourage them to “write about their day” while you work. Even pre-writers can draw and tell stories. Add stickers or glue sticks = instant fun.
25. 4 PM Family Clean-Up Jam
Turn on music and clean together at day’s end. It’s cathartic and yes, a little silly. But it gives closure to the day, a routine marker.
Quick Tangent: You Don’t Need to Do It All (Seriously)
You know what? Some days none of this will work.
There will be messes, tantrums, and meetings where you pretend your mic’s glitching just to hide the chaos behind you.
That’s okay.
You’re not a robot, and neither are your kids. If the only thing you manage today is keeping everyone alive and semi-fed? That’s still a win.
So, be kind to yourself. Let the laundry pile. Let screen time stretch an hour longer. Hug your little one when the call ends, even if they’ve drawn on the wall again.
Because this WFH life? It’s messy but it’s also full of ridiculous, beautiful, fleeting moments.
Final Thoughts: You’ve Got This
Balancing work and parenting isn’t about perfection, it’s about rhythm.
Some days will feel like you’re dancing on marbles. Other days, the kids will sit quietly while you close deals or hit deadlines. You’ll feel like a magician.
And some days, well, everybody just cries.
But you’re showing up. You’re working. You’re loving.
And that? That matters more than perfectly organized craft bins or zero screen time.
If one of these 25 ideas helps even a little, then you’re already winning.
So go ahead, grab your coffee (even if it’s cold), pick one trick off this list, and start again.
You’re doing great, parent.