Luckily, here are some suggestions to keep your home intact and parents' good spirits bubbling over. When I was growing up, I had a baby-sitter who was my favorite person in the whole world. She frequently had magazines to cut up and make collages with pictures of our favorite foods or cool cars. Once, we made a book with the pictures from magazines and framed the pictures with leaves from trees in the yard, arrows made from string, and cotton balls dyed with food coloring. It was a terrific way to beat the house-bound blues.
Classics are perfect for children.
Swearing and gore were strictly avoided in the terrific movies from the 1930s through 1960s. Not only will the children be enchanted, but parents will be entertained and asked just enough questions for it to be a shared family time. Kids are fascinated by the idea that their parents used to be young. Old photo albums are good for perking up a dreary afternoon, and you can even have the children help you put together an album just for them. Another great activity for children is cooking.