Smart ways to entertain the kids at half term
When half-term strikes, it’s time to fill the diary with back-to-back activities to keep the kids busy, but it’s also nice to have a breather every now and then. So in-between all the visits to parks, zoos and farms, here’s a few inventive ways to keep the kids happy at home using smart tech.
Get your disco on with smart lights
Use colour changing light bulbs to turn your kid’s bedroom into their very own nightclub.
If you normally only have smart home lighting in other parts of the house, they’re really easy to unscrew. So you can pop them into your child’s room for a bit of fun.
Using the smart home app on your phone, let them choose the best colour for each bulb. You can even pre-set different scenes for their favourite songs. Give each one a memorable name, like “Justin Bieber”. Then change them while you boogie using your voice and smart speaker.
You could also suggest your child invites some of their friends over. Send out invitations a few days in advance and ask everyone to suggest a song or two when they RSVP to make up the ultimate party play list.
“Alexa, entertain the kids”
Half-term fatigue will inevitably hit you at some point and you’ll be gasping for a few moments of downtime and a cuppa. The obvious distraction is good old TV but if you’re keen to keep screen time to a minimum and your kids aren’t very good at playing by themselves, then smart speakers could be a good way to go. Alexa and Google Home are both packed with activities that will keep the whole family entertained.
For little ones Alexa’s ‘Animal Workout’ is great. Say, “Alexa, open Animal Workout” and it will get them moving around like different animals.
For older children, ‘Song Pop’ from Google Home is brilliant. They can choose from different artists and genres then listen to a short intro to guess that song. It can be played alone or when they’ve got friends over for some competitive fun.
Hive’s family of smart home products are all about making daily life a little bit easier. From lights that look after your home, to heating that is only on when you need it.
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