It’s a strange time we’re living in, friends. In what seems like the blink of an eye our normal way of life has been turned on its head and we’re rolling with the punches in a new reality of social distancing and in some cases, full lockdown or ‘shelter in place’.
For some of us this new reality means working from home, for some it means being off work entirely and for a great many people, it means facing the daunting task of entertaining children during all hours of the day!
For my husband Greg and I, we consider ourselves lucky in that Jack is only eight months old and likely hasn’t even noticed that we’re in the process of “social distancing”. In fact, I think he’s loving all the time we’re spending at home playing!
If your kids are old enough to notice the sudden change of pace now that you’re in isolation or practicing social distancing however, here’s a list of ideas for how to spend the time.
Things for kids to do while in quarantine, isolation or social distancing
Encourage them to continue to spend time outdoors. Do you have a garden or backyard? This is the time to start digging in the dirt!
Ask them what they’d like to learn about and spend 30 minutes each day researching and talking about that topic.
Do a puzzle as a family. Between 500 and 1000 pieces is a good happy medium of long enough to get into but not SO long that it’s tedious or frustrating.
Stay in touch with the people you love! Our parents have learned how to use Facetime and Skype now that it’s not possible to smooch their grandson in real life for the time being.
More old school but still awesome? Snail mail! Have the kids write a postcard or letter every day to someone they love.
Dance or sing along to videos on YouTube. It’s basically the 2020 version of karaoke.
Write a story cooperatively. One person picks a character and the other picks a setting and you go from there. Who knows - your kid might be the next Dr. Seuss!
Try some kitchen chemistry and science experiments. I remember mixing baking soda with vinegar with my Dad when I was young and it blew my mind. I think Slime is what the kids are making these days!
Go outside and inventory all the plants and wildlife in your backyard or local park.
While you’re out there, bring a glass jar and catch some pillbugs and observe them. (Remember to treat them with care and set them free when you’re done looking at them!)
Go through old mail lying around and let them rip the unimportant ones to shreds. Bye bye flyers and junk mail!
Encourage them to journal their quarantine or social distancing experience. This will be an interesting time to look back on when they’re older.
Draw self portraits or portraits of people they love. (Then pop them in the mail and send them to the portrait’s subject!)
Pick a place on the map and learn it in depth. They could amaze their friends at the next party (whenever that is) when they know all the US State Capitals!
Make a scavenger hunt or indoor treasure hunts where they follow clues through the house to a "treasure" at the end. (Candy, a movie, a love note, whatever!)
Got a long hallway or stretch of sidewalk? Do races of various kinds (crab walking, hopping on one foot, walking backwards etc.)
Simon says or Red Light, Green Light were some of my favorite games as a kid and they stand the test of time.
Have the kids invent their own planets, down to the nitty gritty details. What’s it called? How big is it? Where in the universe is it located? What are the atmospheric conditions? Can it sustain life? How long is a day/year etc?
Have your own Spring Olympics with a variety of events and competitions - fun ones like Minute to Win It and helpful ones like a tidying race.
Dig through your cupboards to find that ingredient you bought but never used and find a recipe that uses it now.
Put on swimsuits, get out your beach towels and have a pretend beach party on a rainy or snowy day - complete with Beach Boys music.
Popcorn and movie night/day!
Check out GoNoodle to boost their movement and mindfulness each day.
Make a scrapbook out of photos and tokens from a recent vacation.
Katie is an award-winning journalist and digital strategist with more than 10 years of experience in print and digital media and a passion for the environment and fighting climate change.
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