For most of us, the practice of social distancing is new and somewhat challenging– especially during this period of uncertainty. I have seen several wonderful messages that encourage us all to use this time at home with our families as an opportunity to turn inward and connect more deeply, and that is what we intend to do.
As we begin a new week that is anything but ordinary, we thought we would share a list ways you can spend time at home. These suggestions are a mix of activities that can be done independently or together with your family.
We are seeking to create time at home that is balanced. Our daily family goal will be to do at least one thing to grow our minds, one thing to nourish or strengthen our bodies, one thing that brings joy to our hearts, one thing that is helpful to our home, and one thing that benefits someone else.
- Bake This is the perfect time try out some new recipes or make your longtime favorites! We like to make cookie dough, roll it into balls, and freeze them so that whenever we want cookies we can bake a few of them fresh!
- Have a dance party
- Go on a color scavenger hunt This can be done indoors or outdoors.
- Craft Come up with your own projects or turn to trusty ol’ Pinterest for some inspiration. We do a mix of both. We especially love seasonal crafts, so right now we’re thinking all things spring! Here’s our Spring Craft board, our Easter Crafts board, and our St. Patrick’s Day Craft board.
- Build an Art Cart Our Art Cart houses the majority of our arts and crafts supplies in a neat and easily accessible system– we love it! We will be sharing more information on how we set it up and what supplies are inside soon!
- Organize your family photos I’ll be using this time to catch up on our family yearbook.
- Animal Workouts These work outs are accessible if you have an Alexa. Isla LOVES them!
- Make your own Connection Tree We developed seasonal Connection Tree activities to help our family bond and provide opportunities for our children to grow through reflection and discussion.
- Create a family motto Take time to talk about your beliefs, values, and how you want to work together as a family. Write out your motto, frame it, and display it in your home.
- Build a fort This can be something your kids do or can be a whole family collaboration! Fill your fort with comfy pillows and cozy blankets, so you can snuggle up inside together. Read, write, draw, and play games in the fort. The creative possibilities are endless!
- Take a neighborhood walk and make a collection
- Construct a wind chime Use beads or found objects from your walks. There are countless ideas on Pinterest!
- Give your pets a little extra love and look for a way to enrich their lives— teach your dog a new trick, bake homemade treats, make your cat a new toy, spruce up your caged pet’s habitat.
- Plan/research your next vacation
- Write letters This is the perfect time to reach out to people you love and catch up! Isla has been eager to establish a group of pen pals, so we will definitely be working on that in the coming weeks. Encourage your kids to make their own cards. You can fold craft paper, or use blank cards (we keep a full supply of white cards and kraft cards these in our Art Cart)
- Rearrange your bedroom
- Pop some popcorn and have a movie marathon I am so thankful Isaac got us Disney + for Valentine’s Day! We are definitely going to enjoy a lot of cozy movie nights together!
- Try out some fancy new popcorn recipes or invent your own! Pinterest has a gazillion ideas. I can’t wait to make some savory truffle popcorn!
- Draw portraits of your family members
- Go on virtual museum tours
- Think up compliments for each member of your family and share them at a meal time
- Write a story Work together as a family to write a story or have your kiddos make up their own. If they are not yet writing independently, have them plan the story by drawing pictures and then you can help them fill in the words.
- Play outside
- Use Go Noodle to get your kids moving. Isla participates in these interactive videos at school and LOVES them!
- Have a sock snowball fight Perhaps this is the reward after everyone pitches in with the laundry?
- Puzzles
- Meditate/Pray
- Have a sing along
- Play board games (Sorry, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, and Memory are a few of our favorites!)
- Do word searches, Sudoku, and look for hidden pictures Highlights Magazine offers a variety of online games and puzzles, and if you google “hidden pictures” you’ll find all sorts of printable options.
- Paint
- Read Read alone, read together. If you’re looking to round out your kids’ seasonal libraries, here are our favorite St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Spring books for kids.
- Listen to a podcast/e-book
- Draw with sidewalk chalk
- Start spring cleaning early Sort and set aside items to donate, deep clean those corners, bring out the spring decor.
- Make bookmarks Draw, collage, or use pressed flowers to make designs.
- Work in the garden Clean up garden beds, weed, build planter boxes, start seeds.
- Go on a hike Just do your best to steer clear of others while you’re out.
- Have your kiddos make up a play Or work as a family to make up a variety show. Have you ever seen that scene on Dan in Real Life? Turns my heart to mush every time!
- Create art with your recycled materials
- Build a birdhouse You can even use recycled materials for this!
- Make a flower crown You can use real flowers, synthetic flowers, or paper.
- Do yoga Cosmic Kids is a great option!
- Make a potato stamp
- Make a collage Use magazines, old cards, scraps of wrapping paper, photos, or paintings to make something beautiful!
- Play hide and seek
- Research a topic of interest This is also a great time to dive into your children’s passions and curiosities. We’ll definitely be incorporating more pirate activities in our daily lives.
- Create something with Play Doh or clay
- Play in the bath For the kids, blast some happy music, fill the tub with bath toys, blow bubbles, or even indulge in our new favorite bath tub treat, a cup of cocoa!
- Donate money or supplies to a local food bank There are so many families around us who are struggling for basic necessities. This is the perfect opportunity to give back.
- Make your own body scrub You just need sugar, coconut oil, and a scented oil of your choice.
- Draw or color
- Make wildflower seed bombs
- Play “I’m thinking of a thing” or “20 Questions”
- Decorate cardboard cars for a drive in movie night
- String necklaces This is great fine motor skills practice and keeps kiddos busy for extended periods of time. If your child finds the string challenging, they can thread pony beads onto pipe cleaners. Obviously, working with beads may not be the best option if you have babies or toddlers who still put everything in their mouths (ahem, Cole). They could make a cereal necklace instead!
- Make new music play lists
- Tackle a home project you’ve been putting off for a long time such as reorganizing a closet, putting up shelves, a small painting project, etc.
- Cook together Teach your child basic food prep skills, simple recipes, and make up recipes of your own.
- Write in a journal Start a journal or get back to journaling
- Get a jump start on your bunny duties and start planning Easter baskets
- Talk! Use this time of togetherness to reconnect and share with one another. Not sure what to say? Just google “Family conversation starters” and you’ll find gazillions of topics!
- Work on a collaborative art project
- Play Minute to Win It games
- Set a family fitness goal Decide on a number of steps you’ll take, do push ups together, complete a workout video together, and cheer one another on!
- Make your own pizza night You did just work out together, after all!
- Develop/search for crafts that relate to the movies you watch and/or books you read together Not sure where to get started? Just head over to Pinterest. Say you watched Moana– just search for “Moana crafts” or “Moana activities” for a little inspiration. Or take it a step further and enhance your learning with a good ol’ Google search– research the South Pacific, the cultures that inhabit that region of the world, volcanoes, coral reefs, wayfaring– you see where I’m going here? Pick a topic of interest from the book or movie and learn more about it!
- Skype or FaceTime a loved one
- Look for something you can assist with or tidy up without being asked
- Learn about native plants near you Go on walks and identify as many plants as you can.
- Parents, tell your children stories from your own childhood
- Brush up on a second language There are numerous online learning platforms and we’ve heard great things about Duolingo from friends.
- Have an egg hunt Well, it may be a touch early for an Easter Egg hunt, but use the concept to hide items around your house for your kids to find! Perhaps consider a small prize for them working together and finding them all?
- Educational screen time There are numerous online resources that are graciously offering free access during this period of social distancing. BrainPop and BrainPopJr have been favorites since my teaching years (they have a great free video about the Coronavirus for kids) Our school also provided this list of Amazing Educational Resources.
- Form a family band— bonus points for building your own instruments out of recycled materials
Sending our love and best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy, connected stay at home.
