Here are some ways that my family has been keeping busy over the past 10 weeks while social distancing:
Dance Parties
Create a playlist with the family’s favourite songs. Play music and dance around the living/family room like no one is watching!
Challenges
Try a dance/fitness challenge. There are so many on the internet to choose from. Youtube has tutorial videos that break them down into easy-to-learn steps. My husband and I recently learned the Oonanana TikToc dance and my daughter and I completed the T-shirt/handstand challenge. You can watch the hilarious video of us learning it below:
Sidewalk Chalk
The sidewalk chalk artwork on our morning walks has made me so happy lately. They are so bright and cheery! When we go for a walk, we see all kinds of encouraging messages and activities like hopscotch. It has become the highlight of most of our morning walks. Sometimes we even bring some chalk with us.
Plants
Try growing your own family garden. Again if you know nothing about gardening the internet does! If you are not into a big project, just take care of a house plant together. The nurturing it takes to keep a plant alive will give your family a sense of accomplishment and pride. Bonus benefit: Indoor plants improve air quality and can boost your immune system too.
Karaoke
Create a playlist of all your favourite songs to sing and sing your hearts out! Once you get vibing you won’t want to stop. Warning: It will most likely turn into a dance party.
Walk
Go for a walk as a family. If you read my Stressed About Homeschool? blog you saw that we recently went for a family walk dressed as Paw Patrol characters. If you missed it check it out Here (also includes tricks to manage stress)
Obstacle Courses
You can do this activity indoors or outdoors using tape on the floor, chalk on the sidewalk, hula hoops, skipping ropes, balls or even sticks and rocks in the yard. Be creative and switch up your movements. Jump, walk backwards, take giant steps, tiptoe, move high/low, etc. This is a great way to work on all of your children's fundamental movements and gross motor skills.
Drawing
Whether you are a beginner or a master there are many tutorials on Youtube that make drawing fun to learn. Art for Kids Hub is a family-run Youtube channel giving you step-by-step instructions your whole family can follow along with.
Crochet/knitting/sewing
Even if you don’t know how yet find a tutorial. I learned how to crochet from youtube while I was recovering from surgery but you can use this quarantine time to pick up this handy skill (without the physical pain I had). Start with a beginner video so you don't get discouraged. It takes a lot of patience at first. Just keep going; you WILL get it!
Building
Wooden blocks, legos, marble mazes, recycling etc. can all be used to make unlimited creations. You can also use sticks, rocks, and other pieces of nature to build structures. One of my daughter's favourite activities, when she was little, was creating 'habitats' for her toy animals. we would use paper and markers to draw a top view of where the animals would live in the wild. My sons like to use their blocks to build their toys homes and villages.
Read
Reading with your children is so beneficial to their development and it is a perfect way to spend some quality time together. Not only will they improve their vocabulary and literacy skills, but it will also help them learn to concentrate and self-regulate for longer periods of time. They will have a better imagination and more empathy. Before bed is a great way to unwind. Reading with your children will also encourage a life-long love of reading. Check out my book list for each stage of childhood HERE.
Need a break from keeping the kids engaged? Bust out that book that you have been meaning to finish or reread an old favourite to unwind. If you need some inspiration you can find a list of my top 12 personal growth books HERE. If you would rather listen to an audiobook, 'Audible' is my new best friend.
Podcasts
There are many podcasts for adults and children on any topic of interest. They are a great way to get inspired and learn new things. I like to listen to podcasts while I cook, clean, and drive. I also use them for meditations and bedtime stories to go to sleep. You can check out my top favourite podcasts HERE. Also, check out this podcast my children listen to as part of their bedtime routine HERE. I listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Scavenger hunt
Use our printable Scavenger Hunt or create your own using colours, senses, nature etc.
Rock Paper Scissors challenge
For 2+ players: First, two players play Rock-Paper-Scissors. The player that loses runs to a designated spot, does 5 Jumping-Jacks (or any other exercise) and runs back. Repeat for as long as you want. Rotate through players so everyone gets a turn. Here is our video:
Build a Fort
Using various materials around the house such as blankets, furniture, clips, etc. build a fort. You can use your fort as a place to play, read, watch a movie, sleep, etc. Children will use problem solving, teamwork, imagination, creativity and motor skills.
Board games/card games
Play your favourite board games, card games, or dice games. We love Monopoly, Scrabble, Sequence, Crazy Eights & Uno, Yahtzee & Tenzies.
Food
Cooking and baking are great hands-on learning experiences and essential skills for life. Teach your children your favourite recipe or find new one to try together.
Virtual Classes
My children do Hip-Hop, Acro and Karate virtually with their pre-quarantine classes. They get to see their teachers and friends and continue working on their goals.
We also do Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) class as a family. My daughter and I have started our own Youtube channel to teach others. You can learn with us HERE.
I currently work from home at Play Cafe. We offer many (online for now) classes for families. We have registered classes through Zoom and Facebook live classes for free as well. There is something for every age group. you can find out more HERE.
Movie Night
Finally, to end any great day try a matching PJ's, popcorn/snacks, movie night and/or slumber party in the living/family room. We have been watching our own childhood favourites with our kids on the weekends.
I hope you were able to get some fun ideas for you and your family. If you have tried any of these ideas or want to share your own tag us on Instagram/Facebook. I would love to see what your family has been doing to keep busy!
You can also use my FREE PRINTABLE Quarantine Bucket List to make a list of activities you want to try. Then you will be prepared next time you need to bust your family’s boredom!
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