20 Ways to Make Quarantine Fun for the Family
It has always been in my nature to nurture. It is why I have worked with children in a variety of ways throughout my life. Even as a child, I would care for every stuffed animal, baby doll and Barbie doll I owned as if they were real.
So, it’s not surprising that one of my first thoughts when life as we knew it shifted was, “what can I do to help the children?” My second thought was, “how can I support parents right now?”
I’ve pulled together a list of 20 ideas to keep you and your little ones -and even big ones - busy, engaged and making the most of quarantine together
1. Teddy Bear in the Window (with a twist) - The #TeddyBearProject became a fast-growing social media sensation. The idea is to put a teddy bear in your front window so when families are out taking walks they can search for bears. I kicked this idea up a notch and created a teddy bear hunt. My daughter drew a teddy bear on paper, I made photocopies of it, placed them in page protectors and we hung them around the front of our house. One of the best parts of each day has been overhearing children counting excitedly as they find each bear. Don’t have a pedestrian-friendly street? Have a bear hunt inside the house and see who can find the most bears.
2. Bedtime Story with Lori - Early on in the quarantine, I remember walking aimlessly around my house with this helpless feeling, not really sure what to do. Nothing felt right, until I had an idea. I could read stories to children! The next thing I knew, I had a camera and a book in my hand and #bedtimestorywithlori was born! I read 30 stories in 30 days as a way to help parents during the most challenging time of day. Let me read to your little ones while you stretch, take a deep breath, drink water or just be still for a few brief moments. This will help you finish the bedtime routine strong! These videos can be found here and will be available until June 30, 2020.
3. Book Dominos - Line hardcover books up around your house (hard floors will work better than rugs). Have fun making the book dominos fall. BONUS: get inspired by watching this book domino world record!
4. Let’s Get Movin’ - Each person in your family has to come up with a movement (jumping jacks, hop on one foot, crab walk, forward bend, run in place, and so on). Make a picture card to show each movement and hang up in each "station." Each person rotates through each station doing 10 reps of each activity. Add a challenge by doing 20 reps or timing to see if you can complete in less than one minute.
5. Around the House Scavenger Hunt - Copy the list below and see how many items you can find around your house!
6. Let’s Go Camping - Turn your living room into a campsite! Pitch a tent using blankets draped over furniture, bring in your sleeping bag and pillow, and play under the imaginary stars! Other ideas to add to the fun: make a fire pit using paper towel tubes for the logs and cut out flames of orange and red paper, set up camp chairs around the fire, read stories by flashlight, fill a backpack with toys, books and snacks, roast imaginary marshmallows by rolling a piece of brown paper for a stick and attaching a cotton ball to the end, make binoculars by attaching two empty toilet paper tubes and adding yarn for a neck strap
7. Play Ball! - Want to learn how to hit a baseball or softball off a tee? My daughter, Angelina will show you how to do it! Don’t have a ball, tee or bat? No problem! Play “Imaginary Baseball” and follow the motions that Angelina shares and see how far your imaginary ball flies! Challenge: set up a baseball diamond using small objects for the bases. Practice running the bases. Play ball!
8. Ice Cube Painting - For this activity, you’ll need an ice cube tray, food coloring, popsicle sticks, and paper (or something else to paint on). Add food coloring and water to ice cube tray. Add one popsicle stick to each cube. Freeze, and then paint a masterpiece!
9. Shaving Cream Sensory Tray - Children learn by doing, and this full force sensory activity will have your children engaged and covered in shaving cream by the end (and that’s a good thing)! Spray a mound of shaving cream on a sheet or inside a shallow tub. Add small toys that can be easily washed and let your child’s sensory exploration begin!
10. Board Game Fun - Pick one of your favorite board games or card games that you like to play as a family. Find a silly spot to play the game together, like under the dining room table, inside a pillow fort, or in the bathtub! The sillier the spot, the more fun - and memorable - it will be for everyone!
11. Document Your Days - This is such a unique experience for us all. As adults, we are interpreting and feeling so many emotions, and they may be quite different from what your child is experiencing. Create a family journal together where everyone has space to write or draw what their days look like, how they are feeling, and so on. Keep it casual and don’t force your child to participate if they don’t want to. Another way for children to express themselves is through photos, so hand them your camera phone or a small point and shoot and let them be creative!
12. Question of the Day - Write a question each day on a whiteboard or piece of paper and hang it in the kitchen or other central location. Read the question together and everyone can answer. This encourages reading skills and critical thinking as they ponder ways in which they want to answer the question. Encourage the kids to come up with the questions!
13. Homemade Finger Paints - Make your own finger paints and keep the creativity going while at home!
3 tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup corn starch
2 cups water
Food coloring
Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Warm until mixture thickens. Cool and pour in containers. Add food coloring to create desired colored.
14. OMCA at Home - Learn at Home with Oakland Museum of CA. They are staying connected with the community by sharing activities that explore, art, history, natural sciences and more from your home!
15. Breakfast for Dinner - this is a classic that even my teenagers will attest to…it never gets old! Make your favorite breakfast foods for dinner. So simple and yet adds a fun surprise and sense of delight to your child’s day.
16. Fancy Fridays - Slip out of those sweatpants and slippers and dress up for a night out…in the dining room! Whether you prepare a simple meal ahead of time or support a local restaurant offering a safe take-out option, it will feel so special to get all dressed up and enjoy a meal together. For younger kids, keep the nice clothing optional. Finish the evening with a fun dance party in the living room.
17. Obstacle Course Fun - Use whatever materials you can find and create an obstacle course inside or outside. See how fast you can finish the course!
18. Doodle Art - Each person needs a pencil or marker. Using one piece of paper, the first person draws something (a simple shape, squiggle or doodle). Then, pass the paper to the next person and she/he adds to the picture. Repeat until you have filled the whole paper with a doodle art project you all created together. Bonus points if you add color and then frame this memorable quarantine keepsake!
19. Gratitude Jar - If you don’t already have one, now is the perfect time to start a gratitude jar! Grab an empty jar or vase, store next to a small notepad of colorful papers and a cup of pens. Any time someone does something that makes you feel grateful, write it down, fold up the paper and put it in the jar. At the end of the month (or save until the end of the year, like we do), open the notes and read them together. We’ve been creating a gratitude jar for years and love doing this project as a family. Younger children can be encouraged to draw a picture and have an adult write words for them.
20. Get Up and Dance - we all need to keep moving our bodies, so we may as well get some exercise and have a little fun while we’re at it! I’ve been doing the Boss Family Workout with Allison Holker and Stephen “tWitch” Boss every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am PST though Instagram Live. I honestly love this 30-minute dance class because they keep it simple, high energy and fun. I am smiling the entire time! They’ve recently teamed up with the American Heart Association to keep people moving through these tough times. This family-friendly dance activity is one not to miss.
What activities will you try? Let me know in the comments. If you have found this list helpful, please share with others.