What a strange and scary world we are living in right now! I hope you are all healthy and holding up okay. With the COVID-19 pandemic as the center of everyone’s lives right now, we are in an unprecedented state of quarantines and social distancing, which is both unsettling and absolutely critical for the health of the nation and world. We are praying every day for all of those who have lost loved ones, all the health care leaders and workers, those who are elderly or immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions, those who have lost jobs or are in danger of losing them or supporting their families, and everyone impacted by the virus. It certainly feels surreal, and each repetitive day makes me feel like I’m living in some kind of weird sci-fi movie that we’re watching over and over. It’s crazy to think how much of the world is experiencing this, and certainly with a wide range of emotions. The biggest ones are probably fear and worry – for the health of our family members and friends, jobs, the economy, our sanity. Some of us may feel a little guilty to actually be excited to slow down and get lots of quality time with family, yet as the first week of quarantine is about to come to a close with likely many weeks ahead of us, there are many, including myself, who are feeling restless and stir-crazy. I’m not yet a parent, but I can only imagine how difficult it is to keep a family busy while maintaining social distance for weeks (keeping my husband occupied during quarantine is difficult enough!).
I wanted to share some activities for kids and adults to beat the boredom during this social distancing period. It’s tough to think of new things to do each day, and I always love a good list to check off! The first 50 items are more geared towards kids and the last 50 are more geared towards adults, but many might overlap! (This should go without saying, but if you’re doing any of the outdoor activities in a public place such as a park, be sure to keep your distance from others.)
- Make and decorate cards to send to nursing homes and assisted living communities
- Have a backyard picnic (or an indoor one in the living room!)
- Draw on the driveway with chalk and play hopscotch
- Go camping in the backyard
- Make bird feeders
- Sing karaoke
- Build a backyard obstacle course
- Grow a garden using food scraps
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt (or a scavenger hunt indoors)
- Give toy cars a carwash or toy animals a bath with water and soap or shaving cream
- Cook together – here are some fun ideas
- Make potato stamps
- Go for a family bike ride
- Make mud pies
- Create a fairy garden
- Feed the ducks
- Write letters to grandparents
- Make homemade T-shirts
- Go puddle-jumping
- Do a science experiment
- Learn how to play chess
- Make slime
- Go on a hike
- Make flower crowns
- Build a fort
- Create scrapbooks
- Make a bonfire and eat s’mores
- Melt crayons into fun shapes with silicon molds
- Play chores bingo!
- Do a big puzzle
- Start a music jar
- Have a makeover night – do each other’s makeup
- Make a time capsule and write letters to your future self
- Write and illustrate a family book
- Have “Around the World” nights in which you learn about different countries and eat food from that night’s country
- Make pressed flowers
- Do a blindfold taste test
- Put together a donation box of old toys
- Make washable chalk paint for the driveway
- Take a nature walk and create a nature journal
- Write a song and record it
- Make a sticker chart with reading goals
- Use cardboard boxes to create houses with paint and scissors
- Have a dance contest
- Make sun tea
- Play with salt dough
- Wash the dog
- Have a fancy tea party
- Paint rocks
- Make a collages out of photos and send to family members
- Start a compost pile
- Clean out your closet
- Bring out your art supplies and create something!
- Play a drinking game – here are some options for two people
- Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
- Memorize a poem
- Start a virtual book club
- Donate money to food banks to help struggling families
- Make a pom pom garland
- Do yoga
- Learn how to reduce food waste
- Create a new cocktail
- Dye your hair a new color
- Interview your grandparents – here are some questions to get you started
- Learn some new vocabulary words with sites like this one
- Get lots of sleep!
- Learn origami
- Have a board game tournament
- Teach your pet some new tricks
- Learn how to sew or knit
- Clean out your fridge or organize your tupperware
- Whiten your teeth
- Learn how to cook something new
- Do some online thrift shopping (I like Poshmark and Mercari!), or sell your own items!
- Meditate
- Support restaurants by ordering delivery or carry-out
- Try some new at-home exercises
- Master a new makeup look
- Take a virtual tour of the Met, the Guggenheim, the British Museum, the Louvre, Main Street in Disney World, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Acadia National Park, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, an African wildlife watering hole, the Great Wall of China, the top of the Eiffel Tower, and more!
- Learn a new language
- Work your way through a new cookbook
- Try on new glasses virtually, or pick 5 pairs to be sent to you to try on at home.
- Go through your camera roll, pick your favorite photos and make a photo book online
- Rearrange your furniture
- Buy some gift cards from local businesses to help keep them in business during quarantine
- Have a cooking or baking contest with random pantry ingredients
- Make (or reassess) your budget
- Write a short story or get started on a novel
- Learn calligraphy
- Have a spa night with masks, scrubs, manicures, and pedicures
- Make a genealogy or family history binder
- Start a journal, blog, or vlog
- Make a list of things that you’re thankful for
- Offer to bring groceries to your elderly and immunocompromised neighbors – just be very careful to have limited to no contact and follow guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus
- Stretch – practice flexibility
- Do some spring cleaning
- Order books from independent bookstores
- Learn a new style of dance via Youtube!
- Drop off paper goods, crosswords, sudoku, and coloring books at a local assisted living or nursing home – just be careful to call ahead first and follow protocol in order to keep the residents healthy
- Catch up with your networking contacts
I know that we’re less than a week in and some of us are already feeling at the brink of despair with this whole social confinement thing, but there are actually SO many more things that we could add to that list. Hang in there, and get creative. How are you keeping busy? We need all the ideas we can get!