Oh my gosh y’all. Summer Break can’t even hold a candle to what’s happening now. I don’t know if it’s because this is a little unexpected – the amount of time we’d be away from school (and friends), but goodness. The kids have become bored quicker than before so I’ve had to come up with some more activities besides reading, Netflix and Disney+.
Are y’all in the same boat? If so, here’s a list of things we’re doing over here….
Make a game out of it.
- Create a scavenger hunt searching for items around the house.
- Some ideas…
- 3 things that are blue
- Something that is square or a cube
- A movie with the first letter of your name in the title
- A toy that has wheels
- A game that has dice in it
- 1 thing that is your favorite color
- A stuffed animal or toy that is green
- Something that starts with the letter ‘C’
- Something that smells good
- Any kind of coin
- Some ideas…
- Board & card games
- Dust off the board games and have some good old-fashioned fun. Bring out the playing cards and play Crazy 8s or teach the kids how to play poker. Or use some creativity and create your own.
- Freeze dance
- Put on some music to pause/freeze to.
- Beat-the-clock games
- Look up some quick games that use items you can find around your house. Stacking games, relays and more can be funny and fun to do. Check out this Pinterest board for more ideas.
Take a virtual field trip.
Zoo and Aquarium Time
- Some zoos are offering live broadcasts with different animals around their zoos. It’s a great learning opportunity. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of them. You can check out some amazing animals in aquariums like the Monterey Bay Aquarium too.
Artists
- Go on YouTube for drawing and art tutorials. There are also prominent artists, like Mo Willems, doing videos that teach kids different art and drawing techniques. There are also dancers and dance studios teaching virtual classes.
Musical Artists
- Musical artists (some that would be on tour, but have cancelled them), are giving impromptu “concerts”. John Legend and Chris Martin (Coldplay lead singer) are a couple of people that have gone virtual.
Museums
- Since museums are closed, they are also giving looks into their galleries online.
Around the World
- Go around the world and never leave your living room. Visit the Great Wall, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Taj Mahal and more.
Storytime
- Hear from some of your kids’ favorite authors and illustrators as they read books and have discussions.
Do the work.
School work
- Take a little time to do some school work (just a tad) to keep the kids in learning mode. There are TONS of science experiments to do that combine learning and fun.
Organize your home and life
- While you’re staring at the walls, consider organizing your home. Opening old mail, shredding documents, putting all important documents together, creating schedules, cleaning out closets. There’s a long list to be made – in any household.
Get creative.
Fashion show
- Make a theme, put on some music and have everyone strut their stuff!
Songwriter contest
- Put random topics in a cup/jar. Pick one and create a short song about it.
Be a YouTube Star
- Instead of watching other kids make crafts, dance or act on YouTube, make your own tutorial or video. Record it with your phone and piece the scenes together. Then watch your creation.
Do a TikTok challenge
- There’s so many challenges to pick from. Learn the newest dance challenge, or pick another challenge that’s not so…challenging.
Pinterest Pick of the Day
- It is LOADED with pins containing activities to do. Pick one for the day and then complete it.
Get In The Kitchen.
Pantry challenge
- The pantry’s stocked to the brim, now it’s time to get creative. Pick 4 random items from there and create a dish – hopefully, it’s delicious.
Dinner assignments (prep, cook, cleanup)
- This is great for older kids. Pick a day night for them to be in charge of the whole meal. They plan it (using food that’s already in the pantry, fridge or freezer), they prep it, cook it, serve and do the cleanup. You deserve a meal off – enjoy it.