Quarantine And Parenting

Social Distancing as a parent, means having to get creative with your kids at home. Kids in quarantine need to stay busy. Here are ten things to do with your kids to keep their imaginations alive and your sanity intact.

Build a fort

Give your kids a designated area to build their own sanctuary where they can read, do their school work, play games, or just have some alone time. Everything is better from inside a fort. Get yours here.

Go for a walk, but make it fun

Plan a scavenger hunt for your walk – find a non-traditional mailbox, locate five red cars, find six different color front doors, etc.

Host your own Olympics

With the summer games postponed this year, there is still gold medals to be won in your yard. Who can cartwheel across the length of the yard? Who is the fastest in your family? How many three-point shots can you make in four minutes?

Travel, from your living room

Just because your have kids in quarantine does not mean you have to go anywhere physically. You can use your imagination to travel. Have your kid pick an international place they’d like to visit and set them up with a passport to travel. Many cultural attractions are offering virtual tours – take a tour or two. Have them research what foods that location is known for, popular tourist locations, and some historical facts.

Older kids can even help plan the trip by finding transportation costs, best time of year to go, and hotels.

Help plan your family vacation.

While they’re on a travel kick, have them brainstorm a list of places they’d like to book a trip and travel to this year, it could even just be day trips, and then “sell” the trip to the whole family during dinner.

Cook With Your Kids

You could use the smaller set of hands to help make dinner. Or, you could set up cooking competitions where you give your kid five ingredients and let them create their culinary masterpieces.

 

Turn Your Kitchen Into A Science Lab

Become a kitchen scientist using ingredients commonly found in your kitchen. Your kid could explore the scientific method through edible (ice cream in a bag) and purchase some slime for some non-edible (slime) creations.

 

Take your kid to work (at home)

Chances are your kid really doesn’t know what you do for work. Let them sit in on a conference call or virtual meeting. Have them help you create a presentation, take notes for you, or even do some filing.

 

Connect with loved ones

Now is a good time to bring back letter writing. Send a loved one a weekly letter or homemade card.

 

Virtual Programs For Kids

Check out what other organizations are offering. Is your kid missing their after-school program, extracurricular activities, or even the zoo? Many organizations are offering virtual tours and programs, take advantage of these free opportunities.