Once upon a time, I thought staying at home with nothing much to do but read and watch movies all day was my idea of Heaven. And while I still do (to a certain degree) – the kids and I are going a tad stir-crazy. Just like everybody else.
We’ve been watching a movie per day, working on 1000 piece puzzles, going out on daily walks, cooking and baking up a storm and of course – binge watching Tiger King on Netflix. But it would be awfully nice to have some off-the-wall, creative activities up my sleeve to stave off the doldrums.
I reached out to a wider community – asking for ideas on keeping kids busy during this challenging time of quarantine – and the ideas that rolled in are nothing short of awesome.
The following mix of activities fits the bill for all ages – and many of them are ideal for the entire family.
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Have a read through and make note of the ones you like. Enjoy and of course stay healthy, happy . . . and busy!
Staying Connected
This first submission is one of my favourites. Not only a way to keep the kids busy and productive – BUT a way to stay connected with family, share a generational bond AND give mom a bit of a break too. Talk about killing several birds with one stone!
From Kas:
“My mom is doing a daily Zoom baking class for all 7 of her grandkids so they can bake along with her. She sends the recipe in the morning, so we can prep and make sure we have the ingredients. Kids log in and have so much fun with her all virtually. They’ve made banana bread, cookies and lemon cake . . .while I drink my coffee.”
From Denise:
“Snapology is running online LEGO workshops as well as virtual birthday parties and play dates.”
From Maria:
“My daughters are working on a project about family. I’ve given them a list of relatives which they face time with in order to gather stories and anecdotes. Not only are they learning about their own family, but they are having fun. We have also been watching YouTube for Zumba workouts.”
From Kelly:
“My kids are using Zoom meetings and Kids Messenger to stay connected to their friends – and also learning to type, spell and articulate at the same time.”
From Jen:
“My kids have been creating plays and skits which I record. Then we send them out to the grandparents and cousins who create a video and send it back to us in return. It’s turned into a little competition.”
Alternative Education
Many parents are taking advantage of this enforced downtime and are encouraging their kids to learn something new. Something they may not necessarily have had the free time to explore before. Here are a few great ideas:
From Emma:
“I had my son park his butt down next to me and start typing – using a good, old-fashioned free ‘learn to type’ program. He soon became my potty-mouthed co-worker which was amusing too. I had to hit mute a few times during a call because he had me laughing pretty hard. After that I forced him to make banana chocolate chip cookies because a) life skills and b) momma has a sweet tooth. Tomorrow he is learning how to do laundry and some cooking skills. While I’m home working, it’s the perfect time to oversee his life skills learning.”
From Michelle:
“Using Youtube, my child and I are learning to play the ukelele together. We write down the songs and chords in order to have a visual to practice with – instead of using a printer.”
From Monica:
“My daughter is learning Spanish. I’m hoping she will stick with it beyond this social distancing quarantine phase we are in.”
From Deborah:
“Our kids are doing the online portion of their scuba diving certification.”
From Briana:
“My daughter is learning to write in cursive since it’s no longer taught in school. While I’m sure there are lots of videos available on the subject, I haven’t even looked. We just work on it together by practicing each letter and then writing the words that she picks.”
From Mia:
“My son is learning both Portuguese and Japanese using Duolingo.”
Quarantine on the Rocks
So many creative ideas – with rocks at the centre of it all. Keep reading.
From Carolyn:
“My kids and I have been rock carving using a Dremel. They are ages six and nine and can handle the Dremel with supervision. It is a bit awkward to hold but they have been managing. Eye protection is definitely needed. We hope to carve some inspirational words and Easter eggs too.”
From Tanya:
“This was not my idea but I was out walking the other morning and came across a few painted rocks. Clearly some children collected rocks, painted them and then placed them back in the woods. It was so cute and brought a smile to my face. I was looking for rocks during my entire walk! I did come home and tell my kids that we were going to do the same activity and put the rocks in the park, as it was so nice to find them. They all said ‘NO’ and, well, that was the end of it.”
From Kirsten:
“We’ve been going down to the lake to paint messages on the rocks for people to find. We use special paint pens that work on rocks, glass and wood. We are planning on trying it out on pine cones next.”
From Crystal:
“Rock painting is a pretty big thing where we live. There are rock groups all over facebook too – you just have to search them up in your area. Basically, you paint a rock, write the name of the facebook group on the bottom and then hide it anywhere in your 
community for people to find. They may stumble upon it accidentally or you can even photograph the rock for the facebook group and include some clues on where you are hiding it. Once it’s found, the rock can be re-hidden with another photograph and further instructions posted to the online group. Kind of like geocaching, without the geocache. This activity gives kids something to do while also getting exciting about going out into nature. If concerned about germs, consider painting rocks to hide at a later time.”
Some Crafty Ideas
With so much free time, our kids can allow their imaginations to soar. Here are a few inspirations to get you started.
From Christine:
“We made our own days of the week calendar using velcro – so we can keep track.”
From Iwona:
Combining crafts with nature and science – “We’ve been making paper boats and floating them down the creek. Also paper airplanes which we’ve been flying for accuracy.”
From Bonita:
“My 7-year-old invented his own board game based on the movie Frozen. It comes complete with players, a rule book, the works.”
Exploring Their Arty Sides
Arts and crafts – generally go hand-in-hand. Continuing with the creative energy – here are a couple of interesting ideas.
From Rachel:
“This wasn’t my idea – I saw it in a group I belong to. All you need is masking tape, chalk and a fence – and the result is a work of stained glass art.”
From Lise:
“A couple of good ideas I thought I’d share: The Met is offering a link to free creative classes until April 9th. And I saw this shadow silhouette activity on facebook that I thought was great. Just line up a series of figurines where the sun will shine on them, making a shadow silhouette on paper for the kids to easily trace.”
Plant-Based Projects
What better way to nurture a love of science in a kid than to get them up close and personal with seeds and plants. We have the time so why not?
From Leanne:
“We’re growing beans on the balcony because they grow quickly. I bought soil and a trellis and we’re good to go.”
From Stephanie:
“We have almost 200 plants at home. The only difference now is that we’re using them for biology and geography lessons. For example: showing the kids the differences between plans originating from hot dry climates versus those from temperate or tropical locations; learning about micro-organisms in the soil etc.”
Sunday Drivers
Sick of walking? There’s nothing stopping you from getting into the car and heading to places you always wanted to see but never had the time.
From Wendy:
“We’ve been taking drives along country side roads for a change of scenery. And being productive by picking up garbage in the neighbourhood.”
From Tara:
“I’ve been taking the kids for car rides in the country to look for cows. They fall asleep and I get out of the house for some quiet time which is usually non-existent!”
Nurturing Sports, Nature and Independence
From Penny:
“We have a portable table tennis net and set it up on our dining room table. We’ve been playing everyday.”
From Cathy:
My family walked over to a nearby pet store, bought a new bird feeder (though you could make your own from a milk carton too) and some seed. We hung it in the backyard and started a family photo challenge: whoever gets the best pic of birds at the feeder by the end of this wins a Tim Hortons gift card. It’s been strangely relaxing – watching the feeder all together from the tv room. Some good talks have occurred while we sit there. And it gives me an excuse to do nothing but stare out the window and try to process my thoughts about all of this. And I expect my kids like this excuse as well.”
From Frances:
“We’ve been letting our girls explore their passions. My youngest loves soccer so she is using her down time to learn about the history of the game, about the players and also practicing her moves. One of her favourite soccer players is hosting an online class on Instagram – coaching the kids on soccer moves, fitness and mindset. She goes online everyday and is super excited when the class begins.
“My oldest wanted to start making and selling lip glosses. So we agreed to fund her project only if she created a full on business plan including a budget and marketing plan. So far she spends her days researching about starting a business, how to make a business plan, create online marketing and trademarks. She knows that the money we are giving her to start up is a loan so she’s also learning about interest rates and budgeting.
We feel that letting them use this free time to explore their passions is a gift we can give them for the future. There will be plenty of time for them to make up their missed academics later.”
From Yuuko:
“I’ve got the kids to plan a three course family meal for next week. We’ll make it a big deal with a real tablecloth, wine (for the parents), fizzy drinks (for the kids) and we’ll even get dressed up a bit. Mainly because I’m getting a bit tired of doing it all myself and becoming desperate!”
Here’s a seasonal idea – but honestly – if your kids enjoy these types of activities, why not keep the Easter stuff out year round?
From Alyssa:
“My kids have gotten out the Easter baskets and a bunch of plastic eggs and have been having egg hunts all over the house and outside too. It’s endless entertainment for them and best of all – I don’t have to do anything!”
The Best for Last
This final submission is my hands down, absolute favourite. It inspires us to think of the past, live in the present and look forward to the future. It’s a reminder – we have a lot to be grateful for.
From Katie:
“We’ve started a new thing in our house today and are sharing it in case anyone else wants to try. Every time we wish we could do something, go somewhere, treat ourselves, see someone we love, visit a new place, invite people to visit us – we write it on a post it note and put it in a jar. When all this is over, this will be our bucket list and we’ll work our way through the jar and be more grateful than ever for the little and lovely things in our lives. Until then, we’ll enjoy watching the jar fill up with magical things to look forward to.”
That’s a wrap everybody. Make the most of your quarantine – whether being productive, creative, relaxing or lounging. And of course, stay safe.