The coronavirus has hit US shores, and this has resulted in a heightened concern for people, particularly those in vulnerable categories, meeting in large groups. With quarantines imposed all over the country, and entire school districts on hiatus, there are many parents (and teachers!) staying home for days and even weeks. What will the kids do with their time? Here are some suggestions for how to make quarantine time productive:
Be sure to include some movement in the plan for the day. Put on some music and encourage the kids to dance. Do calisthenics in the living room or in the garage. If weather permits, jump rope or run around the back yard. If you can safely do so, take a walk around the block.
Turn the back yard into a science project. Start a bird-watching project. Encourage the children to identify the birds they see, draw pictures of the birds they observe, record the birds’ behaviors that they have observed, and use the internet to look up more information about the birds. To incorporate more activity, the kids can do some gardening, such as trimming bushes, pulling weeds, or planting seeds, if you already have them on hand.
Incorporate music in your activities. Find a telephone show or a website that allows for a sing-along. Or you can organize an impromptu family chorus with you and your kids. If you have instruments in the house, you or your kids could arrange your own concert. You could even record the event and post it on social media for others to enjoy.
Read aloud to your kids. Even older kids enjoy a skilled reader sharing an age-appropriate book with them. Take turns, and have the kids read some of the book aloud to you. Or ask them to read to the dog. Struggling readers often find reading to their pets a low-risk activity.
Involve your kids when you prepare a meal. This is a good time to share your knowledge of healthy meal planning and food choices. Use an online calorie counter to rehab high calorie recipes into lower calorie choices (hint: I often do this by cutting down the use of starches such as pasta, potatoes, or rice, and adding additional fresh vegetables, such as leeks, cauliflower, or tomatoes). You can also incorporate math lessons in the meal prep. Ask them to cut a recipe in half, or double it. Convert standard measurements to the metric system.
Do some journal writing. This works best if you supply a topic for the kids to write about. Search the internet for suggestions for stimulating topics, or suggest an idea for them to use to create a poem or short story.
Incorporate an art project in your daily activities Try to get beyond the crayons and coloring books. Ask the kids to design greeting cards for relatives. Do some scrapbooking together as a family. Look at objects you might ordinarily throw away, such as bottle caps or empty toilet paper rolls, and find ways to use construction paper, ribbon, markers, and glue to create decorative items. Build objects with tooth picks.
If all else fails, you can ask them to help you do some house-cleaning. They can sanitize their toys with anti-bacterial wipes, organize their closets, or sort through canned goods in the pantry for expired products. Teens can help with dusting the mini-blinds or nic-nacs, or cleaning out the garage, if you can persuade them!
If you have other ideas, share them in the comments section. Let’s all get creative, and help each other keep the kids occupied. Happy quarantining!