So Much Togetherness
With schools closed throughout the Sacramento region and many parents working from home, families are experiencing an alarming uptick in “at-home family time.” While togetherness usually is great, like anything, it is most appreciated when it is a limited commodity. Boredom, cabin fever, and the parental fear of young brains turning to mush are emotions many of us are experiencing in abundance during our Covid-19 quarantines. Parents everywhere are on the lookout for activities for homebound kids.
Compounding the situation is the fact that a quick run to Target is not the same as it was three weeks ago. Big store outings are being kept to a minimum in order to practice social distancing. And even if you determine that a new board game or puzzle is an absolute essential (we get it!), many of the toy and activity shelves are depleted.
So what is a cooped-up family to do? After you have exhausted your current supply of puzzles and games, here are some ideas for keeping your quarantined kids occupied with items you may already have around the house. Although you probably have no problem recognizing them on your own, we’ve starred (*) those that could be super annoying.
Activities for Homebound Kids
- Grab some paper and try origami. Jo Nakashima on YouTube has great tutorials.
- Pop a few pots full of popcorn kernels the old fashioned way, in coconut oil melted in a saucepan on the stovetop. This activity provides excitement and danger because a responsible person gets to shake the pot over a heat source. Transfer popped corn into a large paper grocery bag, pour in a load of melted butter, parmesan, and garlic salt, then shake. Help the kids eat it. The gyms will eventually reopen.
- Many of us saved our beloved books from childhood. This is the perfect time to force your children to read them. Some staff favorites:
Mystery Series: Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden
Fantasy: The Egypt Game and The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Classics: Any book written by Beverly Cleary
For Tween Girls: Are you There God its Me, Margaret and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume. (Pro Tip: We left out Forever for a reason.) - Play cards – besides the standards War and Go Fish, 3-13, and Nerts are easy to learn and fun.
- Family Podcast suggestions – here’s a list.
- Make your own musical instruments.*
- It’s Spring! The hummingbirds are out. Watch the video below to learn how to make a hummingbird feeder from items around the home. There are lots of recipes online for hummingbird food, so hang your janky plastic feeder in front of a window and witness the beauty of hummingbirds slurping sugar water. Be envious of their sweet, sweet freedom.
- Make Slime: Recipes can be found here. (Pro Tip: the milk one? No.)
- Make a fort in the living room with blankets and bedsheets. Encourage your kids to spend as much time in the fort as they like. Furnish the fort with sleeping bags, pillows, books, games, snacks, etc. Let the kids know if they need anything, you will be sitting in the backyard staring into space and having an existential crisis.
- Open up your closet to the kids and let them have a fashion show, (Pro Tip: first hide everything you like.)
- Host a karaoke session using popular YouTube Karaoke channel Sing King*
- Revisit the art projects of our youth: decorate pinecones, paint flower pots, or make leaf art. If you are ready to add more popcorn-level excitement and danger, break out the iron, and create crayon stained glass. Remember that? Simply tear off two sheets of waxed paper, sandwich different colors of grated crayons between the paper, then iron on a low setting until the crayons melt. Voila – stained glass. Is waxed paper still a thing? Does Target sell it?
Watch the YouTube Video. How to Make a DIY Hummingbird Feeder. This video shows you a creative way to use disposable plastic containers.
Find the Joy
In all seriousness, we hope our clients and their families are finding many moments of gratefulness and joy in each sequestered day. It is very likely we will look back fondly on this time when things return to normal.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Lawyer in Sacramento. Do not hesitate to contact my firm if you sustained injuries as the result of a careless and reckless driver. Free and friendly advice is a simple phone call away at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.
Photo Attribution: Megan McGuire
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