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We canceled our March Break plans and isolated as a precaution after Avery had close contact with a Covid positive pal. There were a lot of heartfelt tears. That’s why this list was generated—a desperate attempt to provide comfort and joy to a distraught little lady on her “Spring Break”… at home.
Here’s our list of 10 activities to enjoy when you can’t go out.
They don’t cost a lot, if anything, and most don’t require supplies or too much effort. Enjoy! Let us know if you have any to add to the list.
1. Go to a real drive-in. You may not have a drive-in in your area, but if you have one in driving distance, they are open most of the year and allow you to go to the movies without stepping inside a theatre. Bring your own snacks so you don’t need to visit the snack bar and just pray nobody needs to pee.
2. No drive-in near you? No problem. A mini projector hooked up to your laptop transforms a blank wall into an indoor movie theatre. Watch from the comfort of your comfy bed with stuffies and snacks in your jammies.
3. Take a hike but make it more exciting by adding a scavenger hunt element. Google scavenger hunt clues and print something like this that matches where you will be hiking or walking in your neighbourhood.
4. Let’s talk VR! Some people feel virtual reality is creepy and isolating. I totally get what they’re saying, but I’m not advocating replacing real social interaction with virtual friends. But as pure entertainment, it’s amazing. Not to mention the accessibility it can provide some people with disabilities who may not otherwise be able to experience certain physical activities.
No vacay? It’s okay! Avery’s favourite Oculus game is called, “Vacation Simulator.” Not exactly a sunny, sandy trip but it works in a pinch. Mini Golf is another fun, family friendly game and you can even invite your friends to come play a round with you, virtually. Just make sure you’re inviting your actual friends and not some random stranger named Bob. Regretfully, I know this from first-hand experience. As a joke I named my private golf “room” Sexy Golf, to make a friend laugh. My friend didn’t join. But Bob did. LOL!
5. Get out and enjoy nature and some natural Vitamin D. A simple activity for us is going down to the lake to skip rocks. We make it into a contest to see whose rock go the farthest and makes the most skips. Whomever gets the most at the end gets to choose the treats we pick up on the way home.
6. Camping sleepover! This is something Avery and her dad have been doing for years. It’s sweet and simple. They sleep in the basement in sleeping bags. Sometimes they have hot chocolate. My husband plays a YouTube video of a campfire in a loop on the tv while they fall asleep. I’m not sure why Avery finds this so exciting, but she does. And I find it exciting too because I get the bed to myself. So, yay camping.
7. Zoom tea party and charades! If you can’t get together in person, setting up a simple short zoom with a few friends is the next best thing. Dress up, enjoy little finger sandwiches and sip some fruity tea while having a chat. Then play a few rounds of digital charades. We used this charade ideas generator. Each tea party guest gets one or two turns to be the actor while the others guess. This has the potential to be chaotic but as long an adult is in the background on the ready to jump in and help, it works.
8. Go for a drive! A fun spin on a Sunday Drive (when gas prices aren’t so outrageous) is a game we like to play called “Who lives there?” As we pass by a spectacular home, we each guess what the person who lives there does for a living. There’s no confirmation it doesn’t matter. We just like to guess. This game actually makes me a little bit angry and resentful of the people who own these dream homes to be honest. But Avery enjoys it so we play.
9. Make meals magical. Okay, magical might be a bit of a stretch, but adding a theme makes them a little more novel. It can be as easy as ‘Backwards Day’ where you serve dessert for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. If that’s not your bag you could do a Sundae bar on a Sunday. Or you can have a themed movie/meal combo. On International Panda Day for example we watched Kung Fu Panda and had fortune cookies for dessert. The point is, just the novelty of a theme takes an ordinary dinner and a movie to a more exciting level.
10. Plan a game tournament. It’s not difficult, but this does require a bit more planning. Each family member chooses a game or activity. It could be a board game, video game, a puzzle, or something active like ping-pong, darts or a dance challenge.
Each person gets 30 minutes to run their game station. When the timer goes off, no matter what stage you are in the game, you move onto the next activity. The 30 minute time designation is totally flexible. If you want to make it short and sweet, and there are three of you playing, it could be 20 minutes at each station. That way you’re done in an hour. In our recent games tournament Avery chose ping-pong so we played that for 15 minutes. I chose the kitten puzzle I just bought from Costco and we worked on that together as a team for 15 minutes. Then we finished the tournament with a game of darts (the magnetic kind-no blood was shed) that Avery‘s dad chose. Games and the time limit for each are totally up to you, but the fast pace and moving from activity to activity just makes it seem more exciting and unique.
There are obviously loads of other things you can do like baking and cookie decorating or crafts or scrapbooking or making digital slideshows or hosting a family talent show. Avery adores all of these which is awesome. What’s not as awesome is the level of energy and prep/clean up her faves require.
This list is getting us through this unwelcome isolation. Which hopefully will end today….
The next time you’re laying low for whatever reason, I hope you can find a few activities to let a little sunshine in.
I was sad I couldn’t have my friends over or go to grandma and poppa’s for a sleepover. And I wanted to go for lunch with my brother at his university, but we couldn’t. We had to stay home which was very very sad. But we had fun. I liked the movie in your bed with all the good snacks. And camping with dad. Ping pong is my favourite and playing vacation stimulator (not a typo… she says simulator with a T. LOL!).
