WOW you guys.
I mean, what a week. This has been unprecedented, really. We are living in a world that feels completely shut down. Due to our families quarantine, we are not leaving the house or going in or out, and others here in Alberta and across Canada are now keeping their children home from school every day for what might possibly be the rest of the 2019/2020 school year.
What is a parent to do??
Well I'll tell you what you should do first. Panic and get it out of your system. Spend 2 days just bingeing on Netflix and Disney+, and let your kids watch as much of it as they want. Wallow on the couch, eat your favourite snacks, drink too much coffee. Just me?
Once you've completed that step, it's time to pull up your socks, take a deep breath, grab my daily quarantine schedule and get busy on this list of ideas to keep your kids busy while on isolation!
#1: Virtually visit and tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was one of my favourite stops when I went to New York as a teen. You can visit the site here and take a look at all sorts of different works of art.
Bonus points: Recreate a work of art at home!
#2: Declutter and reorganize your children's rooms (what kind of an organization blog would this be if this wasn't on my list??)
This is the chance you have been waiting for to go through your children's items with their help. This gives you the opportunity to work with your children while teaching them to keep what they love, use, and need. If you need help with this, click here to get my 3 Steps to Declutter Any Space guide!
Bonus points: Donate a bin of gently used items to those in need!
#3: Scavenger Hunt!
This was one of our favourite things to do as kids. Now I understand that if you are on quarantine like we are, you may not be wanting to go out for a walk. We have been cleared to go out for a walk by public health, but I don't want to panic neighbours who know we are quarantined, so we are playing in our backyard only for now. Regardless, this blog post on My Joy Filled Life is full of 75 fantastic, printable scavenger hunt ideas!
Bonus points: Use the items you find and create an art project out of them when you get home!
#4: Live cams and videos of your favourite animals at the San Diego Zoo!
This site is full of great activities for kids! From stories about the animals, to live cameras at the enclosures and activities online, this site has something for every child (and child at heart!)
Bonus points: See if you can find any books in your own home that feature your favourite animal from the zoo!
#5: Just Dance on YouTube!
Okay Just Dance is the best kept secret - if you haven't heard of it yet, you need to check it out! Not only will it keep kids occupied and having fun, but they'll be getting much needed exercise at the same time! My personal favourite is the Ghostbusters theme song - so fun to dance to!!
Bonus points: Learn a dance and record a video!
#6: Tour London, England with a guided tour on YouTube!
Follow this link to check out an awesome guided tour of London, England with 360 video!
Bonus points: Write a story or a play with your favourite tourist spot as the setting!
#7: Create an obstacle course!
Another of my personal favourites from childhood! Make numerous stations out of things in the house or out in the yard that challenge your children physically, from throwing balled up socks into a hamper, crawling under a broom handle, jumping over a tv tray, or anything else you can think of and are ok with! This can get as crazy and large as you allow it to get :)
Bonus points: Join them and have a family timed race!
#8: Check out the Scholastic "Learn at Home" Webpage!
Scholastic has created this amazing website with cross-curricular learning opportunities for different age groups, from Pre-K all the way to Grade 12! Not only do they have ideas, but they have them in a week lesson plan so you don't miss a thing!
Bonus points: Have the kids join their siblings to double the learning adventures!
#9: Read a novel together!
Ever since we homeschooled in my children's younger grades, this has become a pastime we absolutely love as a family. Gather together, pick a favourite novel or download one from the library, and read it aloud! This makes for excellent understanding of terms your children might not be familiar with, as well as a great bonding moment for you all. Some of our favourites: Little House on the Prairie, Owls in the Family and Heidi.
Bonus points: Have the kids write about their favourite scene from the story that day and draw a corresponding picture. Then have them present it to the rest of the family!
#10: Do some home science learning and check out Mystery Doug!
Mystery Doug is a fabulous website (find it here!) that offers free, digital, K-5 science lessons and videos for students! They have opened them up at this time for everyone, even if you don't have a membership. These lessons are 15-30 minutes in length and answer questions that all kids ask!
Bonus Points: Try recreating the scientific phenomenons at home!
This year is going to be all about learning new ways to learn and create and just BE as a family and for this reason, I hope you are able to use these 10 ideas to keep busy at home while creating memories and great learning opportunities!
I wish you all the best as we all wade through these new waters and spend time bonding as a family.
Happy Organizing!
Jerilyn
Comments