As Corona virus seems to be now at its peak of spreading here in Norway, many European countries and USA, most of us are advised to stay at home and have no contact with other people. Isolation may lead to sadness and angst.
It’s time for empathy and follow the government’s instructions. It’s also time to be creative and stay positive.
If you don’t have anyone at home with Corona virus, staying at home may seem boring and pointless. To me, it’s an opportunity to have quality time with your children and spouse.
I have selected a list of activities you can do together with your children. Adjust them to your family’s number of members, age, taste, personalities. Some of games we have just tried this weekend and they worked very well. Others, like the Home Spa, I’m looking forward to trying ASAP.
I’d like to encourage you to limit the tv/ipad/cellphone time and be active together. If going for a walk is not an option, make your home your own amusement park.
For small children. Let the house be messy with toys everywhere. The important is to have a good time together. Painting is fun. Let the children also do finger painting.
Silhouette painting. One child lays down on a sheet of paper on the floor and the others draw her/his silhouette. Or just the hands. All family members get their hands drawn. After that, you can compare them.
Use Mathematics in the kitchen, while children assist you in baking. They can count and measure the ingredients. Or while you calculate how long the food will last before you need to go to the supermarket again.
Potato race – Each runner will hold a spoon with a potato on it. The goal it for everybody to run at the same time, while holding the spoon, without dropping the potato. If you drop the potato, you must stop, pick it up and then you continue to run. The one who gets to the finish line first is the winner. To make it more difficult, if you’re right handed, use your left hand to hold the spoon, and vice-versa.
Obstacles race – distribute pillows and draw big circles on the floor. Children (and adults) will run and have to jump over obstacles, or jump on one foot on the pillows. You can sophisticate it with crawling and somersault if you have a yoga mat.
Drawing together – Like a big project. For example: a farm. One child draws the trees and fruits, the flowers, the other draws animals, the barn, etc.
Grocery shop – There won’t be much of it in real life, so it may be fun to play at home. One is the seller, others are customers. You can use this opportunity to use mathematics and deal with money.
Musical chairs – Arrange a number of chairs (or cushions) in a circle, or line them up back to back. There should be one fewer chair than there are players. Dance around the chairs. When the music stops, sit on a chair. The player who fails to get a chair is out. Remove a chair and repeat. The last player seated wins.
Talent show – Release the Rihanna inside of you. Or juggling oranges like in the circus. (If you still have oranges at home. May work with toilet paper, which most people have tons of now). Not feeling creative to perform your own show? You can be member of the jury. Make it official. Set the time and FaceTime the grandparents to watch the kids’ performance.
Hide and seek – very popular among children up to 7.
Treasure hunt – If your child resists to play and wants to use ipad or tv, you can use baits like chocolates or candies which will be the treasure. Make sure it will take long for them to find it. 😉
For older kids. There’s Alias, chess, many board games they might like. And also these suggestions:
Training center game – If you have teenagers, it may be interesting for both you and them to exercise at home together. Let them pick the playlist and you can choose the exercises together. Yoga, Stretching, pushups, sit-ups, each one has a page of a magazine under each foot and put your hands on the floor and move your legs as fast as possible. It’s a good warm up. 😉
Book club – You can challenge all family members to read the same article on a news paper or magazine and debate. Each saying his/her opinion. Can work also with books, each one tells about the most interesting book she/he has read recently.
Debate – Pick a theme like: being a vegetarian, or bompenger. Divide the participants in two groups. One will be in favor and the other against. Make sure to use only rational arguments, not personal offense. (Drop it if you have a rebel teenager at home). After 20 minutes of debate, switch sides. It’s an amazing exercise to learn to communicate and convey your point of view. Also to make you see things from another perspective.
Spa – I’m sure many kids (all ages) and parents would like this one. There are so many ways to spoil yourself. Manicure can include massage and cool nail polish. Face mask can be homemade (smash strawberries and spread them on the face. It’s nutritious also for your skin). Coconut oil, avocado and honey are also hydrating. Another service on the spa menu is neck and back massage. Foot massage can be done after feet have been in a bucket with warm water.
You can read here my input on Corona in Norway https://makingnorwaymyhome.com/corona-quarantine-in-norway-from-a-brazilian-immigrants-point-of-view/
Very nice ideas.
Thank you 😊 They work well here at home. I hope they’re helpful to other families as well. 🤗🏠