Quarantined Week Four: 6 Ideas for Endless Family Fun

As we enter week four of isolation, things might be getting more difficult for the kids. You may be thinking you’ve tried everything to keep them entertained, and nothing is working. Well, I’ve got some good news for you—there are many things you can still do to keep those young minds occupied and moving! You’ve come to the right place as it’s that time again for our weekly list of activities. 

1. Learn a New Language: Have your kids been wanting to learn a new language or improve on one they’ve already been studying? Then Babbel is the perfect app for you. Normally a subscription free is required, but Babbel is currently a free offering for students from kindergarten to college. Featuring 14 languages, the app’s lessons take about 10-15 minutes each with an emphasis on spelling and matching phrases. In order to access the program for free, parents of students will have to sign up on Babbel with a valid school email address. The offer extends through the end of the school year — your kids will be speaking a new language in no time! Not interested in the app? Turn on your TV, mute the program, and put Spanish subtitles on. 
   
2. Yoga & Mindfulness: Not only is yoga a great tool for keeping the kids physically active, but it is also a great exercise for relaxing their mind and body. Yogi brand Alo Yoga has created the program Alo Gives, which offers a variety of yoga classes and mindfulness activities for kids — free! Participating in one of their many yoga videos is a perfect activity to get the whole family involved. Alo provides different types of yoga based on what type of learning is best for your kids. From a morning mindful movement, getting focused for schoolwork, or simply just needing to move around and get the wiggles out, to many more activities, Alo has something for every kid and member of the family! There is even an option for kids to do mindfulness activity sheets. Everyone needs to practice a little zen and mindfulness; especially during these trying times. 
   
3. Treasure Hunt: Are the kids becoming tireless of playing with the same toys and games everyday? Then setting up a treasure hunt is the perfect activity for you. The best thing about a treasure hunt is that they are fairly easy to do and there are endless ways to do them, meaning you can have a new treasure hunt each weekend for the kids! To set up, hide anywhere from 15-25 items either around the house or outside if available. Give the kids a list of items they are looking for with a clue for each! You can always modify it by hiding less items or limiting the hunt to a specific area of the house. Make it a specific theme! Hide only items that are related to animals or books. Maybe you choose to hide 20 different LEGOs and the kids have to build something with those pieces once found. There are endless ways to have a treasure hunt and the best part is it keeps kids busy and moving for hours! Celebrating Easter this Sunday? Have an Easter egg treasure hunt! 
   
   
4. Arts & Crafts: Here is your weekly arts and crafts project that you can do as a family or give to your kids with items you have on hand in the house. This week’s project is Cloud Dough. If you don’t have play-dough, then cloud dough is the perfect alternative. This project is as easy as 1, 2 ingredients to make! Plus it smells better than traditional play-dough. Here’s what you’ll need: hair conditioner (any kind that is creamy), cornstarch, a bowl, a popsicle stick or spatula, and food coloring (optional). First, put equal parts hair conditioner and cornstarch in the bowl and start mixing them together with the popsicle stick/spatula. Then, slowly begin adding more cornstarch as you continue mixing. Once it starts to form, use your hands to squish It together. If it is too wet, add more cornstarch; if it is too dry, add more conditioner! Once you’re satisfied with the feel of your cloud dough, roll it into a ball. Want to make different colors of cloud dough? Add a drop of food coloring. Otherwise, if it feels just the way you want, you’re all set! Have the kids use their imagination to make shapes, letters, and other objects with it. 
   
   
5. Indoor Bowling Game: Are the kids bummed they can’t go to the bowling alley? Bring bowling to them! To set up indoor bowling, find some empty plastic water bottles, containers, cans, or anything else you have in the house that can be used for the pins. Set up 10 pins (or however many you’d like) in a triangle against a wall or at the end of an open area, (i.e. hallway). Then, grab either a soccer ball, baseball, or tennis ball; aim and bowl! Hint, the smaller the ball, the more challenging it will be to knock the pins over. If the pins are falling over too easily, add a tad bit of water to anchor them down. Get the whole family involved by bowling 10 frames. As in regular bowling, each player gets two tries to knock down all of the pins. Record your score at the end of each frame to see who wins in the end! The kids will have fun bowling for days.
   
   
6. Neighborhood Window Inspiration: This one can double as an art project. As I was walking around my neighborhood, and making sure to social distance, I noticed some houses have put art in their windows or made window art to give people a reason to smile and remind us that we are not alone during this time. It was something positive. If the kids have always dreamed of hanging something up or painting on the windows, this is the time. Using painters tape, create any shape (maybe a heart, or smiley face) and section off other parts of the window surrounding it. Pull out some washable window paint or markers, and paint each section of the window. Once dry, peel off the painters tape and you will see the awesome window art the kids made! When neighbors are out on a daily walk (six feet apart of course), they will appreciate beautiful art the kids made, and it may just brighten their day! Need some inspiration? Here are a few more examples. Remember, we will all get through this together!