Things to Do With Kids During COVID to Bring Back Some Normalcy
When outside activities or events make it difficult to spend time with loved ones or follow the routines we expect, it can adversely affect us and the people around us. For children, this period of isolation resulting from the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and social distancing can feel confusing and overwhelming, but there are ways to provide joy, comfort, and creativity to their day so they can have peace of mind and stay engaged.
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Of course, taking care of yourself doesn’t stop with skincare. Your emotional well-being is just as important as the products you use. Staying involved, creative, and connected can help you and your family maintain good spirits and a sense of normalcy through difficult times.
Here are some of our favorite activities and events that you can try out with kids during COVID to stay safe and keep the whole family happy, even if you can’t have visitors.
Activities for Kids During COVID
It can be difficult to stay engaged and creative when normal support systems are no longer available, but the important thing to remember is that children are resilient and capable of much more than you might expect.
Board games and puzzles are great, but you can’t play them all the time. Consider trying out some of these safe and fun activities with your young family members to keep them engaged and comfortable at home.
Create Your Own Summer Camp
Summer camp often has themes around which activities and events are centralized—so consider creating your own. Ocean week is a great way to learn about aquatic life, make octopus puppets or ocean-themed toys, or read books about deep-sea diving. For dinosaur week, your little ones can use crayons to create a timeline of when different dinosaurs lived and hang it on the wall, and you can make dino-shaped cookies.
Find themes your kids will love, like space, books, chemistry, or art, and develop fun events, mini-lessons, and activities to match throughout the day.
Make a Book
If your kid loves reading, drawing, or storytelling. Write a story together on blank paper, leaving plenty of space for illustrations and designs. Once the words are written down, let them free to decorate and design their book.
Bind the book with ribbons and a cardboard cover and sit down for a read. You can even FaceTime their grandparents or other relatives for a fun read-aloud.
Decorate a Room
When we spend a lot of time in one place, it can begin to feel stifling and small. If your children have a playroom or space of their own, give them some options for changing the furniture around, decorating the walls with posters or pictures, or even swapping spaces with a sibling.
Changing their space up can give them a sense of newness and a change that can be helpful during periods of isolation.
Outdoor Activities for Kids During COVID
Of course, there’s nothing like playing outside, especially in the summer months like June and July. Outdoor activity is a great way to burn off extra energy, get sunshine and fresh air, and feel engaged and revitalized. If you’re a little bored of doing kiddy yoga from YouTube outside and you don’t want to build your own obstacle course, we’ve still got great options for you.
Here are some outdoor activities that parents and little kids alike are sure to love.
Make a Garden
Not only is a garden a ton of fun, but it’s a great opportunity to learn about plants and animals. If your children love bugs, consider a butterfly garden or plants that attract pollinators. You can explain how pollination works, why it’s important to protect local ecosystems, and how to plant fruits and vegetables that complement each other.
Tomatoes and cucumbers are classics, and your little ones will love sampling the food they’re growing. It will give your children a sense of agency and pride to watch their garden grow.
Camp in the Backyard
If you can’t safely plan a trip, think a little closer to home. A backyard camping adventure can feel exciting for the whole family, and you can still make sure that everyone is safe and protected. Set up the tent and sleeping bags, make s’mores, and tell some not-so-scary stories around the fire. It makes for a fun and family-friendly Friday night.
Outdoor Crafts
Outdoor crafts are a ton of fun, and it doesn’t matter if you get a little messy. You can make bird feeders out of pinecones, create fairy homes from rocks and sticks, or flower crowns from ferns and dandelions. Challenge your kids to find fun materials—nothing that’s still alive!—and set up an outdoor crafting station to create some fun and funky new things.
Places to Take the Kids During COVID
Traveling safely during COVID can be complicated, but there are still some ways to get the kids out of the house so they feel engaged and supported. Here are some places you can safely go with your family.
Picnic in the Park
Even if your local park is just a few blocks from home, taking a picnic basket and blankets can feel like a big adventure, even if you’re not traversing acres. Set up a safe distance from others in the shade and sit back and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.
You can even see if they want to get dressed up in fun, fancy clothes and pretend you have reservations at a fancy outdoor restaurant to make it feel extra special. This is also a great way to have a socially distant play date with friends too.
Go on a Hike
Getting out into nature is a wonderful way to stay excited and happy, even in difficult times. Find local hiking trails that match your family’s skill level, and set up a day to connect with the earth. It can be a lot of fun to create a scavenger hunt for the kids as well, so they can look for feathers, flowers, types of trees, and more. You can even pepper in some learning, and your kids will be so excited when they make a discovery that they won’t even notice.
If your kiddos are slightly older, add in a kayaking day trip or a bike adventure.
Take an RV
RVing is a great option for taking fun and exciting adventures while still staying safe. You can explore new places, but without having to worry about eating in restaurants or staying in hotels. With an RV, everything you need is right in your camper, and you can take the family to the beach or mountains, or other safe destinations with ease.
Adjust your trip to fit your kids’ ages (since toddlers will enjoy different attractions than the big kids) and create a memorable experience for the whole family, while still following safety guidelines.
Keeping the Kids Entertained
There’s no denying that this period of history has been strange and difficult for everyone, especially our children. It’s hard to keep them away from school and friends, and we want to ensure what’s best for both their physical health and emotional development. Engaging with them on a creative, nurturing level throughout periods of isolation can be extremely helpful for ensuring they get the support and normalcy they deserve, and it can help you to feel boosted, as well.
There are many different ways to meet these goals during COVID while still keeping your family safe. Parents can get creative with crafts, outdoor adventures, and plenty of educational play. And you can create vacations of your own, right in your own backyard. When your family sees you engaged and excited, they’re sure to follow suit.
For more information on full-body health and wellness and the skincare products you can trust to boost your mood and protect your skin on every family trip, trust Journ.
Sources:
How to Host Your Family’s Own Personal Summer Camp | New York Times
Rearranging Furniture Can Give You a Sense of Relief | Huffington Post
Safe RV Travel With Children | Healthy Children