While we are all learning a new norm of how-to social distance ourselves, let’s try to find ways to make the best of it. There are lots of activities we an still do with our family during this time. For many families this is the first time that you have actually spent this much time together, at one time, so finding ways to keep those youngsters busy can be a challenge but maybe it’s also an opportunity to participate in new adventures together.

Staying Connected

Being away from friends, extended family, and social activities can be hard on kids and teens. To help them stay connected, you might set up FaceTime or Skype visits with them. You also can plan family activities. Taking a walk or a hike or riding bikes are great ways to get out and get active without having physical contact. If you go to parks, keep kids off of communal equipment (stuff that lots of kids use, like jungle gyms) and take your own equipment (balls, jump ropes, etc) for your children to use or just walk around and explore.

Other activities include:

• Cooking and baking together
• Play an online game with friends
• Write a letter to a family member or friend
• Do a puzzle
• Learn a new skill like drawing or painting
• Build a fort
• Learn all of the TikTok dances
• Play board games or cards
• Start journaling
• Karaoke together
• Build with Legos
• Watch movies together
• Start teaching your child how to do household chores
• Read a book together
• Participate in some online learning classes or activities (for example: On the Road with Steve Hartman, via Facebook, is teaching a free online class called “Kindness 101”)
• Tour museums virtually online, take a virtual nature hike and even take a virtual dive online at https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/03/9576127/free-virtual-tours-online

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