Social Distancing Entertainment
Social Distancing Entertainment
Social distancing helps keep the community from spreading. There are a lot of schools that work online, and a lot of us work from home, but we still spend a lot of time at home with our families. The best way to keep children calm in uncertain times is to keep them busy.
Keep boredom at bay for all the kids.
If you don't like social distancing, kids find it even worse. There are many safe things parents can do to keep their kids busy during the day. Social distancing is a great way to make sure that we spend time together and make great memories during times that might be scary for kids if we didn't do it.
Keep your guard up, no matter what you do. Remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer when you touch things often touched. Another thing you should do is wear a mask as often as possible to protect yourself from coronavirus.
Keep the learning going.
As a bonus, many of them are fun to play with friends! Check out Bamboozle and Funbrain, as well as many other sites.
Read everything
What happens if your local library stays closed or only opens with socially-restrictive rules? That doesn't mean that you have to stop reading. When you were a child, you might have read books like Encyclopedia Brown or Judy Blume or Choose Your Adventure. Now is the perfect time to show your kids these books.
These and other classics can be downloaded, bought, or checked out. Bonus points if you have a regular storytime where you talk to the kids.
Go to the movies at home.
Create film festivals based on themes and have a big movie marathon or watch one a day. For example, if you want to watch the whole Avengers or Harry Potter series in order, do so. In some places, like Letterboxd, you can even write a review of both simultaneously.
If you have a service like Netflix or Prime or Apple TV+ or Hulu, you can do this now. A real movie theatre experience can be made by having popcorn, dimmed lights, and movie-sized candy. Take things to the next level by getting a movie projector adapter that works with your phone or tablet. It's also possible to make your own for almost nothing. Make it a party to remember.
Play sports outdoors
A mini-golf course, Frisbee throw, or even a Nerf football spiral all be created up in the landscape with the help of twigs. In addition, they're great for your health and get everyone out into the fresh air and moving about.
Play sports that are indoor
In middle school, we played paper football. The best way to teach your kids how to fold a perfect triangle is to show them how to flick some finger field goals. Practice makes you better.
Host a video game tournament
Everybody should give a prize to the person who has the best score or the best winning streak. It's also an excellent time for your kids to show you how to play their favorite games, like NBA2K20 or Minecraft. Groups of people will enjoy this.
Host a board game tournament
Don't forget to play the new games that have been developed since you first played Battleship and Sorry as a youngster!.
Get outside
Outside, it's always important to stay active and move around. Grab your hiking boots or sneakers and go for a walk or run in the woods or at the park near you. The more ventilated the area, the less likely it that someone will get sick. Keep your masks on around other people, though. And don't forget to wash your hands when you get home.
Get fit without a gym.
Let your kids play with a Bowflex or a stationary bike, but don't let them play with them all the time. Do bodyweight exercises that don't require any equipment, or buy excellent exercise equipment for kids, who should still be getting at least 60 minutes of exercise a day. All it takes to stay fit is to do some push-ups, jumping jacks, and other exercises a few times.
Camp out
With permission from the owner or manager of the property where it is warm, you can try sleeping outside. You can do this either on the property (with permission from the owner or manager) or somewhere nearby. Set up a tent and bring everything you need, like trail mix, hotdogs, old-fashioned water canteens, Coleman lanterns, and s'mores, to have a good time at the park. Tell ghost stories and fall asleep under the stars with the lights on. Don't have enough space for a garden? Camp in the living room!
Go fishing
What better way to get away from people than to do something alone and quiet? Learn how to fish together with the kids. In many states, kids can fish without a license if they have the right gear (check your local ordinances). This is an excellent way for small groups to meet outside without being close together.
Plant a garden
This spring is a great time to start a garden. If your building or complex has a lot of space outside where you can plant flowers and vegetables, this is a great time to start.
You can plant in a garden box on your porch or patio instead of in a public place. I think it only takes a few weeks for the results to show up.
Teach cooking skills
Is Top Chef Junior on TV? Children as young as ten can make complete food masterpieces in the kitchen, even if they don't know-how. When you cook, even kids can feel like they're helping. This is a fun, tasty way to teach kids how to measure, and they'll also learn how to make their food!
Try international cuisine
Do this every week or even every night to teach your kids about food from all over the world. If you want to eat something a little different, try Ethiopian or Brazilian food. Then, spend a little time talking about the culture and history of the area.
Visit the museum virtually.
During social isolation, you might not be able to go to your local art gallery. But that doesn't mean you can never see great art from around the world. The Guggenheim Museum and the National Gallery of Art are just two of the many famous museums that have their collections online and allow people to go on virtual tours.
Ten Ways to Have Fun While Social Distancing
Our social isolation has lasted for about a week and a half. People are afraid and don't know what will happen, so I've been looking for new ways to put off real adult things and come up with ten ways for you to have fun while we keep everyone else safe.
Online Games
There are still many ways to play games with your friends, no matter where you are in the world. Friends can play online games together, like Jackbox, or even games like Monopoly or Exploding Kittens that can play online. Set up a weekly online game night with your friends so that you can both stay in touch and have some fun together, too.
Online Fitness
Staying fit isn't the most crucial thing to do during this time, but I do think that going to a fun fitness class can make you feel better. It's possible to do Zumba with your roommates, call a friend and do yoga together, or watch a live workout class on almost every social media site you can think of. An excellent way to stay in touch is to work out.
Movie Marathons
The more I stay inside, the more movies I watch, which has turned into a daily movie marathon in my house. In the end, six people agreed on one movie franchise that they all liked. It took a lot of screen time and a lot of work to get everyone on the same page. Many of my favorite movies from when I was younger still hold up, but I also learned that many sequels are better than their original movies, which was surprising.
Go for a walk.
Six feet away from other people is called social distancing. You can still go outside, as long as you do it right! Take a walk around your neighborhood or through a nearby park as often as possible to get some fresh air. My roommates and I go for a walk after dinner to break up the day and get us out of the house. Try to go at off-peak times like in the morning and at night, when fewer people and more space between them.
Baking
When I think about baking, I always want to do it, but I don't think I have time or ingredients. Now that I have more time at home, I've learned that I already had everything I needed to make cookies. I didn't know it! There are few things more comforting than a warm, fresh plate of baked goods in times like these. Check around your house to see what ingredients you have and what you can make with them.
Connect With Friends
Friendships can be hard to keep even when we don't see each other every day. Some people may be more alone than others. It doesn't matter if you call, video call, or text a friend to see how their day is going. It's essential to spend time with your friends. I'm taking advantage of this time to get better to know my high school friends. We don't get to see each other very often because we live in different parts of the country, and we're usually too busy to have a two-hour conversation. But now that I'm home more, I have the perfect excuse to make time for that.
Powerpoint Parties
So I haven't done this myself, but I've seen many people do it on social media, and it looks like so much fun. You and your friends each make a Powerpoint on a topic of your own choice (funny things like "Why Pineapple Doesn't Go on Pizza" work well). Then you and your friends can show it to each other on a video call. Learn something new, have a good time, and do it from the comfort of your own home.
Read a Book
Are there books in your house that you've bought or been given over the years that you've been "trying to read when things calm down"? There's still time to pick a book and read a little bit every day. For fun, you might start reading in the morning or at night.
Online Museums
Maybe you canceled your trip, or you want to learn something while you're stuck inside. Many museums now offer virtual tours to keep people connected while they're closed to the public. Here are some links to some virtual tours of Ontario museums and some tours of other museums worldwide.
Online Coasters for Roller
Taking roller coasters all around the globe without leaving your sofa or getting motion sick is pretty fantastic, but this one takes the cake. For those who don't want to leave the comfort of their own homes, several theme parks provide point-of-view footage of their most popular attractions. I discovered Canada's Wonderland on Sunday. One day, my roommates and I spent a solid hour riding several roller coasters and creating our own sound and wind effects.