Over the last couple of weeks every time I ask a fellow parent how social distancing is going, I get pretty much the same response.

“Well…you know…I’m…surviving?” they answer, usually with a long sigh.

In an effort to help all those suffering from what I call “the quarantine blues” (myself included) I’ve put together a list of ideas that will hopefully offer a change of pace and shake things up a bit—in a good way of course.

1. Host a “Christmas in July (or April…what day is it even?!)” party.  Invite friends (via video chat of course) to sing Christmas songs, get crafty (try this adorable DIY snow globe), and snuggle up on the couch for a viewing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

2. Have your kids write letters to their teachers. Encourage them to share their favorite memories from the time they spent with those teachers and their hopes for the coming year.

3. Set up an ice cream sundae bar for dinner. One evening of indulgence isn’t going to kill them (or you).

4. Download some FREE audiobooks from Audible. You might be surprised how social distancing can rekindle your child’s interest in building themselves a little fort and diving into exploring stories far and wide!

5. Create a paper chain countdown. For anything: an anniversary, a birthday, the first day of the new school—whatever you’ve got coming up that’s worth celebrating. Long stretches of time seem a little less daunting if you’ve got visual representations of them.

6. Try the exploding watermelon experiment. All you need is one watermelon and lots and lots of rubber bands…and access to running water because this one is going to get messy.

7. Host a family “camp-in.” Set up the tent in the living room, make indoor s’mores, and bring out the flashlights for a good ghost storytelling session. Added bonus: no mosquitoes.

8. Go on an alphabet scavenger hunt. Give each kid a small notebook with one letter of the alphabet written at the top each page (a page for A, a page for B, and so on). Take a drive or walk around your neighborhood and encourage them to find items to list on each page. Make it a long-term effort by storing the notebooks in the car and having your kids add to them each time you hit the road.

9. Make Oobleck. Mix together one cup of water with two cups of cornstarch and a few drops of food coloring and let the fun begin! Once you get everyone cleaned up, finish things out with a reading of Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

10. Get outside and get messy. Explore your backyard or woods behind your house. Go on a treasure hunt for different kinds of rocks, flowers, trees, etc. to collect all the cool things you can find in nature. You can use it to create a special art project. Get out the hose and play in the mud, it’ll keep your kids entertained for a while and you can get a little dirty too! 🙂

How are you and your kids beating the quarantine blues? Please leave your ideas in the comments!

(Image by regan76.)