In just a few short days a lot of our lives have changed. Work from home and self quarantine policies have been enforced, grocery store shelves have been wiped and many people throughout our country are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team is taking all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of our team members and clients during this time. Although this is an extremely trying time in everyone’s lives, we wanted to help brainstorm ideas to keep us occupied while social distancing for you and your kids!

Many schools have been closed down until further notice which means children are now at home all hours of the day. We understand this can be difficult for parents, especially those who may be working from home. Something that may be helpful during this time is to develop an at-home routine. Keep their morning routine similar to while in school and alter the afternoon with educational activities, outside time and what fits best for your family. Consider getting a large white board and time blocking their days where they can see what they will be doing each morning when they wake up. You can look to Amazon for some very affordable white board options.

At-home activity options for kids are really endless. There is so much you can incorporate in their daily routines that will be both educational and entertaining during this time. Scholastic offers tons of online literary resources for children that come with various educational projects.  DIY.org has over 100 hours of educational and entertaining videos and projects! There you will find various free online courses for kids with activities such as science projects, drawing, music, cooking and more that promote learning. Lunch Doodles by The Kennedy Center on Youtube is a new video resource for kids that is launching a new educational video every day at 1pm while kids are home from school. Puzzles, legos, sticker books, arts & crafts and even letting them help with cooking and other household tasks can all be time consuming and educational activities. Outdoor play time will also help to avoid children becoming stir crazy. Although a neighborhood playground may not be the safest idea at this time, considering buying sidewalk chalk, building a fort or going on a nature walk.

For those working adults that are now confined to their homes, we want to make sure you have plenty of options to utilize in your spare time or even just as breaks to avoid going crazy. Getting active is our number one tip and luckily you don’t need to go to a gym to do this! Consider taking a long walk or even looking at-home workouts on Youtube or Apple TV. Getting quick bursts of exercise will spike your energy levels and also keep you healthy while in quarantine. The NY Times also linked top 50 lists for best shows and movies to watch on Netflix and Disney Plus which are great resources for winding down. Consider trying new recipes. With most events being cancelled your nights are more open, use this time to test those longer recipes you have been wanting to try. Some wonderful resources for recipe inspiration are The Defined Dish on Instagram, Delish.com and Pinterest.

Podcasts and books can also be beneficial during these weeks to come to keep your mind entertained. There are all kinds of podcasts available including topics on food, health, sports, spirituality and just about any topic you could want available through Apple or on Spotify! This is also the time to turn self quarantine into self care! Take this time to relax. Learn to meditate, get a head start on spring cleaning and really take a moment to take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. We understand the unknown can be daunting but we want you to know there are many ways to stay positive during times like these. Afterall, this is just temporary. Take this time to enjoy time with family and enjoy the solitude because before we know it we will be back to our day-to-day ventures.