Home based family activities

Being confined to our homes, with perhaps more times on our hands than what we are used to, I thought it could be useful to share a few ideas on how to fill the days with meaningful home based activities for the family.

Write to friends and family.

Photo: Freddy Castro

Go old school! We are all in this together and to receive a handwritten card or a drawing, when separated can truly brighten the day. Stamps can be ordered online on Amazon and then pop your card in a mailbox on your daily trip out for fresh air and exercise.

Learn to knit – from age 6-8.

Photo: Tara Evans

Some children learn to knit around age five or six, but many kids don’t have the necessary hand-eye coordination until they’re around eight. Finger knitting is a nice and easy introduction before moving onto knitting with needles. Here’s a great first knitting project.

Bake.

Photo: Annie Spratt

This is the time to get a sourdough starter going and you will no longer be dependent of yeast supply in store. The starter is in its own a cool science project for the children to take part in and baking is a fun family activity. Allow the children to decide what to bake at times and don’t be afraid of trying out new recipes, like our favourite cinnamon bun recipe. Expect fun but a messy kitchen!

Play board games.

Photo: Michał Parzuchowski 

We play a lot of Yatzy together. But in addition, there’s card and board games to keep you busy as well. If you have the patience, perhaps a challenging puzzle could be fun. And with so much time at our hands, now is probably the perfect time to teach your child how to play chess.

Keep a journal.

Photo: Calista Tee.

It’s easy to loose track of the days. A personal journal can be a way of digesting the challenging times we are in as well as a future valuable belonging, for when you want to look back on this surreal times. Young children can do the ‘drawing of the day whereas older children should be encourage to make a daily ‘dear diary’ entry. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can apparently help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health.

Exercise.

Photo: Bruno Nascimento

Make sure you are out walking or running every day. Take the stairs instead of the lift and just get as much exercise as you can. There’s a daily 9am work out ‘PE with Joe’ with Youtube account ‘the Body Coach TV’, for everyone, regardless of fitness level, to include in our new daily routine.

Be a good neighbour.

Photo: Gabriel Gurrola

Be considerate, we are all at home. Keep noise level to a minimum, keep your entrance, terrace and garden tidy. There’s no reason to let standards slip. Let your neighbour know that you are home and offer to help if needed. If you know of elderly neighbours that live alone, surprise them with a basket of fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers on their doorstep.

Hope you are all well, healthy and safe. x

Lead image: Page Cody

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