Self-Isolation Activity Ideas!

Rewind a month and it’s hard to imagine that today we’d be self-isolating and social distancing, with schools closed across the country and families restricted to the confinement of their homes. Events are being cancelled and so, as Spock is often misquoted as saying: ‘It’s life, Jim. But not as we know it’.

However, that doesn’t mean everything has to come to a standstill. Spring is still here, the sun is shining, and Easter is most certainly not cancelled. For those of you with children, these are very unusual and testing times – but fear not: we’ve put together a bunch of fun activities that you can all enjoy from the safety of your home.

1. GET CREATIVE

There are so many things you can do to express your creativity at home – from painting to drawing, to LEGO and even baking. Why not find out if there are any budding authors in your family? Try writing an Easter-themed story – or read some of your favourite books and come up with alternate endings.

2. EASTER EGG HUNTS

Coronavirus or no coronavirus – Easter wouldn’t be Easter without an egg hunt! And don’t forget, if you’ve got access to a garden then this is a great opportunity to take advantage of that fresh spring air.

3. MAKE A TUCK SHOP

Having children at home 24/7 could call for a lot of ‘can I have a snack?’ questions. So, to help teach them the value of money – while enforcing your own little maths class – why not open your very own tuck shop? Price all snacks from crisps to fruit (obviously fruit is nice and cheap!) and give them an allowance to spend each day. Make it harder by giving them their daily spend in various denominations.

4. BIRTHDAYS AREN’T CANCELLED!

It’s fair to say that now isn’t the greatest time to celebrate a birthday. But that doesn’t mean it’s cancelled! Have fun baking a cake, give the birthday girl or boy control of the remote/stereo, let them have a ‘special’ chair in the house (even if it’s daddy’s favourite!) and don’t forget to order a takeaway treat from the many local businesses that are still up and running.

5. KEEP MOVING

Exercise is more important than ever in these times where we’re restricted to one area. The daily commute to work, or even just the school run, are physical activities that we’ve all taken for granted. So don’t forget to keep moving. Why not pick a song and encourage children to do a bit of a choreography challenge – coming up with their own dance routines? Or maybe ‘The Floor Is Lava’ – we all loved playing that as kids, and it’s most likely still fun as grown-ups! Throw sofa cushions onto the floor, place tea towels down and anything else you can find to help you navigate around the room – just don’t touch the floor!

6. WORK IT OUT

Here’s one for the adults (and the kids!): if you’re missing out on going to the gym then the exercise doesn’t have to stop. Circuit training can be done anywhere without equipment – anything from 10 squats to 20 crunches; 10 sit-ups to 50 star-jumps. Yoga and Pilates can also be practised from home, and there are plenty of guidance videos on YouTube and Facebook to help you learn the moves. For kids’ workout ideas, why not visit The Body Coach on YouTube? Joe Wickes is even offering virtual P.E. lessons for kids on his channel.

7. DO YOUR BIT

All this time at home could call for a bit of a spring clean – and that’s a perfect time to sort out and get rid of old toys, books, games and clothes. Why not donate them to charity? Or, given our current climate, see if anyone less fortunate could do with any of your items to help keep their own children occupied. Your old Game Boy might go down an absolute storm with another family.

8. OVER TO THEM

While you’re wracking your brains trying to come up with new daily activities for your kids (Elf on the Shelf anyone?), why not completely flip it on its head and leave the responsibilities with them? Let them be ‘grown-ups’ for the day – tell them to come up with ideas for things to do and games to play. Ask them to devise their own menu for lunch and -then help them to create it!

9. SCREENS ARE OKAY

It’s easy to think you’re being a bad parent by allowing your children to watch TV or play on tablets, computers, consoles or phones. But actually, you need to keep your own mental health well too – and your normal chores will still need doing. Kids often learn a lot more than you might think from technology – so while it’s important to monitor what they’re doing, there’s no need to feel guilty. Remember you, too.

10. REMINISCE

You know how we all have to have the best cameras on our phones, and we take pictures of everything we do? Well, when do you ever actually find the time to look back on these? Probably not often. Now’s the perfect time to get the digital (and paper!) albums out, get the family together, and have a good reminisce over previous times. And, keeping to that theme, why not then create a time capsule? Grab some bits and pieces and put them in a tin – and then hide it for your kids to open in years to come.

We know there are going to be some very challenging days ahead, but together we can pull through and come out the other side – in a world where dining out or even just going to work will never be taken for granted again. Be sure to take advantage of today’s technology that people in wartime Britain didn’t have: call your friends and family – or video call them if you can, shop online (but remember to choose local shops if they offer the services), embrace social media but use it wisely, take advantage of the many virtual classes and workshops taking place all over the world, and, most importantly, stay well.