Hey Beautiful,
Right now, there is no doubt that the world has been shaken to it’s core and has brought us to a point where we can no longer engage in activities that used to make up our daily routines. Our lifestyles have been completely turned upside down, and we have found ourselves stuck at home for an unexpected amount of time.
Whether we are working, studying, or just lazing around, somehow the days just seem longer. So, what do we do now with all this time we have alone or with our families, unable to go out except for essentials? Surely we can make this time more fun.
Let’s take it as a break from the world! We get to be at home all the time, and isn’t that what we thought we wanted up till a month ago? We get to be around our family as much as we want, which, as many of us are discovering is not all it’s cracked up to be! But hey, it’s all good, we can make the most of it, can’t we?
So how about something to help you get through this time and not go insane? This might be the perfect article for you!
We have listed 12 ways to keep you and your loved ones entertained while you try to get through this lockdown…and just maybe reading this article could be the start of something great!
1. Get Creative with DIY Craft Activities:
There are plenty of ways to get your creativity flowing. Perhaps this is the ideal time to take a look at your saved pins on Pinterest and engage in some DIY Activities. Make yourself a candle, up-cycle some old clothes, or, if you can get hold of some clay, try your luck at some pottery. There are many other forms of Arts and Crafts as well, such as jewelry making, crochet, macramé, origami and papier mache.
2. Indulge in Arts and Crafts with Your Kids:
DIY is an easy way to get the whole family involved and engaged while also having some fun. Have a search for some fun activities online and give them a try. You can try balloon animals, making slime, making play dough or search for “printables” – printable activity pages such as crosswords, sudoku, mazes, coloring pages and more. Perhaps there are some pending Father’s Day or Mother’s Day gifts that need to be made. A little paper, glue, and some colors can help you go a long way when it comes to Arts and Crafts.
3. Play a Prank on Your Family:
A few laughs here and there can lighten the mood. Play a friendly prank on those around you. We don't mean faking your death or something serious, but if you're feeling a little mischievous, you can do something like this: When my kids were little, my oldest son, Mikhail used to play pranks on his younger sister and brother and one day, I got so tired of the complaining I decided to teach Mikhail a much deserved lesson.
While preparing dinner one night, I got a idea! Since we were having chicken wings, I cut the tips off, floured and fried them. When they sat down at the table and asked what was for dinner, I told them frog legs. You should have seen the look on each of their faces LOL. It was priceless! I had to turn my back to them to keep them from seeing the smile on my face. I had to keep it real.
I made their plates and sat it down in front of each of them. They looked at me, then looked down at their plates but they wouldn’t touch their food. I asked, “What’s wrong?”. They stated that they didn’t want frog legs. So, in order to get them to eat, I told them, “try it, frog legs taste just like chicken”.
Now to be fair, I had to trick all three of them so I could teach Mikhail a lesson. You know kids can’t keep a secret. After a couple of minutes of them sitting there my youngest son, Julian said he was hungry so, he picked up a “frog leg” and proclaimed, “it DOES taste just like chicken!”. I said, “I told you” and smiled. My daughter Maya then decided she would at least try it and started eating but Mikhail was not budging. He did not want to eat the “frog legs”.
After about 5 more minutes, I couldn’t take it any longer and told all the kids that it was just chicken. Mikhail didn’t want to believe me, so I showed them the tips of the wings. I went on to explain to him that this is what his siblings feel like when he plays pranks on them and I wanted to teach him a lesson. He understood and the pranks were over. Yay! It was harmless but it got my point across and it was loads of fun for me.
4. Build a Fort:
Building forts or dens is something from our childhoods. We all enjoyed laying out cushions, putting a tablecloth over 2 chairs, and playing pretend games. It’s time to reminisce and build a den for yourself.
You can really take self-isolation to the next level - add some warm lights, some cozy blankets, a good book and you won't want to leave for a week. This could very well be your new special place. Just make sure you have a strategy for getting up off the floor!
5. Listen to Old Music:
We all have old songs and music that have some memories attached, albeit not all as pleasant as others. But it’s always fun to revive the positive memories and listen to songs you might have enjoyed with friends or families back in grade school or college. Singing along with those around you or getting your friends on a video call to do it with you can be great fun.
6. Have a Karaoke Night:
You can have a fun karaoke night at home with your family or roommates. All you need is the internet for instrumentals of your favorite songs or famous songs that everyone knows, perhaps even songs you remember from years ago. It can be a nostalgic and fun experience for everyone.
7. Make up a new Dance Routine:
Dancing is a passion for many, and it is also a good way to exercise or just release some pent up energy. If you’re not already a dancer or just learning how to dance, making up your own dance routine can be fun. It will help raise spirits around the house, because, hey, who doesn’t love an emergency dance party?
8. Learn a Tik Tok Dance:
With the modern age of social media and the blissful existence of apps like Tik Tok, the internet is assaulted with a new Tik Tok dance routine or challenge almost every day. While it might be cringe-worthy, it can also be fun in an ironic way if you’re looking for ways to entertain your family, friends, or even your followers!
I found this article “The Best TikTok Dances to Learn While We’re All Quarantined” that will give you some ideas or at least another venue for entertainment.
Now if you didn’t know, Tik Tok is a social media app that enables users to make and share 15-second videos. These videos can be set to music and usually feature choreography.
9. Play Card Games:
Perhaps this would be a good time to hold a family card night. This can get quite competitive, so make sure everyone is prepared to lose at least once. Even if you are isolating alone there are many games you can play from Solitaire and Chain Solitaire to Idiot (yes it really is called that). Research online how to play. You can also download apps on your phone or laptop to play card games online – Spades and Gin Rummy are favorites.
10. Bring out the board games:
At some point in our lives, we all stopped playing board games, and now they probably just sitting on a shelf gathering dust. Well, maybe this is the time to clean them up and bring them back out. Board-games are a good way to get the whole family involved, whether they’re kids, adults or even teenagers! It could be a fun pastime, as long as no one ends up flipping the board over!
If you think playing board games is a thing of the past, check out this video of my friend, Lisa and her family getting down with a weekly family game night.
Don’t have any board games? You’re in luck. My colleague, Curtis has a website that is all about the board game, Game Night Gear. Here are a few games that he would recommend for families. Visit the links for full descriptions as well as age ranges and how many people can play.
Banana Bandits - a fighting game with monkeys on a tower throwing bananas at each other.
Description: In Banana Bandits, you take on the role of a hopeful ape waging war across an impressive 3D building. Each turn, you spend action points to move around the building, play power cards, and deal out damage to your competition.
Hearts of Attraction - good for all ages, like reverse marbles with heart shaped magnets
Description: The fun and flirty version of our original AttrAction game where skill, strategy and a little bit of luck result in a chain reaction of magnetic proportions!
Hop - an active game where you bet on whether other people can throw and catch a rainbow hoop on their finger with different scenarios like laying on their chair or throwing backwards over their head.
Rhino Hero Super Battle - building a tower of cards and climbing your character up top without knocking the tower over.
Description: Rhino Hero is back on the job! And this time, not only does the wobbly skyscraper need to be climbed, but there will be fierce battles between four superheroes: Rhino Hero himself and three new additions: Giraffe Boy, Big E. and Batguin.
11. Complete a Puzzle:
We all have a jigsaw puzzle lying around the house that we could never find the time for. Well, we think that puzzle should finally see the light of day. You can do this alone or get your family to help you out. It doesn’t have to be the world’s largest puzzle like the one here but you can finally get around to completing that puzzle.
12. Pick Up a New Hobby:
It's unfortunate that our regular routines don't leave us with much room to explore our personalities. Perhaps this is the perfect time to start doing something we always wanted to try. Be it painting, knitting, crochet, jewelry making, writing; there will be no better time to try them out. These activities are fun to do at home and can even involve the rest of the family. If you are self isolating with others why not think about one thing you can teach each other?
While we are all stuck in some sort of isolation, try to make the best of your time alone and with those you love. Use this article as a source of inspiration to make this time less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.
Stay safe and enjoy those around you.