20 COVID-19 Anti-boredom Resources and Ideas
Children are better behaved when they are happy and actively engaged. Even adults are better at adulting when we are happier and actively engaged in meaningful, creative endeavors, especially with people we love.
After weeks of sheltering in place without the routine of school, outdoor activities, and play-dates with friends, you and your children are probably ready for some new ideas. Keeping the stress of finances and job insecurity in mind, Mental Cheesecake has come up with a fun list of low or no-cost ideas to beat boredom and move away from video games as well as the daily COVID-19 news.
Enjoy our list of 20 low or no-cost activities to beat boredom and have fun while sheltering in place:
- Creative cooking/snacking: Sheltering in place can make you aware of all those trips to the grocery store. Decreasing or eliminating runs to the grocery story can lead to some creative recipes as well as improved planning. Challenge family members to a snack-off and see who can invent the most creative snack with a pre-determined list of available ingredients. Example: create a bird nest out of pretzel sticks, chocolate syrup, and peanut butter. Here’s the trick: Each person must make their bird nest like a mother bird – using only his/her mouth. After seeing each yummy creation, each person can eat their delicious pretzel nest.
- Game night – Dust off those games or even make up your own.
- Movie night with popcorn – Have a trivia game after each movie. Winner gets to pick the next movie. All family members can ask trivia questions.
- Put your children in charge of entertainment: First, have craft time and make sock puppets. Then your children can perform for the family. Place different topics in a jar for ideas.
- Plan a family talent show. Your children can schedule the talent (everyone participates), make the program, “sell” tickets as well as prepare the venue and plan refreshments.
- Random fun: Set the alarm on your phone for various times throughout the day. When the alarm goes off, everyone must stop and do five minutes of: dancing, jumping jacks, singing, counting backwards from 100, making silly faces, etc.,
- Draw silly Post-it Note faces
- Charades – fun for all ages. come up with your own versions using book titles, music titles, TV shows, family members, animals
- Start a COVID-19 family scrapbook or journal. Topics could include the difficulty of not leaving the house/seeing family/friends, best part of sheltering in place, inventions you predict, favorite memories, how family members were named, birth stories, everyone draw a plan of their futuristic house and write a list of crazy amenities, or write a funny memory/most embarrassing moment, etc., Two proven online tools include: Shutterfly and Blurb for creating your own family’s keepsake. When COVID-19 is history, your family will know more about each other and become much closer!
- This may be a good time to discover your roots. Check out Ancestry.com.
- Create a podcast or YouTube video with your children or pet. The possibility of topics are endless: cooking, story time, tell jokes, helpful advice, sing-a-long, dance class instructions, best method for bathing a dog, etc.,
- If your pet doesn’t already have one, he/she probably needs a Twitter account. Right?
- Learn to knit. You can order supplies online.
- Plan ahead to host your own COVID-19 survival party
- Watch comedians sheltering in place too. The Tonight Show with Jimmie Fallon hosts a nightly YouTube video that often includes his children: The Tonight Show: At Home Edition.
- Make your own music with items from around the house. Here’s a video from Jimmie Fallon and The Roots for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsPhTbJhuo
- Get a Zoom account to connect with family and friends. It’s not just for businesses. Their free account is probably all you’ll need. This is especially fun and safe for grandparents.
- Write a book with your children and publish it. Check out: https://www.mystorybook.com/
- Craft time: Children of all ages enjoy making crafts and especially slime. Make your own slime innovations with these colorful directions from Dick Blick Art Materials and Elmer’s.
- Make a tent.
- Exercise. Not only is exercising good for the whole family, children will love being the teacher and in charge of the exercises. Watch some videos or create your own.
- Form your own book club. There are many ways to ramp up the fun by forming a book club with your children or even your spouse or other family members. Here are some suggestions: Create games based on the book(s) you’re reading, email questions to the author, start a blog based on your book club’s reading recommendations, keep a record of your reading travels on a map, let each book club member recommend books, create your own system for recommending books (instead of 5 stars, you might use ice creams, smiley faces or your favorite candy). For example, Two by Two by Lisa Lowe Stauffer is a fun book for ages 4-8. Activities ideas for this fun selection include doing the limbo, creating music and marching in a parade through the backyard. Click here for more children’s book activities.
