17 ways to have fun with the family during the pandemic

1. Keep to a regiment

When life was normal, everyone had a schedule. Try to maintain a schedule that is as close to normal as possible. That means not treating this time as a holiday. If you are working from home, try to keep consistent hours. If your children are at home instead of in school make sure they are still homework, chores, and going to bed on time.

2. Use virtual learning tools

With schooling now happening from home, not everyone has the same access to resources. However, the good news is there are a lot of free programs online for students. Scholastic as well as other companies have released classroom learning programs for every age group. This provides an extra opportunity for learning outside of the possibly limited school resources.

3. Pick up a new language

There are several language learning software tools available for free. From Rosetta Stone to Duolingo you have the opportunity to use some of this idle time at home to pick up a skill that will open doors to you for the rest of your life.

4. Go on a virtual trip to historic landmarks

Even if you and your family can’t travel like you normally would, you can still virtually visit some of the world’s most impressive sights. You can either watch YouTube videos or even use Google Street view to see places like the Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Mount Rushmore, or Yosemite National Park! It might not be the same as visiting these places in real life, but you can still give your family a rewarding, educational experience.

5. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

You can also take a virtual tour of some of the best museums in the world. The Louvre, The National Art Gallery, The National Football Hall of Fame, and several others have video tours that you and the family can take for free!

6. Take a jungle excursion

There are several zoos around the country as well as groups like National Geographic who published recorded and live video sessions to see animals from around the world. Watching giraffes, lions and monkeys in their natural habitats is the best way to break up the day!

7. Ride a roller-coaster!

Amusement parks all across the country have video recordings of first-person views of people riding their attractions. It might not exactly be the same thrill as the real thing, but there are hundreds of rides you can go on!

8. Check out your favorite universities

Even though those college visit plans might have been put on hold, there are many schools that have virtual campus tours for interested high school seniors. This would be a great way to make some progress with decisions around college for next year.

9. Play a family game

Board games are the best way to connect with family and consume time when sitting around the house. Break out your box of Operation, Risk, Trouble, or whatever you have in the closet. It is a great bonding experience and will be more fun than you think!

10. Family movie night

Now understandably most people are probably watching more television right now. A lot more. But you don’t have to waste away in front of the screen watching meaningless shows and depressing news. Schedule a time to watch a movie the whole family can choose. Make it time to connect with your kids instead of just turning your brain off. There are many streaming services out there are offer basically any movie you can think of.

11. Go to a play

Theaters across the country are closed. However, you can still watch recordings of live shows! Most of the streaming services you already pay for have these options. Break up your evening and take the family to the theater to see Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, or Aida!

12. Do some genealogy work

A great way to spend this time at home with family is to learn about your family history! Most genealogy sites offer free access to do family tree searches. If you have ever wondered where your family came from or what your ethnicity is, a few simple searches could teach you things you never knew about your ancestors!

13. Readers are leaders

One of the most important skills in life is reading comprehension. With all of this free time, you and your kids should definitely be reading a book. If you aren’t, a good way to start is first, pick out a book that you or your kids find really interesting. Next, set aside time every day to read. It could be 20 mins or one hour but making time will get you in the regular practice of devoting reading time. If you don’t have access to books, there are many free versions online!

14. Exercise

Most of us are spending a lot more time inside these days and not getting the physical exercise we need. It can be easy to be lazy and not think about our overall health. With our gyms closed, most people are struggling with this. But even a short walk every day or doing some push-ups can go a long way. If you can’t go outside or the weather doesn’t permit it then check out some online exercise videos or even, try some yoga at home! If you really want to shake it up, try and have a family dance party with some great music!

15. Cook at home

While most restaurants are closed these days, we are either left to cook or order-in. You can save time and money by cooking meals. Don’t just do freezer dinners, try to improve your culinary skills by cooking something new. There are tons of recipes you can find online to try out as a family. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfect, it can be a fun thing to do as a bonding activity!

16. Be creative!

If you have art supplies laying around the house put them to good use and create art or make some crafts with your kids. Families across the country are hanging pieces of artwork in their windows. Some are even doing really cool chalk artworks on their sidewalks and driveways. If art isn’t your thing, there are dozens of easy at-home science experiments you can dabble with from putting Mentos in a liter of Cola to playing with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Go make a mess with your kids!

17. Have fun!

This time of crisis might seem very depressing, but you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend quality time with your family! You don’t have to do too much to create fond memories that will last a lifetime. Years from now when you look back on 2020, amidst all of the negativity, you can have good memories of time with your family!