The Coronavirus has clearly upset our daily routines; however, Team Wren does not want to let this virus ruin your weekends!! Here are some activities that you can add to your new quarantine routine to keep you and your house entertained:
Hold a virtual cooking competition!
- This is such a fun thing for both adults and kids to get involved in! Get a group of friends together and have a virtual cooking competition! You can challenge your friends to make their own version of a specific meal, to recreate one specific recipe, or to create their own unique dish based on a theme! Pick a date, set a time limit, and use pictures, videos, and/or Facetime to view each other’s creations! There are so many different challenges, inspiration, and recipes on Food Network’s website, as well as other online resources.
Start a book club!
- This may sound a little old school, but so many of us are always complaining about not having enough time to read! So, why not start a book club with some of your good friends?? This could also be a good idea to do with your kids and their friends – pick a different children’s book or series to read every night, or week, and commit to finishing it by a certain time. What a great way to help our kids connect during this time! Check out our previous blog post on some of Team Wren’s favorite reads for some start-out ideas:
Find a virtual workout buddy!
- Finding it harder to get motivation during quarantine? Find a workout buddy! Sweat sessions are always more fun with a group, and now is the perfect time to Facetime a friend and get going on your fitness goals!
- BONUS TIP: many gyms are offering free workouts and fitness advice during this time such as Anytime Fitness and LA Fitness!
Make a pen pal!
- This is something that can also be good for kids and adults alike! Connecting with someone across the state, the country, or even the world can be such a powerful experience. There are so many services, such as Pen Pal World, where you can sign up for free and make a pen pal in a different location then your own. What a cool way to connect during this time of social distancing!
Have a Netflix party!
- Netflix just isn’t the same without friends, right? Luckily, there is now a free extension that you can download to host a Netflix Party! You can start by watching any of your Netflix favorites, and then the extension will create a unique URL for your party that can be copied, pasted, and shared with friends! Just the social stimulation we need!
Learn a new language!
- What an amazing new skill to leave quarantine with! This is such a great activity to do as a couple, as a group of friends, or even as a family! There are many online resources that can be used such as Learn A Language, Rosetta Stone, or Babbel. Doing this with someone else who can learn with you and hold you accountable to the commitment is so helpful and would be such an amazing use of your extra time!
Have themed dinners!
- This is a great way to keep the kiddos engaged and excited after a long day of staying at home, (again), and is so super easy to pull off! Give everyone in your house a few small pieces of paper and have them write down a theme of their choice – it can be anything they want! Then, place all of the pieces of paper into a bowl and keep it in a central location of the house. Everyday after school, or work, or nap time, let one person pick a piece of paper out of the bowl and everyone has to show up to dinner dressed up in that theme! This is an easy way to get the littles excited and bring the whole family together at the end of the day. Here are some of our favorite theme ideas:
- Christmas
- Disney
- The Zoo
- Superheroes
- Time Travel
- Hawaii
- Different Decades
Get crafting!
- This is one of those activities that can be useful for children, teenagers, and adults alike. Creative projects are not limited to a piece of paper and a marker or two. Search online for creative crafting projects for your kids! Boston Children’s Museum is a great resource for at-home activities for your kids, and even have a free email service that will send you direct daily activities as well as educational articles and podcasts about how to learn and play simultaneously while at home! For teenagers and adults, look for projects that you know will keep you entertained. Perhaps there are some projects that you have been meaning to get to around the house? Maybe it’s finally time to build that shelf you said you would last Summer…or haven’t you always had an interest in sewing? Now is the time to learn! From making your own face and hair masks, to making your own lava lamp at home, to craft is to simply be creative! (P.S. Pinterest is the ultimate creative idea machine 😉)
Go on a virtual tour!
- If you are the artist of your house and you are missing your creative outlet, this may be just the activity for you! Many larger museums are offering virtual tours of their grand halls and exhibits for you to enjoy from the safety of your own home! Some of the greater museums of the United States, such as the National Museum of Natural History, offer virtual tours directly from their website. If you are seeking a slight bit more of international culture exposure, then Google Arts and Culture holds multiple virtual tours of international museums from all over the world.