How to Do Family Fun and Social Distancing
07 Oct 2020
Governments around the world are urging families to stay at home to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. As health authorities struggle to flatten the curve, families can do their part by self-isolating and practicing social distancing — which isn’t always easy, especially if your family has children.
There’s a tendency for the kids to be a little antsy, bored or frustrated since they are stuck at home. They can’t see their friends and their trips were cancelled. But even though you have to re-schedule your Gold Coast deep sea fishing trip or postpone play dates with friends, it doesn’t mean your family can’t have fun at home.
Here are some ideas of activities:
Play as Many Games as You Can
There are different types of games that encourage fun and stimulate the mind. Board games, for example, can encourage a fun competitive spirit as the kids strategize to win the game. Family classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, and Snakes and Ladders, as well as hands-on games like Jenga, Operation, and Twister, make for a fun night. For the older kids, a fun game of Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition) is available online.
If the kids are lovers of video games, join them. Indulge in their favorites. If you have video systems like Playstation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch, you are good to go. If the children want to expand their collection of video games, download a variety of games on Google Play and the AppStore.
If your kids are looking for fun social distancing games that they can play with the neighbors, brainstorm games that do not require getting too close to others. Water gun fights, badminton, lawn bowling, and bocce are perfect examples. Just set rules that prevent the kids from touching other players’ equipment to reduce germ transmission.
Go on a Virtual Tour
Travel plans might be on hold at the moment due to the pandemic but you can still have a fun outing without leaving your house. Visit Australian zoos, landmarks, museums, and galleries from your home via virtual tours. Some tours let you view online exhibits while others involve Google Street view tours.
Enjoy a Family Movie Night
Now is the best time to have more movie nights with the family. Cry, laugh, and get distracted from the pandemic with your favorite film. Brainstorm your list of must-watch movies or browse online for family favourites.
Make movie night more special by transforming a room into a mini-theater. Draw out the blinds, prepare some popcorn, and get beanbags for the kids to sit while they enjoy the movie.
If you run out of DVDs to watch, streaming services can entertain your family with hours and hours of movies. From Amazon Prime and Netflix to Disney+, you can find your children’s favorite movies and watch them for hours (or before bedtime!).
Get Crafty
Arts and crafts are great for kids of all ages. Have fun with colored paper, crayons, feathers, and stickers. Doing arts will not only distract the kids from the pandemic; it will also encourage them to be more creative.
COVID-19 need not stop you and the kids from having fun at home. Beat cabin fever with the family by doing some of these fun activities!
Cheers,
Big Daddy
If you would like me to review your product, service, restaurant, or travel destination, please send me an email at craig@bigdaddykreativ.ca or tweet me at @BigDaddyKreativ
Craig Silva
Craig is a husband, father, team leader, travel and food writer, senior youth group coordinator, designer, brander, community builder, volunteer, and social media strategist. He likes to travel, go camping, go on road trips, watch movies, build stuff, operate the grill, and sing with his band. Craig is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. If you are a PR agency or brand and would like Craig to review a travel destination, vehicle, restaurant, product or service, please send him an email.
