40 Fun Family Activities To Prevent Cabin Fever During Covid19

Dr. Christopher Li Etobicoke - Li Family Dental

By Dr. Christopher Li, DDS

March 31, 2020

corona virus, covid19, family activities, family fun

Feeling A Little Stir Crazy At Home?  It’s To Be Expected.  These 40 Fun Family Activities Will Help!

 

Not everyone enjoys staying home for long periods, but there isn’t much choice in emergencies when you’re asked to isolate yourselves. But there are things you can do. Here’s 40 Fun Family Activities To Prevent Cabin Fever.

So, you’ve confined yourself to your house because of the Coronavirus emergency, and you’ll be staying at home for the next few weeks. But what will you do? Not everyone enjoys staying at home for long periods, but during a pandemic, there aren’t many alternatives.

So, what will you do?

For one thing, you could hold a family meeting and decide on a daily schedule together, so that everyone is aware of the plan and willing to follow it. You can set times for structured learning, play, and fitness, as well as reading and screen time.

It can help to regulate your day by creating some kind of consistent routine. Routines and schedules can help make an emergency situation seem less scary because your days become predictable, instead of just waiting around for something to happen.

In this article, we’ve gathered some great ways for you to have fun, both with your family and on your own, so you can all stay busy and make the most of your time while at home.

Outdoor Fun & Fitness

  • family fitness - fun family activities - covid19Get fresh air: If permitted, you can go out for a bike ride or take a walk in the park. Of course, you must keep a distance of at least 6-8 feet or more from other people. Some fresh air can help you feel better after spending a lot of time indoors.
  • Get fit: While it may be tempting to laze around, you could use this time to improve your fitness. Down Dog is making its ‘Yoga for Beginners’, ‘7-Min Workout’, ‘HIIT’, and ‘Barre’ apps free until May 1.
  • Garden: Now that you have time, you can prune and prepare garden beds for the upcoming spring. You can even start a container garden on your balcony! Order a variety of seeds and starters online and get to it!
  • Sports: Play some tennis against the wall or kick a soccer ball around with your kids. You could even practice batting or shoot some hoops with your family in the driveway.
  • Camp: Set up a tent and sleeping bags in your backyard to have a bit of camping fun! If it’s too cold, camp in your living room!

Indoor Fun

  • Board games: It’s time to bring out all the board games collecting dust in the cupboards! Whether it’s a group game or a one-on-one competition, they’re sure to help pass the time. You can even find a lot of them online.
  • Books: Pick a book off your shelf (or download one) and get lost in another world. Brightly has a number of recommendations for readers of all ages.
  • family music - fun family activities - covid19Build a fort: Grab some blankets and empty boxes and build yourself a fort in the living room. Not only is it fun, but you also get to create some personal space.
  • Make a movie: Write a script, prepare some costumes, and involve your whole family in your magnificent smartphone movie.
  • Experiment & explore: KiwiCo, among other sites, have a large collection of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities that can be done using simple household items.
  • Card games: War, Uno, Go Fish, or even Poker and Cards Against Humanity – there are many age-appropriate card games that you can play with your family to pass the time.
  • Puzzles: Whether you’re working alone or with someone else, puzzles can keep you busy and stimulate your brain at the same time.
  • Make music: Several music-making apps, like Music Maker Jam and Soundtrap, are now free for a month, so you can experiment with fun new sounds.
  • Dance: Staying at home means a lot of bottled-up energy, and dancing can be really fun. Record yourself and become the new TikTok sensation!
  • Learn an instrument: Now that you have time on your hands, you can finally learn how to play an instrument. There are many beginners’ resources on the internet, and if you’re an intermediate or advanced learner, you can even attend video conferences.

 

Self-Care and Self-Improvement

  • Journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a great way to manage any anxiety you may be experiencing, as well as reduce stress by creating goals and tracking your daily activity.
  • Gather virtually: Maybe you can’t go out for a cup of coffee together, but you can each grab your own cups from the kitchen and Facetime with your friends to stay connected!
  • Pray: Although you can’t congregate in gatherings, many faith groups have organized streaming services to pray and worship collectively.
  • Meditate: Take a few minutes every day to clear your head and find your Zen. There are several apps like Calm, Headspace, and Aura that can help with this, and reducing stress in tough times can help increase your positivity.
  • Spread cheer: When you cheer someone up, you also cheer up yourself. Leave your family encouraging notes or send your neighbour some homemade cookies to brighten up their day!
  • Spa day: While you can’t physically go to the spa yourself, you can take a bubble bath and use DIY spa day suggestions to pamper yourself at home.
  • Adulting lessons: Adulting is hard, but everyone has to do it! Use this time to teach your kids the basics – doing the laundry, cooking, and creating a budget are skills everyone should learn!
  • Colour: Though kids’ colouring books can be fun too, there are many adult colouring books that can provide a creative way to practice mindfulness and reduce stress levels. There are many free colouring pages on the internet that you can print!

Screen Time

  • family dressup - fun family activities - covid19Social games and apps: There are plenty of online games like Minecraft and Fortnite that people can play together to stay connected.
  • Binge classics: What better way to cope with a pandemic than by watching some movies and TV shows? Log on to your streaming service of choice and revisit some classics you love or catch up on ones you missed.
  • Keep learning: School may be closed, but your kids don’t have to stop learning! There are lots of PreK-12 resources available online for parents to use to keep their kids on track.
  • Streaming fun: Leaving your house may be prohibited in a lockdown, but luckily, many museums and operas are streaming virtual tours that you can take online!
  • Couch drive-in: Let your family take turns picking the theme of the week and sit together to watch movies and TV shows with that theme!
  • Reruns: If you’ve been wanting to rewatch your favourite show but haven’t had time — you have time now!

Arts & Crafts

  • Paint, draw, collage: Bring out all those paints and crayons, and see where it takes you! Or take the digital route and draw something on your tablet, using free drawing software like Krita!
  • Build something: Take out all your Lego, toothpicks, and popsicle sticks to start building something! Even old-school card houses can keep you busy for hours!
  • Scrapbooking: Grab those old family photos stored away in boxes and start putting them together in scrapbooks to preserve all those memories!
  • Make friendship bracelets: Handmade bracelets have been ”in” for decades, and times haven’t changed all that much! Give your friends a present the next time you see them!
  • Needlework: Knitting and sewing projects can keep you busy! There are many YouTube videos out there for inspiration and guidance!

In the Kitchen

  • Family cleaning - fun family activities - covid19Dress-up dinner: You may be stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. Put on some nice clothes, do your hair, and have a fancy dinner in your kitchen.
  • Learn something new: Look for a fun new recipe on the internet and try it out! Pick something based on region, or on what’s in your pantry.
  • Bake-off: Who doesn’t like sweets? Now’s the best time to experiment with those cookie and cake recipes!

Home Improvement

  • Organize: Choose a target and start redoing it! Your drawers, the toy box, the closet – it’s time to rearrange and clean up!
  • Declutter: Spark joy in tough times by Marie Kondo-ing your house! Get rid of all that clutter and make your space feel much cleaner.
  • Decorate: Seeing your house arranged the same way every day can get boring – change it up a bit by moving your furniture or decorating your walls!

 

There’s no silver bullet to preventing cabin fever while in isolation but arming yourself with this powerful list of 40 Fun Family Activities To Prevent Cabin Fever will surely keep you on the right track.

 

 

Dr. Christopher Li, DDS

About the author

Doctor Christopher Li, DDS
Dr. Chris, as he is affectionately known, is a licensed dentist with over 20 years experience. His caring personality makes even the most tentative person at ease. Patients are constantly commenting about how Dr. Chris is incredible at delivering pain-free freezing, and how he has an amazing chair-side manner.  Dr. Chris loves sharing information with his patients and everyone who has teeth about how to care for their teeth, avoid tooth decay, and the treatments available to help them overcome their tooth pain or other dental issues so they can enjoy life and food to its fullest!

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