Welcome to The Ultimate Quarantine Survival Guide for Families! Thank you for joining us on this weird, wild, and sometimes scary ride. If you are looking for pandemic parenting tips or quarantine activities to do with your kids, then you have come to the right place. This ultimate guide on how to quarantine with your kids covers two main things:
- Quarantine Parenting Tips: A collection useful parenting tips that are specifically tailored to parenting during a pandemic.
- Quarantine Activities for Kids: A healthy list of fun, creative, and free (or mostly free) quarantine activities you can do with your kids or as a family.
Parenting is a tough job no matter how you slice it, and quarantine parenting is tough times a million. But with the help of this guide, you won’t just be surviving, you will be thriving, and reconnecting as a family in the process.
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How to Survive Quarantine with Kids
Family life is challenging.
You love your kids. Maybe you even enjoy spending time with them. That might be why you had kids in the first place. 🙂
But where in the bloody parenting contract did it say that you would have to spend every waking hour with them, cooped up at home until who knows when?!
This article was written with that struggle in mind. No one asked for this pandemic; it isn’t anyone’s fault. (Though it does feels good to arbitrarily blame the year 2020!) And yet here we are. Living through it and forced to deal with stay-at-home orders, distance learning, face masks, and the growing stigma around the name Karen.
My hope is that even in the storm of all of that, you will find time to read this post and get something useful from the countless tips, tricks, and quarantine activities I’ve shared here. Try a few or try them all – you can survive this if you set your mind to it – we all can 🙂
Parenting During a Pandemic
Parenting is a challenge under the best circumstances. And though you might not be a stranger to adversity, quarantine parenting, aka parenting during a global pandemic, is not likely something you have faced before.
Check out the video below on how to parent during a pandemic, which features reassuring advice from parenting expert and author of You Can’t F*ck Up Your Kids: A Judgment-Free Guide to Stress-Free Parenting
, Lindsay Powers. (video and post from Lifehacker’s parenting editor Meghan Moravcik Walbert)
Why does quarantine parenting feel so crappy?
When the world endures a major catastrophe, it is felt everywhere. And right now, tensions are high.
Living through a pandemic keeps us in a low-grade state of anxiety and self-preservation. This constant feed of stress streaming in the background can lead to unexpected mental health issues, even in the most centered of humans.
On a global level, down to the smallest microcosm, this pandemic has put stress on us all. With everyone at home now, the number of family interactions that take place on a daily basis has skyrocketed. So it’s understandable that many families have seen an uptick in negative behavior.
All of the old, now seemingly mundane problems you faced before the pandemic did not magically disappear when the quarantine began. In fact, for some families, things got exponentially worse.
How am I supposed to parent during a pandemic?
The pandemic quarantine has impacted countless households around the world. According to a recent study, 96% of Americans have experienced orders to shelter in place.
Maybe you lost your job and are now home all the time. Or perhaps you are still employed and suddenly working from home around all of your children. Or maybe you are a stay at home parent who is trying to figure out how to help your child still get an education. Maybe you’re an essential worker who’s not only trying to figure out child care, but also how to stay healthy.
Whatever your circumstances, the change in boundaries between work and home life has made managing the household tougher than ever.
So you may be wondering, ‘what exactly am I supposed to do now?’
Well, dear parent, there are things you can do. Lots of things actually, and this guide can help. I’ve included several useful tips and tricks that are especially helpful when parenting during a pandemic. AND if you are looking for creative quarantine activities for kids, then keep reading! I’ve included tons of fun quarantine activities to do with your kids 🙂
The parenting tips and quarantine activities outlined in this post will help your family heal, settle, and reconnect.
Quarantine Parenting Tips
There is no handbook for how to parent during a pandemic (not yet at least). But there are some tried and true parenting strategies that can help during times like these.
Here are a few tips on how to survive the day to day, how to talk to your kids, how to adapt discipline, and how to keep them learning.
Quarantine Parenting Tips for Daily Survival
NOTE: The following quarantine parenting tips are general guidelines that most parents should be able to implement. However, it should be noted, that some family struggles are particularly acute and may need more serious intervention. These quarantine parenting tips are no replacement for the quality support of a mental health professional.
1. Routines
One major way parents can keep it together is to focus on routines. Break out the old bulletin board or chalkboard and draw up your family’s schedule for the day. Create visual routine boards for kids so they know when it’s play time and when it’s learning time. Involve your kids in the crafting of these visual aids so they are more invested in following them. Check out these visual schedule ideas and free printables from Teaching Mama.
Etsy has loads of artists with daily routine charts and boards ready to go. Many offer immediate downloads that are affordable and easy to print. What’s super fun is that you can customize them specific to the needs of your kids, complete with their own name in beautiful lettering! I especially like these custom quarantine schedules for kids from Custom Printables NY.
Some kids respond well to interactive daily routine visual aids. You could make your own and involve your kiddos in the project. Listening in the Litany has a lovely tutorial on how to make a simple to use routine chart. And I love this fun tutorial from A Glass of Goldwater on how to make a magnetic routine chart. But, if you want something quick and easy, grab some of these daily routine charts from Amazon.
Daily Routine Charts for Kids
2. Screen Time
Many parents have relaxed their screen time rules since the pandemic hit – an understandable coping strategy under such stressful circumstances. In fact, many experts are now saying that during a pandemic, screen time use should not be one of your worries.
However, it’s crucial that screen time doesn’t become the only coping tool in your parent toolbox. There are lots of helpful resources out there on how to manage screen time. I love this post from Aha Parenting on managing screen time during the pandemic. This article from Bright Horizons also offers some quarantine-specific ideas on how to handle screen time with your kids.
Although it’s completely okay to rely on screen time when you need a break, it’s still helpful to monitor your kids’ screen usage so you can track time spent with screens and what they are doing. Have you ever thought about trying a timer system? These innovative timers help make tracking screen time fun:
Screen Time Tracking Timers
Another helpful tip – find ways to make screen time more interactive. Plan a movie night. Play a video game as a family. Find an app that allows multiple participants. That way, your kids will get some social interaction and connection while also enjoying the soothing glow of that screen.
3. Family Meetings
Setting regular time aside to take stock of your family’s wellness is always beneficial, but even more so when things feel so uncertain. You can use family meetings to check-in with everyone, create space for discussion, and also keep track of household expectations. Family meetings should always include a fun activity so you can enjoy some quality time together once the business of the day is done.
Learn more about family meetings here and check out the Positive Discipline Family Meeting Album for a fun way to run family meetings.
And for more excellent strategies and tips, check out this post from blog expert Minuca Elena, Working From Home With Babies And Kids – 15 Mommy Bloggers Share Their Experiences, which features some powerful advice for parents.
Quarantine Parenting Tips for How to Talk to Your Kids
Talking with your kids about a pandemic is uncharted territory for most parents. But that doesn’t mean you have to approach discussions any differently than you would other serious topics.
Here are a few tips:
- Check in with your kids: Offer space to talk. Invite discussion about their worries and ask curiosity questions to understand what they want to know. The more kids have the opportunity to process their fears, the less their fears will rule them.
- Validate their feelings: Try not to talk them out of their fears or anxiety – it will only make them feel unheard. Acknowledge that it’s okay to worry and then ask them what they need.
- Be honest and direct: When your kids ask questions about what’s going on in the world, share what you know, but don’t overshare. Bearing in mind their age, be as honest and clear as you can about what’s happening. Steer clear of candy-coated responses and try not to avoid their questions. If your kids are worried, they will try and find answers. Let those answers come from you.
- Provide trusted information and truthful reassurance: Explore trusted coronavirus data and facts about the varying levels of risk in different scenarios your family may encounter. Regularly review the safety measures you have in place.
Quarantine Parenting Tips for Discipline
With everyone stewing in the stresses of a global pandemic, it’s reasonable to assume that behavior issues will spike. It’s helpful to remember that kids are more likely to act out their emotions, rather than put them into words. When addressing behavior problems, make sure to validate their feelings even when you’re not okay with the behavior.
Here are a few more tips for discipline under quarantine:
1. Dig Deep and Find Extra Patience
Even though you are under the same stress, try to keep in mind that you have more brain development, life experience, and coping skills than your kids. Remember the limits of their developmental capabilities (check out this awesome guide on child development here) and let that help inform your discipline. There is almost always a good mission behind that negative behavior. Repeat after me, “My child is just trying to get a need met”.
2. Extend Transition Time
Knowing that most kids tend to struggle with transitions, you can most definitely expect transitions both large and small to trigger your kids during quarantine. Make transitions smoother by announcing them early, often, and giving plenty of time to move through them.
3. Validate Unexpected Emotions (But Try to Expect Mood Swings)
As mentioned above, kids tend to act out their feelings because their brains aren’t developed enough for them to process through their feelings in integrated ways. Be ready for mood swings to increase in your household and plan accordingly. Stay as calm as you can and help your child ride out the emotion.
For more on this, read this excellent post on emotional expression from Pick Any Two that includes the powerful train analogy, “Difficult feelings are tunnels, and we are trains traveling through them.”
Remember, they are not acting this way to upset you, they are upset. Sometimes you will be the target. Always make sure you send the message that the moody feelings are okay. Wait until all is calm before addressing the negative behavior.
For more on this, check out No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
. Based in brain science, this book is an excellent resource on how to validate your child and redirect behavior.
4. Apologize When Appropriate
If you lose your cool, apologize to your family when you’re calm. Saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean you’ve given up your power. In fact, it shows your kids that you are confident enough in your role as parent to admit when you’ve made a mistake.
When encouraging your kids to apologize to you or to each other, make sure they want to apologize. Forcing an apology rarely achieves the intended goal.
5. Create More Cool Down Spaces
When your kids act out, it can be tempting to send them to time-out or to their room. But it’s important to be mindful about how you send them away.
Isolation is usually the last thing a child needs when they are overwhelmed by their emotions. Your kids look to you for a sense of safety and security when things feel out of control. Offer that to them (even if you are frustrated with their behavior) in the best way you can.
Make more cool down spaces around the house so that when you encourage your child to spend time cooling down, they can choose a spot nearby so they don’t feel rejected or isolated. Suggest they take a breather in their “cool down space” and offer to join them in a couple minutes to check on them.
If you don’t have a designated cool down space in your home, check out this excellent post from Coping Skills for Kids on how to make one, or this post from Mindful Little Minds for another great tutorial on how to create a calm down space.
I highly recommend the Time-In ToolKit from Genmindful.com – it has everything you need to create an awesome Calming Corner. The kit comes ready-to-hang and filled with tools and activities that will boost emotional intelligence and help your child learn to self-regulate. Get your Time-In ToolKit here.
And check out the links below for more ideas on how to set up the perfect cool down space for your child.
Cool Down Space Supplies
For more tips on discipline, check out this post on how to deal with emotional meltdowns.
Quarantine Parenting Tips for Learning
Keeping your kids on a schedule will help promote continued learning. Gather an arsenal of educational tools to set before them during designated learning time. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. YouTube Learning Channels
There are loads of channels on YouTube that feature interactive learning shows. You can schedule learning time throughout the day and set them up with a YouTube channel during one of those scheduled times. (NOTE: YouTube Channels also provide nice opportunities to squeeze in some parental self-care!)
- The Brain Scoop: An awesome (and quirky) channel where Emily, Chief Curiosity Correspondent for the Field Museum in Chicago, shares the work and research of natural history museums with the world.
- Genevieve’s Playhouse: An energetic and fun channel that is a favorite with toddlers.
- NatGeo Kids: The perfect channel to get your animal fix and discover facts about nature.
- Crash Course Kids: Looking for some grade school science? Subscribe to to Crash Course Kids for a collection of really cool videos about earth, habitats, space, and more.
- SciShow Kids: Tired of your kids asking you weird questions about science? This channel will answer them for you! They also do a regular SciShow for adults that is utterly fascinating. They also have one on space and one on psychology. The moral of the story is: they are awesome.
For more educational YouTube channel ideas, check out this video from Mr. Cook’s Corner.
2. Educational Workbooks
Workbooks are a simple way to keep your kids’ neural pathways firing. Amazon has tons of workbooks available for cheap that are divided by age and subject. The options are overwhelming, but here are a few I highly recommend:
- School Zone – Big Preschool Workbook – Ages 4 and Up, Colors, Shapes, Numbers 1-10, Alphabet, Pre-Writing, Pre-Reading, Phonics, and More (School Zone Big Workbook Series)
- School Zone – Big Kindergarten Workbook – Ages 5 to 6, Early Reading and Writing, Numbers 0-20, Matching, Story Order, and More (School Zone Big Workbook Series)
- Brain Quest Workbook: Grade 1My First Learn to Write Workbook: Practice for Kids with Pen Control, Line Tracing, Letters, and More! (Kids coloring activity books)
- Learn to Read: A Magical Sight Words and Phonics Activity Workbook for Beginning Readers Ages 5-7: Reading Made Easy | Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st Grade
- School Zone – Big Second Grade Workbook – Ages 7 to 8, 2nd Grade, Word Problems, Reading Comprehension, Phonics, Math, Science, and More (School Zone Big Workbook Series)
3. STEM Activity Blogs
After spending some time in “YouTube class”, your kids will likely want something hands on and interactive. There are numerous STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) blogs online that share countless creative (and safe) science experiments and activities that your kids can do at home.
Here are a few of my favorite STEM Activity Blogs that feature quarantine friendly activities for kids:
- STEM Activities for Kids Blog: Multiple expert contributors post how-to guides for educational activities like Fun Activities to Try with Toilet Paper Rolls or WebQuests and STEM Challenges. They also have a post on How To Easily Add At-Home STEM Activities.
- Vivify STEM: This fantastic STEM education site was created by friends and aerospace engineers, Natasha and Claire. Try At-Home STEM Activity Calendar: 6 Weeks of Daily Activities and Space Suit Design: STEM At Home Activity. They also have a post on virus protection that is especially timely.
- Blog She Wrote – STEM Activities for Teens: Heather Woodie, parent of 4, is a homeschooler on a mission. Whether you’re a homeschooler or not, the activities on her blog make perfect quarantine activities for your kids. Try Illustrating the Human Body and Plant Journaling for Homeschoolers. For a nearly endless supply of quarantine activities for your kids, check out 100 STEM Projects for Kids & Teens of All Kinds.
- Kids Activities: Texas mom and author Holly Homer has filled this site with loads of accessible and fun activities for kids. With multiple expert contributors, you can find tons of quarantine-friendly activities for your kids, including a vast collection of STEM activities. Check out 25 Math Activities for Kids Who Hate Math and How to Make a Simple Paper Plate Marble Maze. Bookmark this post on STEM Activities and never run out of things to do!
Quarantine Activities for Kids
It’s been a long quarantine so far and likely we’ve got a little longer to go. If you’ve run out of quarantine activities to do with your kids, you are not alone. Finding lock-down friendly things to do can be a challenge, especially as we move into colder weather in some parts of the country. But hopefully, this list of quarantine activities will inspire you and spark new ideas for you and your family.
Quarantine Activities for Child Mental Health
Mental health and wellness are so crucial right now. Finding creative ways to stay mentally healthy will help your kids to get through. Here are some helpful quarantine activities for kids that will help them maintain positive mental health:
1. Regular Walks and Going Green
We all know physical activity is good for your health. But taking a walk each day doesn’t just give your kids a chance to exercise, it establishes a ritual for them to look forward to and depend on.
As psychologist Dr. Mary Jane Rotherman explains in this video post from Kids in the House, rituals are grounding, they produce a sense of calm, and they provide comfort during times of stress. There is no better time to incorporate rituals like taking a walk than during a global pandemic.
While you’re at it, find a way to spend some time in green spaces. According to a recent study, researchers at the Denmark’s University of Aarhas found that exposure to green space during childhood reduces the risk for mental health disorders later in life.
Another study, published in BJPsych International (2017), concluded that “simple exposure to nature environments is psychologically restorative and has beneficial influences on individuals’ emotions and ability to reflect on life problems.”
In other words, go green!
2. Journaling
Journaling is an extremely therapeutic tool that promotes emotional wellness. As quarantine activities for kids go, journaling is probably one of the most accessible and affordable activities on the list. If you have a notebook, you can start a journal. But journaling doesn’t have to end there.
Why not let your kids get super creative with their journal to really make it their own?
This DIY journal kit from FAO Scwartz is seriously amazing. It will definitely inspire your kiddo to pour their heart out. Check it out here: FAO Schwarz DIY Journal and Scrapbooking Set for Kids, Includes 70 Page Journal, Magnetic Bookmarks, Sticker Sheets, Gold Glitter Washi Tape, Diecut Photo Frames, Paper Clips, Glue, Pen, and More
.
And I also adore this 80-page journal that kids are able to completely personalize: Just My Style Create Your Own Custom Dream Journal by Horizon Group USA
3. Draw Your Safe Haven
As an art therapist, one of my favorite interventions to do with kids and families is the Safe Haven activity. I would provide an array of drawing supplies and ask the client to depict their Safe Haven, or place they would like to be when they need to feel safe. Clients enjoy the process of creating their safe space, and will often use the image moving forward as a visualization exercise when they need to self-soothe.
What’s so cool about this activity is that you don’t have to be a trained art therapist to use it. Ask your kids to use their imaginations to design a Safe Haven in their minds. Then ask them to put it to paper. You can hang up their creations and refer to them whenever they are feeling anxious.
For more on how to use this activity in with your kids, check out this post from art therapist, Carolyn Mehlomakulu, LMFT-S, ATR-BC, on her art therapy blog, Creativity in Therapy.
4. Family Dinner Check-ins
When having dinner as a family (if you don’t often do this, now is a good time to try and incorporate more sit-down family dinners), ask your kids to share the high point and the low point of their day. You should also do the same. This mutual sharing not only connects you as a family, but offers a ritualistic time for venting feelings and getting support.
6. Sensory Play
Kids learn through play. It’s also a key mode of self-expression. Help them develop their hearts and minds by offering quarantine activities for your kids that are centered on sensory experiences. This post on sensory activities from How Wee Learn is perfect for toddlers. And this collection of sensory play activities from Learning 4 Kids covers a broad range of ages.
Sensory toys are a great way to promote sensory play. If you are looking to invest in some sensory toys for your kids, check out this post from Your Kids Table, which features several toys from the collection below:
Best Sensory Toys for Kids
Quarantine Activities for Creativity
During times of crisis, making things can be extremely therapeutic. People often look for ways to feel useful and productive when things feel out of control. Getting creative and engaging in arts and crafts has been shown to help kids cope with trauma. That is why art therapy can be so beneficial.
Help your kids boost their mental health with these fun activities:
1. Decorative Wall Art
Create a painting as a family and hang it up in your living room. Or, set your kids up with some water color paper and paints, and let them create whatever their hearts desire. You could ask them to do a painting series on feelings to hang up along the stairway by using these tips on Emotion Painting from Kinder Art. Want some beach-themed art for the bathroom? Check out this collection of Summer Beach Crafts for Kids from Fun Family Crafts. Or how about an artistic take on the family pet? Whatever the painting prompt, this activity is an easy and exciting way to add some personal and meaningful art to your walls. Grab this affordable canvas pack and this washable tempera paint set or this acrylic paint set for kids, and get creating!
2. Greeting Cards
Making greeting cards is an easy and rewarding way to get the creative juices flowing. Your kids will love making cards for you and each other and most likely, everyone you know. Being apart from loved ones during quarantine can be pretty painful, but handmade greeting cards can soothe those wounds.
Why not use good old-fashioned snail mail to send the grandparents a homemade “Thinking of You” card from the grandkids they miss so dearly?
Or, you could ask your children to make cards for people in need. Soldiers, sick children, and especially seniors are all facing isolation due to COVID-19. Brighten their day with a sweet greeting card from your child. Here are a few non-profits that accept greeting cards: Military Missions, Cards for Hospitalized Kids, and Love for the Elderly
3. Family Sculpture
Ask your kids to create a family sculpture, using whatever supplies you have around the house. To get more bang for your buck, ask them to tell a story about your family, using the sculpted figures. Here is a helpful post from renowned psychologist and art therapist, Cathy Malchiodi PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, on making a family sculpture.
4. Make and Donate Masks
When the first signs of the coronavirus invaded the news, I started to do some research about ways to protect our family. I stumbled across a few tutorials on how to make homemade masks, and I also came across some requests for mask donations for health care workers. So I broke out the sewing machine and got to work. Not only did it feel good to protect my family, but I felt like I was making a difference by donating masks to others.
If you have a sewing machine, you and your family can do the same. There are loads of tutorials on YouTube, but here is my absolute favorite from Mimi G Style:
5. Art Therapy Activities
For more expressive arts activities to help your kids cope with quarantine, try these 8 Art Therapy Activities to Help Kids Identify and Manage Their Feelings from We Are Teachers, the internet’s “virtual teacher’s lounge”.
And if you’re running a little low on materials, check out this post from The Artful Parent about the best art supplies to get for your kids.
Must-Have Art Supplies for Kids
Quarantine Activities for Family Bonding
No collection of quarantine activities for your kids would be complete without some family bonding activities. Yes you are stuck in the house together, but why not make the most of it? The more enjoyable you can make the time spent at home, the easier it will be to cope. Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:
1. Put On a Show
It may sound corny, but creating, writing, and performing a show can be just the what your family needs. Whether it’s a musical, a play, or a puppet show, putting on a show as a family can be so much fun. Not into drama? Let your kids take charge and volunteer to be the audience! For more ideas on how to put on a show at home, check out this post from Kidspot.
2. Make Special Time
Want to deepen your connection to your children (and minimize sibling conflict and negative behavior in the process)? Try Special Time! Check out this post from Aha Parenting “What’s So Special About Special Time?” where parenting expert Dr. Laura Markham professes the benefits of Special Time with your kids.
Wondering what to do during Special Time? Grab a copy of this book and you will never run out of fun: 104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills
3. Hold a Cooking Class
Since the dawn of the pandemic, parents have been finding creative ways to turn daily chores into fun quarantine activities for their kids. Laundry, cleaning, cooking – nothing is safe.
So the next time you cook dinner, why not round up the kids and hold a little cooking class? Kill all the birds with one stone: teach them life skills, give them something fun to do, and, most importantly, get yourself some much needed help in the kitchen!
This post from Tiffany Dahle at Peanut Blossom is an amazing how-to guide on how to set up the best kids cooking classes right in your own kitchen!
4. Plant a Flower Garden
A few years ago, a family therapist I used to supervise conducted an amazing bonding activity with one of her families. She helped the family plant a flower garden and asked each family member to choose a type of flower that represented who they are within the family. They planted their chosen “self-portrait” flowers and then shared their reason for choosing their specific flower. The mom planted a sunflower and said that she chose it so she could watch over her children and shine down on them. 🙂
Planting a flower garden like this can be a fun way to represent how you are each unique but still grow together in the same garden.
5. Watch Save with Stories
When it comes to finding quarantine activities to do with your kids, it can be helpful to inject a little fun into your already-established routines. And there’s no better way to get the kids to bed than by giving them something to look forward to. Save with Stories is a sure-fire way to enhance the bedtime routine.
Save with Stories is an amazing collection of Instagram videos that features beloved celebrities (like Terry Crews, Glenn Close, Jimmy Fallon, and Mindy Kaling) reading your favorite children’s books, and all for great cause! Nestle in bed with your little ones and let a celebrity read you a story.
6. Do a Disney Movie Night
If you are like me, and you are borderline obsessed with Disney, then you know the soothing comfort a good Disney movie can bring. What better way to reconnect as a family than to soak up that comforting Disney vibe together? I swear, I have watched Frozen II and Moana like twenty times since the pandemic hit, and I regret nothing. 🙂
You can get some excellent deals right now on Disney movies from the Disney Movie Club. I have been a member of the Disney Movie Club for years and I love it so much. Members get exclusive access to special deals and offers, plus sometimes they throw in these really cool collectible free gifts with your movie purchases. And they have an awesome referral program. So if you get your friends to sign up, you get free movies!
They are offering this really amazing deal right now where you get 4 movies for just $1 when you join the club. Click here to join, or click the banner below for more information.
Now you are ready to snuggle up on the couch with your little ones and a blanket, and screen your favorite Disney movies!
For more movie suggestions and ideas on how to do a fantastic Disney Movie Night, check out our Complete Guide to Disney Movies for Families.
7. Have a Family Game Night
There is nothing like a good game night to inspire some family fun. Board games have made quite the comeback and they are perfect for family game night. Pick up some old classics from Amazon like Monopoly, Pictionary, or Yahtzee. Try some newer sensations like Telestrations, Exploding Kittens, or Ticket to Ride (and Ticket to Ride for ages 6+).
For more amazing board games to play with your family, check out our post on the 42 Best Board Games for Families – this awesome list includes recommendations on the best board games for little kids, board games for multiple players, the best co-op games, and more.
For more fun family bonding activities, check out this post by Alex Morris at Lifehack, 25 Fabulously Fun Family Activities To Bring You Closer Together.
Family Game Night Ideas
For more tips on how to focus on your attachment with your child (even in the face of a pandemic and even if you need to use daycare at an early age) definitely check out this round-up with expert tips about your parent-child bond.
Quarantine Activities for Parent Mental Health
Parental self-care is probably the most important thing parents can do to keep their family safe and secure during this pandemic. If you stay strong in body and mind, you will be better equipped to absorb the added stress of raising kids during a pandemic.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Find Time to Exercise (even if it’s only for 10 minutes).
You already know the countless benefits of exercise, and during times like these, physical activity is beneficial to your overall wellness. But with everything going on, it can be hard to set time aside for a workout. In lots of parts of the world, gyms are closed or operating under strict modifications. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get your heart pumping at home. Check out this post from Lady NOD for some creative quarantine workout ideas you can do with the whole family.
I signed up for a zoom workout class that was too advanced so when the instructor said “do a plank and bring your knee to the opposite elbow,” I did a modified version where I turned off my computer and made pancakes
— Morgan Murphy (@morgan_murphy) April 20, 2020
2. Treat Yourself to a Fresh Face Care Regime
Rejuvenate your face care routine and do something special for yourself. Make a homemade face mask like these DIY all natural face mask recipes from Wellness Mama. Or maybe, introduce your face to a refreshing toner to use in the morning. I am obsessed with this alcohol-free Lavender Facial Mist Toner from Thayer’s. Get it on Amazon here.
3. Organize Your Self-Care Routine with a Checklist
Parenting is hard, and parenting during a pandemic is just beyond what anyone should have to deal with. And that is why leaning into a self-care routine that works for you is paramount right now. With more then 75 self-care activities, you can use the Ultimate Self-Care Checklist for Parents to create a solid routine.
Part assessment, part checklist, part self-care plan – the Ultimate Self-Care Checklist for Parents allows you to rate your current self-care routine:
Then you can check off all of the activities you want to include in your self-care plan by using the check boxes on the right, like so:
To get your own copy of our self-care checklist, just click below to tell us where to send it! 🙂
Everyone keeps saying it is very important to keep up with your routines during this quarantine, so I want to let you know that, at this time, I will continue to not work out just like before.
— JenHatmaker (@JenHatmaker) March 23, 2020
4. Make a Bullet Journal
If you like journaling, then you already know how therapeutic and supportive putting your thoughts and feelings to paper can be. But maybe it’s time to take your journaling to the next level.
Bullet journaling gives you all the benefits of regular journaling, but with so much more. There is a major focus on organization, and creating your own symbol key for to-do lists is encouraged. But you can use your bullet journal however you wish – the key is to make it work for you.
I especially love doodling in my journal and creating monthly planners and habit trackers.
If you don’t know what a habit tracker is, or you want to learn more about bullet journaling, check out our post, What is a Bullet Journal? (And How to Start One).
Now you’re ready to start your own BuJo! (that’s cool kids’ shorthand for bullet journal :-D) Just get yourself a dotted bound journal like this one: Minimalism Art, Classic Notebook Journal, A5 Size 5 X 8.3 inches, Yellow, Dotted Grid Page, 192 Pages, Hard Cover, Fine PU Leather, Inner Pocket, Quality Paper-100gsm, Designed in San Francisco
and pick up some beautiful pens. I use these and I LOVE them: Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens, Fine Point, Assorted Colors, 8 Count
All set? Go get started 🙂
Click here for more self-care strategies.
A Note on Privilege
These are challenging times and I know that some of you are in dire straights. I won’t talk about a silver lining or try to convince you to look on the bright side, because for some of you, the pandemic has made an already precarious situation that much worse.
Quarantine and lockdown may have impacted your finances, interfered with your basic needs, or further threatened your sense of safety and security. In fact, a recent report showed that many low-income families of color have been hit especially hard.
“Roughly 43% of parents living with children report they or a family member has lost a job or work hours due to the pandemic. That includes 62% of Hispanic families, 50% of black families and 36.5% of white families. Just over half of low-income families and one-third of higher income families reported job losses.”
I want to highlight that while this guide may still prove useful for all, there are tips and activities that just may not be feasible for some families.
Pandemic Resources for Families
If you and your loved ones are really hurting at this time, there are places to turn. Here are a few resources to get you started:
- The National Low Income Housing Coalition: According to their website, you can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency: Their site offers help for both homeowners and renters.
- Benefits.gov: This coronavirus-specific page offers government assistance resources including unemployment, healthcare, small business support, and resources for families in need.
- Childcare.gov: This site offers COVID-19-related child care resources from the United States government, organized by state.
- Feeding America Food Bank Locator: As the name suggests, this tool allows you to find food banks near you.
- National Foundation for Credit Counseling: This site offers COVID-19 emergency financial help and resources.
- 2-1-1 COVID-19 Pandemic Help: Dial 211 or visit the site for COVID-19 resources and social service supports.
- Center for Disease Prevention Coping with Stress Resources: This page includes wellness tips, information about the coronavirus, and a list of mental health resources.
- The Centered Parent Resources Page: Check out our Resources Page for a solid list of mental health agencies and supports.
Thank you so much for stopping by! We hope the above quarantine parenting tips and activities for kids were helpful!
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Hope you found this info useful. Comment below and let us know!
Thank you so much for including our Routine Chart in your post! We love all of your resources!
You are very welcome, Alyssa! I love your blog! Thanks for your comment. So glad you found the resources helpful 🙂