What Should Quarantine Days Look Like with Kids?

Here we are in an unprecedented time in history, and many parents and caregivers are asking: What should Quarantine Days Look Like?

It’s a good question. Many parents are now being asked to be stay-at-home moms and dads, and this is a whole new experience. It’s a whole different rhythm to be at home with kids all day.

This is going to be a slower time for most, and we can learn how to make the most of the experience. How we respond to this crisis will impact our children’s response to hard situations.

I don’t want to down play what is going on. It is scary and can cause anxiety. However, we can use this time to model what it looks like to persevere and overcome. We can learn to have joy, peace and hope in the midst of our suffering.

Going in with a plan is part of grabbing a bit of control in what feels like a very out of control situation.

What should a Quarantine Day Look Like?

Let’s talk about what a healthy quarantine day might look like. Balance, I believe, is important during this time.

While experts might advise you to get out of your comfy clothes or your pajamas, anyone that knows me well would call foul if I suggested that. I find every excuse to be comfortable, so you just do you…whatever makes you feel good. My tip here is to put on some yoga pants. Still comfortable but might make you move a bit.

While I support continued education, I also support play and family togetherness during this time.

Scheduled Learning Times

I know schools are scrambling to figure out how to do continued learning remotely. Some parents will be left to figure these things out on their own.

I would encourage you to fit in some learning activities for your kids. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be crazy hardcore. Your kids are going to be fine.

It is healthy to allow and encourage brain breaks often. Do a learning game and then get a snack or get outdoors. Have reading time and them do some art.

Break things up as it is not great to have kids sitting all day. They don’t even do that it school. There is time to get up, turn things in, sit and listen, go to recess, have lunch, etc.

As a former teacher and private tutor, I have found a fun and engaging way for kids to learn is through games. I have loads of resources on my site for all kinds of learning.

Here are some options available:

• Reading Lessons and Games
• Math Lessons and Games
• Character Building Activities and Lessons
• Bible Lessons

Why not end the day with this daily quarantine journal for kids? Because it is a reflection on the day, I’d encourage you to fit it in as the day is ending.

Scheduled Free Times

Make sure to get free play time in as well. It’s good for kids to be bored and have to use their imagination to explore their world.

I’m thankful it’s spring so that our kids can be outdoors during this quarantine season.

Kids do not need to be constantly entertained by you, so you can be hands off for periods of the day. To make sure you do, however, engage with your kids, set a timer for yourself .

As recommended to best contain this virus, I’d encourage you to not do playdates.

Trust me, in the beginning I was the mom that was ready to just have friends over constantly and treat this like vacation. However, I have loved ones, as we all do, that are in a compromised state. I believe that social distancing is important right now.

Do Quiet Time

Quiet time can involve rest, reading, listening to music with headphones on, or silent play. Everyone is going to need a bit of peace throughout the day, so schedule that time for everyone’s sanity.

Outdoor time

Outdoor time is an essential part of childhood. It is suggested to stay away from play structures, but there are still lots of adventures to be had.

Bike rides, hikes, basketball, four square and fishing. These are all approved activities. Get exercising with your kids.

This outdoor time can include a road trip. Visit outdoor destination that are on your list. Be a tourist in your own backyard. Visit rivers, beaches, forests and deserts for outdoor exploration.

Go on an adjective scavenger hunt. Make these nature bracelets during your outdoor times. Here are 30+ outdoor activities to do with kids.

These are all fun things, but it really doesn’t need to be super fancy. Just enforce outdoor play time.

Engaging Activities

I think it is fun to have at least one unique daily activity to look forward to, which is why I put together these 20 unique activities to do with your kids during quarantine.

Those 20 activities are just a drop in the bucket to what I have available here. Check out my crafts tab. Look through my activities tab. With Easter on the horizon, visit my Easter tab.

My site was built for a time like this. I have always wanted to be a resource to make parenting and life at home with kids easier. With the world going online, I feel blessed to be able to provide some direction for engaging meaningfully with your kids during a unique season.

Simple Activities

While I just gave you some resources for engaging activities, there are everyday simple activities that will also capture your child’s interests.

We have to say no to a lot right now, but please say yes to these things (Amazon affiliate links):

• Games – Some of our favorite right now include Splendor, Mystic Vale, Exploding Kittens, Bananagrams, Phase 10, Coup, and Dutch Bliss
• Puzzles – I love puzzles, and this amazing puzzle board makes it so easy to sort or put away a puzzle when not working on it. For older kids with a problem solving mind, these escape puzzles are fun. We have done two of them as a family.
• LEGO – Why not use this time to take lego to a whole new level. I have loved having these LEGO bases so that my kids can get creative in building scenes. Work together to build a whole city.
• Movie Nights – We have done movies on the ceiling to make it extra special, but I would allow for more family times to watch things together. My kids have absolutely loved jumping into the Little House on the Prairie seasons together.
• Epic Forts
• Epic Race Tracks – Find all of your child’s race track parts and build an epic hot wheels experience down the stairs and around the house or on some outdoor terrain.
• Color Together – Adult coloring books are engaging, but you should also check out these amazing adult or older kid dot-to-dot books, sticker books and color by number books.

Virtual Field Trips During the COVID-19 Quarantine

While I don’t want to encourage a crazy amount of time spent online because of the research I did that fed into this article about the state of our kids’ mental health, this is a unique time.

I still do discourage excess use on social media and screens, but there are some unique online activities I’d like to point out right now.

Some businesses have created online field trips for kids:

• Cincinnati Zoo Home Safari Facebook Life at 3:00 PM EST
• The Metropolitan Opera will be Hosting Free Livestreams
• Yellowstone Park has Virtual Tours
• Museum of the American Revolution has put together a virtual field trip for Scholastic
• Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma is putting together virtual ballet lessons
• The Louvre in France offers Online Tours
• The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam also offers online tours
• Try Virtual Farm Tours at FarmFood 360
  

Please don’t rely on screens during this time, but use them with purpose. It has been found that smaller and more active engagement in screens is more dangerous to the brain than passive use like watching a show on a regular TV.

Make the Most of These Times

These are unique times. There are going to be hard things about this season, but we can also make it a really fun and engaging time as a family.

Feeling discouraged in parenting? It’s going to be a tough season, no doubt. There will be so many opportunities for good, but there will inevitable be hard parenting times too. Please visit my parenting tab as a resource or form of encouragement.

I want to encourage you to find balance. Don’t put too much pressure on yourselves to be this amazing homeschool parent who has it all together and engages their child’s mind non-stop. Have some structure but freedom too. We put too much pressure on ourselves to be totally on and nail it 100% of the time. Give yourself some grace.

Every day take time as a family to express what you are grateful for. It really can impact your contentment and how your brain is wired.

Balance. Play. Do a little learning. Read. Play. Engage. Disengage. Eat. Share frustrations. Forgive. Be angry. Be sad. Find joy. Be grateful. Pray. Hope. Love one another well.