A Coron-a-Nation

We all have to reinvent recreation.  Even the fun of planning vacations goes out the porthole as there is no end in sight, no date of parole. The question persists, “What to do?,” as the luxury of free time becomes the burden of unfilled days?

So how to cope? Here is our list of things we like to do at home:

• It’s not only the confinement of home, but it’s the lack of social interaction with friends that leaves some of our kids feeling anxious and lonely. We have been scheduling zoom calls with friends even with my four year old! We held Friday night family dinners with all my siblings on zoom. The kids loved seeing their cousins, grandparents and aunts and uncles. This is a perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends! 

• Yoga: I am a big fan of Peleton’s yoga classes especially @KristenMcGee. I am always complaining I do not have time to work out. Now I try to light my scented candles and practice one hour each day. My older kids join along and my little guy loves Cosmic Yoga (on youtube). We have also created core challenges in our house. We try to hold planks, count each other’s sit-ups… anything to keep active.

• Board Games! We love board games. Our current favorites are: Catan, Dominion, Splendor, Monopoly Deal cards. 

• A lot of the fabulous NY Kids Museums are offering virtual classes. This article has all the websites. https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/museums-with-virtual-tours

• Organize your kids rooms. Take everything out of their closets and drawers and have them help you tackle the project. Make sure everything fits and create donation piles. Purging feels great and it’s perfect to use all this time to organize- of course!

• Cook and Bake: There are so many amazing websites and recipes available online. Cook something new. We started out trying to be healthful, but it quickly turned into a lot of baking- yikes! Still, it’s a great activity. My kids love doing Chopped Junior challenges, or blind food challenges. 

• Read a Book. Hold a virtual bookclub meeting on zoom. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5e7290b93e947d00012d0048&utm_source=5c8bcba204d30114d92deb00&agent_id=5c8bcba204d30114d92deb00

It’s a time out from a schedule and a time to catch up. Do that project that has been put at the bottom of the priority list. Fix what needs fixing if it’s in your wheelhouse. File what needs filing. Deal with those important papers you have been putting off for far too long.  Clean up that stack of magazines that has become a room feature. Hang that picture. Delete the thousands of emails asking for political contributions or contribute if you are so moved.

Always wanted to go to Harvard? Take an on-line course from Coursera or one of the many, many colleges offering them. Go through your family photos or movies, or VHS tapes or DVDs; organize them, preserve them, save them to the cloud, share them.

Beneath the veil of confinement lies endless opportunity. Explore it and share your creative solutions