Things to do that’ll keep tweens entertained during a self-quarantine staycation.
Schools are closed. Now what? If you’re like me, the thought of having kids home with you for the next 3 to 4 weeks put you into a bit of a tailspin. I mean, I love my kids and family time is great, but at some point, the tweens will get bored and start fighting and I’ll run out of wine.
Let’s be real: This forced spring break staycation (aka “social distancing” or “self-quarantine”) sucks, especially if it ruins your real spring break getaway. You know, the trip you planned for months and got the kids all excited about and purchased that hot, new, one-shouldered swimsuit for.
But it is what it is. And if you’re like me, having a plan for how to structure and spend your days over the next few weeks will make you feel a little better, a little more in control.
That’s why on the first day of school shutdowns in Michigan, I pulled together a list of activities we could do along with a rough schedule for structuring our work-from-home/school-from-home days.
Ways to Entertain Tweens During Quarantine
Here are some things that you and your kids can do to keep busy:
Visit parks
It’s still A-OK to be outdoors. Plus, getting your body moving, communing with nature and getting out of the house is going to make everyone feel more normal. To find metro, state and national parks near you, visit DiscoverTheForest.org.
At Kensington Metropark near us, we walk trails and hand-feed wild birds. Chipmunks scamper about and sometimes we run into huge cranes near the marshes or wild turkeys in the forest.
There are also some parks we haven’t explored yet that I added to my staycation to-do list. I found one that’s a two-hour drive from our house (Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens) that has this amazing canopy walk along the treetops. My plan? To pack a picnic, hand sanitizer and go on an especially sunny day.
The nearest national park to us is a 3-hour drive (Cuyahoga Valley National Park), so I’ll save that one for if we get really desperate to do something. But the same premise applies: picnic, trails, hand sanitizer. (Obviously, we’ll have to use the bathroom at some point, so the idea is to wash hands but then douse with hand sanitizer after getting back outdoors in case we picked up germs on the door handles, etc.)
Things to do indoors
When you think about it, there’s a ton of stuff you can do indoors. (Warm weather states aren’t used to this, but those of us in cold-weather states have got this nailed down!) Consider the following:
Do arts and crafts
Order supplies through Amazon or just use up what you already have. Pinterest is a great resource for finding fun arts and crafts projects. But I’m really digging these Star Jars and Stick Weaving projects.
Conduct science experiments
These don’t have to be complex. Think: Celery and water with food dye. Throw a bar of ivory soap in the microwave and watch what happens. It’s old-school and educational entertainment.
Cook and bake together
Kids can help make meals or bake (muffins, pizza, cookies, pasta). Bring on the comfort foods! Bonus points if you tie it in with a family-friendly cooking show you watch together like Cupcake Wars, Chopped Junior or Nailed It.
You can also go the Little House on the Prairie angle and bake your own bread or churn your own butter.
Start a STEM project
Don’t stress, this one isn’t as hard as it sounds if you order a subscription kit that comes with instructions and all the materials you need for a cool science or engineering based project. Try Kiwi Crate’s tinker box, STEM Discovery Boxes or the Bitsbox (it teaches kids how to code!).
Create an obstacle course
Have the kids use easy-to-remove tape or crepe paper to make a Mission Impossible type of obstacle course down the hallway. Then make yourself a martini and watch them try to over-under their way through it.
Or, have kids use pillows, blankets, boxes or whatever they can find to trick out an entire room and challenge YOU to get through it.
Have a dance party
When kids start bickering with one another, turn on something with a whole lot of base and shake your booty. Be silly, have fun and get some good energy flowing.
Jump till you can’t jump no mo’
Now is the time to buy that trampoline you’ve been thinking about. If it’s a small one for inside, have the kids take turns seeing how many jumps they can do.
Family game or movie night
Learn a new game or play a favorite together with your favorite munchies. Or, find a family-friendly movie and make a bowl of popcorn. Snuggle in.
Learn something new
As a family, you can take a deep dive into a topic you are all interested in. For example, we’re doing astronomy.
We’re going to watch documentaries and read about the stars, planets, black holes and distant galaxies together. Then on clear nights, we’ll try to spot constellations in the sky after dark (we even checked out a telescope from our library!).
Your topic may be sharks, Egyptian pyramids or race-car driving – whatever your gang is curious about.
Hang out in the neighborhood
Taking walks and bike rides around the neighborhood is always a good idea, but especially now when you might feel too cooped up. You can also:
- Play frisbee
- Shoot hoops
- Jump rope
- Practice setting and hitting a volleyball
- Hula hoop
- Ride hoverboards
- Practice skateboard tricks
- Compete for the best bike or run time down a specific route (use your smartphone’s stopwatch to turn this into a fun game for fastest time)
Tackle special projects
You know those things that are perpetually on the to-do list, but you never seem to have time to get done. Now is your chance! Here are some of the projects I plan to enlist my kids’ help with:
- Clean out the game/toy closet in the basement
- Yardwork
- Organize clothes closets
- Tidy desks, inside and out
- Deep clean (think: baseboards, doors, chandeliers)
Work on life skills
Besides having my kids do online schoolwork each day, I think this is a great opportunity to also teach them more life skills, such as:
- Blow-drying their hair
- Making their lunches
- Memorizing our home address and phone number
- Loading the dishwasher
- Learning to how to use a cutting board and knife
Other ideas also include:
- Running, folding and putting away laundry
- Setting the table
- Braiding hair
- Planning meals and creating a grocery list
- Mowing the lawn
- Washing the car
Buy spring and summer clothes
The weather is getting warmer – it’s time to think about shorts, swimsuits, tank tops and flip flops. (And doesn’t just thinking about all that summery stuff make you feel lighter inside?) You can have your tween do a closet clean out and make a list of items he/she needs. Then sit together and browse clothes online.
Plan for summer
We might be stuck at home for now, but that won’t always be the case. And summer will be here before we know it. So, start laying out some plans for that long, wonderful stretch of time.
Day camps
If your kids go to day camps or overnight camps in the summer, you can look into the options for this year. Have your tween review different camps options that you found or have them find out what camps their friends are going to or research camp options online themselves.
Volunteer opportunities
Is your child old enough to volunteer over the summer? It’s something to look into. Even better? Have your tween research it with a little guidance from you. They can look into:
- Food banks
- Animal shelters
- Libraries
- Community centers
- Churches
- Political organizations
- Wildlife refuges
Vacation
I don’t know about you, but I plan on taking advantage of what I think will be major savings in airfare and hotels.
(And if our spring break trip gets canceled, that’s all the more reason to plan an extra-special trip for the summer instead.)
This is the perfect time to start daydreaming about travel. Make a family travel bucket list. Have the kids research destinations. Bookmark and pin resources for later. Talk about the pros and cons of visiting different places and what you’d want to do there. Once everything returns to normal, you’ll have the outline of your next trip ready.
Fun Gadgets to Keep Kids Entertained
Are your tweens getting bored? The remedy might be as simple as ordering something fun and new on Amazon to keep them entertained (we have most of these!):
A silly family game
Noisy, fun game kids can play alone or with others
A way to blow off energy outdoors
A way to blow off energy indoors
Make waffles in special shapes
Daily Schedule
Kids thrive on structure. And, having a routine also helps me know what to do to keep them busy throughout the day rather than scrambling to fill in the gaps. Here’s the rough schedule we’re going to work with (check out my detailed daily schedules with activity links too):
7 a.m. Breakfast and free time
8:30 a.m. Get ready for the day
9 – 11:00 a.m. Schoolwork (online and offline)
11:00 a.m. Life skills (see previous info)
12-1 p.m. Lunch
12:30-1:30 p.m. Outdoor fun
1:30-2:30 p.m. Art, music or language
2:30-3:30 p.m. Talk to friends and family (phone calls, make grocery runs and drop-offs)
3:30-5 p.m. Free time
5-6:30 p.m. Make dinner, set table, eat
7-8:30 p.m. Shower, put away laundry, watch TV
8:30-9:15 p.m. Read in bed
9:15 p.m. Lights out!
Let’s make the best of our time at home! Share your ideas for keeping tweens entertained in the comments below.
Happy staycation,
P.S. Be sure to check out my Itinerary Shop for your summer vacation planning. You can grab awesome travel plans to incredible and off-the-beaten-path U.S. destinations.
