If the forecast has your family spending more time indoors, here are some stay-at-home activities to keep boredom (and hopefully the bickering) at bay:
- Make customizable pizza cups to tempt everyone in your family’s taste buds. Simple ingredients and instructions mean the kids can help with prep and choose their own toppings.
- Assemble an adventure box together. What’s an adventure box you might ask? A collection of books, toys, games and resources on a single topic that interests your child. Explore dinosaurs, Egypt or space together, place items of interest in your box (really, any container will work!) and search for art projects, recipes and lessons to further everyone’s knowledge of your chosen subject. Get tips and advice for getting started here.
- Enjoy our array of simple science experiments using household items, everything from concocting ice cream in a bag to racing a soap-propelled boat. Tag us in your social posts about your results by using #okcfamilyfun!
- Combine science and art with this integrated art series from Oklahoma A+ Schools. Integrating the arts with students’ everyday academics is proven to increase comprehension and retention.
- Prepare your own play-dough. There’s simple satisfaction to be found in making this family favorite. Perfect for kid play, it also doubles as a squishy stress reliever for older kids and adults.
- Move your bodies! Local mental wellness experts and parents alike agree daily movement can be key in calming stress and anxiety. Check out silly Cosmic Yoga on YouTube or try out this special three-part yoga series created for kids and adults alike by locally-owned This Land Yoga.
- Chalk your walk. We may be socially distant but that doesn’t mean we can’t still spread some cheer to our neighbors. Draw pictures or write encouraging messages on your driveway or sidewalk for neighbors to enjoy when out on a walk. For a new take on the traditional sidewalk chalk, check out a recipe for messy silliness with wet chalk art.
- Choose a movie you’ve been wanting to see together and snuggle up with pillows and blankets. Surprise your kids with the makings for popcorn with special add-ins or get creative with s’mores made with favorite candy bars in place of the usual chocolate.
- Fly a kite.
- Play guessing games like I Spy, Hangman or 20 Questions.
- Create some cheer with handmade crafts you craft together, including these easy-to-craft Popsicle theme projects. Be sure to share your family’s art on social media with our hashtag #okcfamilyart. Not crafty? Check out Unpluggits’ to-go paint and ceramics kits with everything your kids need for a creative project at home.
- Play indoor hide and seek.
- Oklahoma Hall of Fame is telling Oklahoma’s story through free educational content and activities families can do at home.
- Write letters to family and friends and include a beautifully colored masterpiece.
- Hop on a bike for a two-wheeled adventure. Cruise around your neighborhood or check out this guide to local biking events with a roundup of metro bike trails at the bottom.
- Create your own bingo cards and have a bingo tournament.
- Explore nature! Whether it’s in your own backyard or at a nearby local park, a wide-open green space is sure to offer plenty of family fun.
- Create a nature scavenger hunt in your backyard.
- Play “The Floor is Lava.”
- Shake up your own storytime with painted storybook stones.
- Curate a playlist and throw a family dance party.
- Try out some fun, new recipes. Take some inspiration for three local moms in our What’s for Dinner? series or from local chef Marc Dunham.
- Dress up in your best clothes and have a fancy dinner party. Find inspiration here for some new-to-you menu ideas.
- Create a family tree. We might have to be apart physically but sharing your family history will help keep you connected to loved ones.
- Homeschool mama Lauren Herrell shares her school break hacks to keep little ones occupied.
- Put on a puppet show.
- Make ice cream in a bag.
- Plan your own staycation with a campfire-inspired art activity, plus some fun, at-home “camping” ideas.
- Go old-school and play a game of charades. You can even play with family and friends on video calls.
- Learn something new! Whether it be a few handy phrases of a foreign language, some sign language or outdoor skills like first aid or knot-tying, YouTube has lots of educational tutorials to expand your family’s horizons.
- Make friendship bracelets with friends.
- Have a pizza party! Make your own or order in and play some classic party games like telephone or pin the tail on the donkey.
- Shake up your game closet with some educational twists.
- Make a maze on the floor with painter’s tape.
- Turn math time into game time with these games from Mathnasium.
- Beat boredom with these FREE outdoor learning activities for kids from OutdoorFamilies magazine.
- Make paper airplanes and see whose plane flies the farthest.
- Make a time capsule! One day your kids can use it to tell their kids all about this quarantine experience.
- Listen to an audiobook or podcast. Here’s a handy list of popular kid-friendly podcasts.
Got an inspiring stay-at-home activity we should add? Email us at tips@metrofamilymagazine.com. For even more family-focused resources and information, visit our Coronavirus resource guide.