Stay-at-home activities to keep the whole family entertained

Taking care of your physical and mental health is extremely important right now! We are recommending that everyone practice social distancing as much as possible, which means you’ll be spending a lot of time at home with your family. Check out our list of fun things you can do to keep everyone entertained.

• Take your dog on a walk – Just because you’re keeping your distance by staying at home, that doesn’t mean you can’t go outside! Get some fresh air by taking a walk around the neighborhood with the whole family (including your four-legged family members). Just remember to keep six feet of distance from any of your neighbors you see outside. We promise it doesn’t seem rude right now, and they’ll appreciate it, too.
• Have a board game party – Pull out all of the board games that are buried in the back of the closet and spend the night playing board games. Throw a frozen pizza in the oven and make it a family party! You can make this a weekly family game night and continue the weekly tradition even after we’ve stopped social distancing.
• Learn something new about what you love – If your kids are on an extended spring break, keep them interested in their education by learning about something you both enjoy together! Are you interested in all things space-related? Watch some of NASA’s YouTube videos together. Does your kid LOVE sports? Learn about the people who revolutionized your favorite sport or team from a documentary, like This Is Football, a soccer documentary series on Amazon Prime Video.
  Bonus: Have a PowerPoint party! Get everyone in your family make a short presentation and present to the whole group about what they’re most passionate about. From why your dog is the best dog to why pineapple does (or doesn’t) belong on pizza, a presentation party is a mess-free way to have fun with the whole family!
• Get the whole family to exercise – The parks and gyms may be closed, but you don’t have to stop exercising! Planet Fitness is live streaming at-home workouts at 6 p.m. on Facebook, so get the whole family to follow along together! For more fun, try workout videos from different decades.
• Download a new video game – Being able to download video games directly to your console is really coming in handy! If you have a Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or a computer, you can still get new games without going into a store or ordering online. You can even play some of the games you loved as a kid, like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario and more, all on the Switch!
• Try a new recipe – Many restaurants are closed right now, so why not learn a new recipe or teach your children a family recipe? It’s easy to get the kids involved in cooking, and many recipes can use things you already have in your pantry. Try making breakfast for dinner with this easy, home-made pancakes recipe. You can add other things you have sitting around, too, like blueberries or chocolate chips for variety!

Do you want to talk to a Village Health Partners physician, virtually anywhere? Schedule a televisit by clicking here or calling (972)599-9600. Same-day appointments are available!