Values-Based & Educational Activities To Do At Home
During these unusual times we want to take a pause to reset and recognize what serves us best each day. As we do our part to socially distance in order to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19, we can take this time to explore areas of our lives to be more creative, consistent, connected, and healthy.
When spending time at home, it is important to find activities and ways to stay active and involved in values based ways. For anyone feeling a shift with a lack of structure or less engaged in work, take a look through these options to establish a plan for each day.
Challenge yourself and/or your children to consider what helps you/them to start the day off on a productive note. Below you will find a plethora of options to stay connected, engaged, and entertained while building and using skills. Explore the options below and let us know if you have others to add! The more we can share ideas and resources, the better. We’re all in this together.
*Please note that organizations or links found here are not sponsored or endorsed by BCSC, this is simply meant to be a resource for all to be inspired by and use.
FOR ALL
RESOURCES FOR HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS ENGAGED WHILE SCHOOL IS OUT
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- How to Keep Kids Engaged with Learning when School is Closed: Challenge Success
- Scheduled activities for all ages: Khan Academy
- Kids Activities.com Free Subscriptions
- Scholastic direct link to free resources
- Learning A-Z Learning A-Z is offering free subscriptions until the end of this school year. They have readers in Spanish for different levels
- A Workbook about the virus to use with children
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ESTABLISH SOME STRUCTURE
Even when we do not have commitments that we need to wake up for or get to, establishing some predictability and structure is helpful to minimize anxiety or worry about what may happen in a given day. Determining a helpful morning and evening routine will be essential to start and end your day in a structured way.
Every hour and minute does not need to be scheduled, but we can establish times or chunks of time where we can aim to focus on specific tasks or categories of tasks. Here are some examples that have been shared and created to inspire you.
VALUES-BASED ACTIVITIES
Take stock of the things you may have wanted to do in the past that you didn’t have time to do. Make a list of all the things you are interested in doing and aim to do at least one or two of them each day. It is not as important to start and finish an entire project in one day but think about how you can break a bigger project down into smaller parts.
BIG PROJECTS
- Spring Cleaning Starts Early: Pick a room to organize and deep clean.
- Think about the things that are in your space and if they all still serve you well. If they do, find a specific space and place for where they should be stored.
- Recycle old mail, newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Donate, recycle or reuse what you can.
- Set up an organization system.
- If you have a workspace, front hall, or heavily traveled space, determine what systems and approaches are the best to increase efficiencies for you to navigate through your day.
- Set up a space for outdoor gear to easily grab and go, set up a clear and organized desk space, etc.
- Go through games, toys, art supplies, books, etc. to determine what is still used frequently, could be used more, or should be donated.
- Clear out your closet
- Take time to go through clothes or other apparel.
- If you haven’t worn or used apparel within the past year or so, consider donating or repurposing. Think about holding on to the items that you feel the best wearing, that you use frequently enough, and can see yourself wearing frequently. Once you’ve gone through items, determine how to best organize them in your closet and establish a system that will allow for you to use the items you have more frequently.
- Organize and store types of items together: sweaters with sweaters, pants with pants, tops with tops, etc.
- Paint, mend, or repair, oh my!
- Think about small projects that can be tackled. If there is a leaking faucet, wall that has been marked up over time, or some clothing to be mended, take some time to get it done.
- Photo albums and books
- Take a trip down memory lane to organize and mount photos. Putting together photo albums or books is a great way to remember great times you’ve had and create a beautiful memento of those times. Take it to the next level by writing about each experience
- Paint a piece of furniture
- Sand down, prime and paint a piece of furniture. Take it to the next level by getting creative and adding your personal flare to the piece. *Don’t forget to work outside if the paint has an intense smell.
- Sew a quilt
- Find fabrics that you love, old t-shirts that you have, or any other materials that can be sewn together to create a quilt
- Step by step instructions
- Establish Points of Gratitude at the End of the Day
- Focus on the things that go well each day. In the morning it can be helpful to set an intention and end the day reflecting on how the day went. Below are some ideas and strategies to help with that process.
- Set an Intention
- How do you want to show up in your day? Think of a word that can guide you throughout each point of your day. Write it down, text it to yourself, or record it and why it is important to you before you start your day.
PLAY A GAME
Playing different types of games that have multiple directions or rules to hold on to can increase the activation and exercise of executive function skills. Choose a game you haven’t played before, haven’t played in a while, or come up with your own game!
- Card Games:
- Phase 10, Uno, Spot It, Blink, Skip Bo, and so many more!
- Board Games:
- Monopoly, Checkers, Chess, Sorry, Life, Scattergories, Jenga, Operation, and so many more!
- Made-Up Games:
- Look around the space you are in and find an object that starts with every letter of the alphabet.
- Watch a movie and tally up the number of times you see one thing or hear a specific word.
- Puzzles:
- Crossword, 3-D puzzles, picture puzzles, make your own with an old photograph, etc.
- Create:
- Beading and bracelets, mindful coloring, crochet or knit, draw, sketch, paint, build, Lettering Practice, Make festive garland
- Trick shots with golf or basketball
- Rube Goldberg Machines
- Legos
- Model cars and build model airplanes, homes, etc.
- Coloring books
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) activities
- 6 six simple outdoor STEAM activities
SELF CARE
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- General Self Care
- Take a bath/ shower
- Be mindful
- Eat, walk, sit, play, work, etc. in an intentional and mindful way
- Meditate
- Many centers and studios are offering virtual meditation classes or free offerings
- Eat healthy
- Remember to mix in vegetables and proteins to maintain a nutritious diet
- Pay attention to how your body responds to the foods you put into your body
- Drink water and aim to stay hydrated
- Maintain positive connections with people who bring you joy
- Stay purposeful and engaged
- Use this guide to find things that you enjoy doing
- Tend to your hobbies to do the things that you enjoy most
- Reach out to friends and/or family
- Virtual chat
- Call
- Send a letter
- Have a group virtual meeting
- Practice/Learn
- A language:
- Duolingo
- Rosetta Stone
- Babbel
- An instrument
- Chordify
- To cook or bake
- Get outside
- Plant a garden
- Think about what vegetables, herbs, and flowers you may want to see sprout up as the weather gets warmer. Use pots, planters, or the ground outside to design, build, plant, and nurture a garden.
- Vegetable gardening for beginners
- Create a scavenger hunt (inside or outside)
- Develop a series of questions or things to find in any given environment
- Plant a garden
Read
- Audible for free(while students are not in school)
- Open Libraries for free
Write
- Journaling
- Write reflections and narratives to share the stories of places you’ve visited, things you’ve done or learned, any memoir writing to describe your life experiences.
- http://www.teenink.com/forums/writers-workshop
- Blogging
- Pick a topic you feel comfortable discussing or sharing and plan out short blog pieces
- Brainstorm topics to write about
- Outline a plan for writing
- Draft, edits & revise
- Storybook writing
- Think of a topic and create a short story or picture book
- Make a plan
- Storyboard your plan
- Edit and revise your story, designs, and images
- Think of a topic and create a short story or picture book
- Pick a topic you feel comfortable discussing or sharing and plan out short blog pieces
- General Self Care
Check out other options from…