Quick Take
There is a global pandemic and it's stressful and scary for many of us. And it's OK to not be OK 100% of the time. That said, there are some silver linings of all this time at home during self-quarantine. For one thing, many families are able to spend more time together and participate in some "quarantine activities" that are good for the soul. Here are some of the quarantine activities we hope to keep up when the crisis is over.
The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
-Mulan
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On this page
1. Family game night (plus our favorite game nights)
2. Taking walks
3. Starting and finishing projects
4. Cooking dinner together (plus 15 of our favorite kid-friendly plant-based recipes)
5. Eating together as a household
6. Washing your hands
7. Zoom hangouts
8. Spending more time with pets
9. At home dance parties
10. At home date night
1. Family game night (plus our favorite games)
Spending interactive time with your family or roommates can be as simple as planning a family game night once a week. Put your phones away, turn the TV off and block out an hour for a mandatory household fun time!
Here are some great games to try during self-quarantine and beyond:
Heads up
Apples to Apples
Pictionary
UNO
Charades
Puzzles
Monopoly
Taboo
What do you Meme?
2. Taking walks
MamaSezz go outside and play! Taking walks definitely tops the list of quarantine activities for those that have been able to do so. Keep it going once self-quarantine is over. Take a sunset walk every evening to unwind before or after dinner. It's not just great for reducing stress, it can help you lose weight (just 30 minutes a day!), minimize cravings, reduce blood pressure, and improve your sleep!
3. Starting (and finishing!) projects
Yes, self-quarantine is a great time to paint a painting, build a cabinet, fill in a coloring book, bake a cake, learn a new language...but we hope to stay creative even when social distancing is over. Being creative is important for brain function thanks to the problem-solving is requires. It's also another wonderful way to reduce stress and boost confidence.
Need an idea for your next project? Check this out.
4. Cooking dinner together
Cooking with the family or your roomies can be a fun and educational quarantine activity (or regular life activity). Have kids? Get them involved! Cooking with kids is not only a great learning experience (hello, math and science!), but can boost their confidence, encourage their interest in healthy foods, and provide some excellent sensory play.
Need some kid-friendly plant-based recipes? Click here.
If you live with roommates, cooking together might expand your horizons and help you to branch into a different kind of cuisine than you are used to. Either way, make sure to go back and forth between who gets to choose what you’re all making for dinner that night.
5. Eating together as a household
This goes hand in hand with cooking together but worth mentioning on its own. Having dinner with your child can promote confidence, help them perform better is school, and decrease high risk behavior. Put your phones away, turn off the TV, and play “high, low” where everyone states something that upset them during the day, and then a moment that stood out as the best part of their day. This is a great practice for everyone, because it helps you to acknowledge and verbalize a challenge you encountered, all the while appreciating life's simple joys. Kids love this game because it gives them designated time to have the floor and it’s important to get children in the habit of talking about their feelings without interrogation or judgment.
6. Washing your hands
Just over half of Americans wash their hands after using the restroom. That means that just under half of the population DOES NOT wash their hands after using even public facilities. As coronavirus has spread, people all over the world have been more diligent about hand washing -- a practice that we could all stand to keep going when self-quarantine is over.
7. Zoom hangouts
More and more, people are doing using FaceTime and Zoom to meet up with long-distance (and not-so-far-away) friends as we practice physical distancing during self-quarantine. We don't have to be living through a pandemic to reconnect with old friends. Scheduled friend dates (group or not) are a great tradition to keep.
8. Spending more time with pets
A silver lining to all this? Our pets are thrilled we're spending more time at home. Many of us at MamaSezz have furbabies and one of our favorite quarantine activities has been to shower them with the love and affection they deserve, pandemic or not.
9. At home dance parties
Not sure if it’s TikTok or everyone's just going stir crazy, but at home dance parties are all the rage right now. Throw on some Youtube music videos of your favorite songs, line up in front of the TV and go to town. This is quarantine activity is definitely one to keep. Sure, it's a fun way to get your blood pumping and share some laughs with friends and family, but it's also really good for you, too! Victoria State Gov indicates that dancing can promote the following:
- improved condition of your heart and lungs
- increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
- increased aerobic fitness
- improved muscle tone and strength
- weight management
- stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
- better coordination, agility and flexibility
- improved balance and spatial awareness
- increased physical confidence
- improved mental functioning
- improved general and psychological wellbeing
- greater self-confidence and self-esteem
- better social skills
10. At home date night
We're not letting the coronavirus ruin date night. Dressing up to stay in is a great coronavirus tradition to keep going beyond self-quarantine. Cook dinner for your significant other, put on your most dazzling put on your outfit, queue up your favorite romantic playlist, and enjoy a candlelit dinner, just the two of you.
Key Takeaways
Keep practicing your favorite quarantine activities once this is all over. Spending time with friends and family, and appreciating the little things in life aren't just pandemic activities! Here are some of our team's quarantine activities we plan to keep up with:
- Family game night (plus our favorite game nights)
- Taking walks
- Starting and finishing projects
- Cooking dinner together (plus 15 of our favorite kid-friendly plant-based recipes)
- Eating together as a household
- Washing your hands
- Zoom hangouts
- Spending more time with pets
- At home dance parties
- At home date night
By The MamaSezz Team