Social distancing doesn't mean your child needs to give up their social life. There are many creative ways for children (& their parents!) to stay in touch & have a great time. Here are 25 sure-fire ways for kids to stay connected while staying at home.
1) Scavenger Hunt. Get a group of friends online. Post or e-mail one of these pre-made scavenger hunt lists. On your mark, get set, go! See who can nab all the items on the list in the least amount of time.
2) Race Car Build. Have children design and build cars from items that can be found around the house (ie, milk cartons, bottle tops, cardboard boxes). Post pictures & videos of the finished hot rods online.
3) Baking Challenge. Choose your dessert! Challenge groups of friends & family members to a bake off. Whether you choose something easy to make, or a ridiculously difficult, edible masterpiece (a la the reality show Nailed It!) is up to you. Have a blast comparing your confections & eating the results.
4) Photo Contest. Choose a theme like animals, nature, or family moments. Have kids use tablets or smart phones to take pictures & create an online gallery.
5) Painting Party. Select a subject (eg, self-portrait, bowl of fruit, flower garden, etc.). Paint together live online, or share progress & finished masterpieces via social media.
6) Charades. Use a charade generator to pick a word or phrase. Aim your device's camera toward the person chosen to silently act out the phrase. Teammates have 1 minute to guess the correct answer.
7) Show & Tell. For younger children, this was often the most exciting part of their school day. Continue this activity by scheduling a date/time for kids to show off their most prized possessions.
8) Talent Show. Future stars in the making, this is for you! Gather family & friends together & have children virtually share a song, dance, magic trick, musical composition, or comedy act!
9) Break Out the Band. Experts agree that there are many benefits to playing an instrument. Get young musicians together to learn a song, hold a concert or just goof around. Playing an instrument strengthens memory and reading skills, decreases stress, & creates bonds.
10) Movie Night. Throw some pillows on the floor, gather up some snacks & choose a movie to watch together. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback & adds group chat for a long-distance movie night experience.
11) Lego Challenge. Choose a theme like movie scenes, alien invasions, or pirate adventures. Determine the time limit for the build, & regroup at the end to compare your creations.
12) Mail Pals. Grab some stamps & start a snail mail group. Have your children & their friends send actual letters, drawings or postcards to each other. Heading to the mailbox will become a highlight of their day!
13) Animal Adventure. While waiting for zoos & aquariums to reopen, pick a time to view live animal cams together. (Check our top five here.) From koalas to sting rays, have fun learning all about animal habits & habitats.
14) Guess Who. Invite a secret friend onto Zoom with their camera turned off. Have the other members of the video chat ask questions to determine who the mystery guest might be.
15) Virtual Escape Room. Try your hand at one of many family-friendly escape rooms available online. Stay sharp & use the clues to solve the puzzle.
16) Slumber Party. Send small care packages to your guests: nail polish/manicure set, skincare masks, lotions, stuffed animals. Wait until dark, get online, & play Would You Rather, Truth or Dare, & MadLibs.
17) Egg Drop. Get budding engineers together (virtually) for this classic, constructive experiment. Have kids gather up protective materials from around the house (cardboard cups, string, tape, balloons, straws, etc.). Have each child build a container that will keep a raw egg from cracking when dropped from ever-increasing heights. See whose build is able to cushion the egg from the highest drop.
18) Camp Out. Invite friends to pitch a tent in the backyard or living room. Go online to trade spooky stories, sing campfire songs & compare how high you can stack s'mores. If it's too early/cloudy to stargaze, jump online to Google Sky & explore the universe.
19) Secret Ingredient. Challenge friends & family to a mystery ingredient cooking challenge. Each group should chose four random ingredients that must be included in another team's entree. Set a time limit & see what surprise recipes are cooked up!
20) Trivia Night. Print these age-based general knowledge questions (with answers!) to host a trivia night for your child's classmates & friends.
21) Fashion Show. Have children make a DIY costume & model it on-camera. You can choose a theme like superheroes, princesses, pirates or monsters.
22) Game Night. Two Truths & a Lie, Heads Up, Battleship, Yahtzee, Pictionary, Simon Says... Don't forget these classic, family-friendly games that can be easily played over video chat.
23) Get Fit. Gather friends & family together for a daily virtual workout. Let each member of the "class"—especially kids—take turns leading the group in an exercise or dance routine for the others to follow.
24) Lights, Camera, Action! Let young filmmakers team up to write a movie script. Have them take turns filming scenes & use a movie editor to weave them together. Then pop some popcorn & host a virtual screening of the finished work.
25) Puppet Show. Kids can use their favorite stuffed animals or make their own puppets to entertain their friends.
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