We know that by now, you have been inside for a while, and sometimes, all the days seem to be the same. You might be running out of things to do with your family. Well have no fear! We have compiled a fun list of things to do during screen time, without technology, and story-time! 

Things to do inside when screen time is over for the day: 

Knowing when screen time and technology time is over for the day might be hard during this time of social distancing. We have some no-technology and technology-low options for activities to enjoy with the whole family! 

  • CHOC Children’s has a great list of activities for the many hours at home!
  • Backyard Scavenger Hunt – Get outside and hide some treats, favorite toys, or pirate booty and make the world’s most epic backyard scavenger hunt!
  • Break out the Board Games – Now might be the time to finally learn how to play chess or test the family loyalty and set up an afternoon of Monopoly.
  • Jigsaw Puzzles – Even the difficult ones can be left on a counter and worked on for a few minutes a day until it’s finished! 
  • Check out this list of household item science experiments!
  • PBS has a great list of Rainy Day Activities.
  • And at Home Activities.
  • Camp in the Living Room – We are all missing spring and summer camping trips but, why not set up the campsite in the living room! Let dinner be a PB&J in a tent and take a night off from dishes!
  • Obstacle Course – Need some time to get the wiggles out? Set up an obstacle course inside and let the American Ninja Warrior inside your children out!
  • Stuffed Animal Hide and Seek – A fun take on stuffed animal tea time, stage a kidnapping for your little Sherlock Holmes to solve and be the hero! 

Things to watch during screen time to learn and dance around: 

Screen time is a great time to sneak some learning into the day! Here are some great resources for getting your kids’ bodies and brains moving.

  • National Geographic Kids has its own YouTube Channel, and fun science shows.
  • SciShow Youtube channel is a great place to go to help when your kiddos have too many why questions for even your brain! (It also has a great COVID-19 playlist for adults analyzing the science of the virus and testing.) 
  • The Dr. Is In is a YouTube channel from The Smithsonian Museum that answers questions about everything from Dinos to Cats from their delightful dino expert Dr. Sues.
  • The Kennedy Center has a great YouTube show to help your budding artists with Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems (a well-renowned children’s book author.) They even have a social media hashtag (#MoLunchDoodles), so you can share your masterpieces with the world!
  • Debbi Allen (Yes, that Debbi Allen!) is hosting live streams where you and your family can get up and shake the wiggles out and maybe learn some new moves on her Instagram accounts. She also has saved videos and posts so you can dance at any time!
  • The Laurie Berkner Band of the song “We Are the Dinosaurs,” has committed to being live most weekdays at 10 am EST for a song and dance break! We dare you not to sing along!

To Keep Summer Reading Going:  

  • For story-time when you might have to work, or to have time to relax your eyes and just listen, check out these podcasts for children.
  • Josh Gad (The voice actor for our favorite snowman Olaf, from Frozen) is doing nightly bedtime stories (with voices!) on his Twitter. Just search the hashtag #GadBookClub or scroll through his twitter hereto see some never seen before Olaf shorts!
  • Fauquier Public Library is doing social distancing right with Curbside Pickup so your children can stay up-to-date with all their favorite stories and not miss their summer reading milestones! 
  • The Virginia Public Library has resources for keeping summer reading alive and well, even at home: 
  • A lot of authors are doing read-alongs at home with their novels! Check out the list here.

And of course, nothing beats just sitting down at the end of the day and reading your family’s favorite books with all the best voices only parents can make!

Staying Connected and Visiting from 6 Feet away

Nothing may be able to help settle your family down if they are worried about grandparents, siblings, or friends who are unable to visit or play with them during all of this. We recommend setting up scheduled video calls through free services like Zoom if Facetime or Facebook Video Call are not options. Porch visits can also be a good option! Drive to your friends or family’s house and either stay in the car or stay 6 feet away to have a quick visit or even a picnic lunch!

We hope that these suggestions have helped in giving you some ideas and resources for fun at home! If you have any questions or concerns or just want to speak with your provider about what you should be trying to do at home during these uncertain times, please give us a call at 540-349-3225.