Spring Break while sheltering at home. What to do?

So as the last week before spring break came to close I was starting to wonder…no fear, what the kids were going to do with their unstructured time for the week of Spring Break. Don’t get me wrong I was delighted as 3:00 PM rolled around on Friday and I told my kids to put away their school books for the week. I didn’t want to see them anymore than they did.

But now without the structure of completing their school work during their days, I started to picture glassy eyes from staring at Youtube for too long and enraged bursts from hours of Fortnight. If I didn’t find some structure during the week for the kids, my idle threats to my friends of becoming a day drinker would become a reality.

So I needed a plan. One that would work for my teen who didn’t roll out of bed until afternoon and one for my 10 year old who had now gone to stuffing latex gloves with rice to create glove friends. It would have to have activities that included family time, fun time, constructive or creative time. And since we are home we should do some spring cleaning. This way when we can escape the confines of our house we can really enjoy the upcoming spring and summer weather.

So the first thing Saturday, (I would like to say morning, but it was more midday) I sat down to have a family meeting with the kids. We came up with a list of tasks and activities to get them busy throughout the week and maybe even a little productive. This is what we came up with.

Spring Cleaning Activities:

• Rearrange Bedrooms: Instead of just cleaning the bedrooms, update and re-arrange the furniture;. Think of it as a new perspective for your room, which may allow for a new perspective for your kids. Let the kids decide where to move the furniture by sketching it out on grid paper first. If you are really motivated, grab some paint and get your kids to help out. Grab some LED strip lights for some more ambiance.
• Gather donations: As your cleaning up rooms go through the kids clothes and put together bags for donations. Charities like the Lupus Foundation, Big Brother, Big Sisters and the VA will come and pick up your donation at your house. They accept clothes, small toys, books, small appliances. And it is all tax deductible.
• Clean up the Yard: Get your yard ready for summer by getting the family together to pick up the branches. Hardware stores are still open, so grab your mask and head down to your local hardware store to grab some fertilizer and grass seed. In many parts of the country this is the best time of the year to plant grass seed. The flower stores are also now stocking up on flowers and summer plants. Beautify your garden and make the time outside enjoyable.

Get Creative:

• Journaling: Pull out the colored pencils and markers. My daughter just bought Wreck this Journal. This is a unique interactive journal, that goes beyond just writing down your thoughts and feelings. If your kids need a constructive way to get their frustrations out this is the way to go. It has pages where you are asked to poke holes, smear food or stomp of the book. If you are not into destroying books then I also recommend Big Life Journal, also interactive for kids but on a more subdued level.
• Vision Boards: Never too early for the kids to start thinking about their goals and what they want out of life. Get a poster board, old magazines and have them imagine what their life will be like and what they desire. Find pictures to cut out of the magazines and create a college. Hang it up in their room.
• Make an inspiring sign: Grab some poster board and write a positive and uplifting message or statement to get people through the hard times. Secure it to a stake and post near roads and sidewalks where others will see it. Another idea is grab some sidewalk chalk and draw an inspiring message at the end of your driveway.

Family:

• Nailed It: Is someone’s birthday coming up? I got this idea from watching Nailed It. Find an image of a birthday cake or cupcake that represents the person’s. Depending on the ages of those baking determine a level of difficulty. This shouldn’t be easy though and should have a bit of a challenge to it. Get your family or friends who want to play. Everyone gets the copy of the image and they have to make a cake that looks like the image. The birthday boy or girl gets to decide on the best looking cake. Make sure to give everyone enough time to buy or order the ingredients.
• Family History Slide Show: Call up the grandparents for this one. They are stuck inside too and need something to do. Ask a grandparent to research the family tree and history dating back to when their family first came to America. Add pictures and narrative. Once done, set up a zoom presentation that the grandparents get to present. Make sure your kids have questions to ask.
• Family Video: Pull up tic toc and get the family together to show off what they got. Create a COVID 19 Parody and create a Youtube video. Your family could be the next viral hit.