12 Ways to Beat the Quarantine Blues

Transitioning from the anticipation of carefree, springtime days to a quarantined family routine is challenging for everyone, but necessary for the health of our community. Use this time to be intentional and unite your family!

Here are some ideas.

Hold a family cooking competition. Team up and challenge each other to make an impressive dinner or lunch item. Stipulate what foods have to be included in the creation. The winning team gets to choose dessert. Find fun seasonal recipes at www.sandiegofamily .com/things-to-do/dining-and-recipes.

Have a hot chocolate party. Create a DIY hot chocolate station featuring marshmallows, candy sprinkles and whipped cream. Cozy up with a kidfriendly movie and enjoy! Start a project. Start a project that kids can look forward to working on a little bit each day, such as a jigsaw puzzle, model airplane or craft project.

Reminisce. Gather photos everyone took during a recent vacation or event, and help the kids create a digital slideshow or photo book to share with family and friends. Or print copies of the photos and let kids make their own scrapbook. Reflect on the best parts of your family’s time together.

Send good cheer. Encourage kids to write letters to loved ones about favorite activities or draw a picture that depicts something they like doing. Then help them mail it.

Craft an art party. Have a colorful art party with the family. Gather art supplies like paint, textured paper, glitter, colorful duct tape, beads, buttons, glue and paintbrushes. Challenge each other to create a work of art using only the materials available.

Connect with nature. Even though people are in quarantine, fresh air is important! Give your kids a list of scavenger hunt items to look for on a nature hike around the block or in your backyard. Take pictures of birds, notice unusual foliage, and collect pinecones and leaves on the ground.

Play games. Play favorite classic board games and/or make time for new video games. The kids will love teaching you how to play and you’ll get a better idea of how the game works.

Have a family pajama party. Make appetizers, popcorn and warm beverages, and spend the day in your pajamas watching family-friendly Netflix shows.

Envision your next outing.Make a family outings bucket list of places you’d like to visit in San Diego or beyond once everything settles down. Assign techsavvy kids different locations to research and be sure to access San Diego Family’s Out & About with Kids as a resource: www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/ out-about.

Engage in STEM. Flip to “Full STEAM Ahead” on page 16 for 15-minute STEM activities and access more DIY science projects at www.sandiegofamily .com/for-the-kids/family-science.

Celebrate. When the kids do go back to school, mark the day with a simple celebration. Light a candle on a back-to-school cupcake, muffin or cinnamon roll.

Hanging out together is going to be the norm for a while. Make the most of this unique opportunity to be together and more connected as family.

Sign up for the San Diego Family Enewsletter for more ways to keep the family happy and safe at home! https://www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do