Social distancing and quarantining have changed the way many of our families live their day to day lives. Many parents are working from home and children are doing online learning. Many of the activities we enjoyed doing as a family are now suspended or physical spaces are closed. This is especially tricky as the weather gets colder and it becomes more challenging to spend a lot of time outside. It can feel like we’re living groundhog day in our house every day, but there are ways to make quarantine engaging and fun for the family.
Online Classes: It may seem counterintuitive after your child has been on zoom all day with school, but online classes can be a fun way to help them explore and expand upon their interests. Many online sources offer classes in everything from dance to astronomy. Finding a way to keep your child connected and inspired is especially important during this time when they are spending less time with their friends in person.
At Home Movie Theater: A fun option for the whole family is setting up a movie theater at home. If you have a projector, go big and hang a white sheet on a wall or even outside. Set up cushions, blankets, and comfortable chairs. Let the kids set up a snack bar with popcorn, candy, and all the classic theater snacks. You can even print out tickets to pass out to the kids before the show for an extra special touch!
Chopped: Do you have kids that love cooking? Try a Chopped challenge. Each “contestant” gets a mystery ingredient to work with and can present their creations to the “judge”. Extra points for creativity and plating!
Game Night: Game night is a classic for a reason. It gets us off of our screens and engaging with each other. There are strategy games, cooperative games, games of chance, and games designed to make you laugh. Even timeless games like Monopoly, have pop culture updates like Star Wars or Disney for the younger crowd. For families with multiple children, setting up a weekly game night helps kids take turns choosing which game to play.
Virtual Travel: Many of us are wistfully looking through travel photos these days. And while it may be a while before we are able to get on an airplane, we can still travel virtually! Have each family member choose a location and put it into a bowl. Each week, choose a location from the bowl and take a virtual vacation. Look up travel videos about the location. Cook and enjoy the regional food. You can listen to Flamenco music to travel to Spain, watch a Celtic dance class for Ireland, watch a virtual walkthrough of the Louvre for France, learn to make a lei for Hawaii or DIY sushi for Japan. Think about all the things you enjoy about travel and come up with creative ways to experience them at home.
Red Mountain Colorado Can Help
Red Mountain Colorado was founded to help struggling teens work through behavioral and emotional challenges. We specialize in the treatment of trauma-related mental health challenges. Throughout programming, we empower teens to build healthy coping skills and habits that they can use to work through the challenges they face.
Our program is structured to treat issues like trauma and depression as well as dual diagnosis disorders. When your teen arrives at our treatment facility, our staff will assess if there are any underlying mental health symptoms. With these learnings, we take an integrated approach to create a path to psychosocial wellness. For more information please call (970) 315-9533.