Being at home with our kids during a pandemic is new to us all. Just what do you do all day with them? How do you keep them engaged, entertained, and active? Well, here are three inspiring activities you can enjoy with your kids while they are at home:
1. Take A Nature Walk
Getting outside is one of the best ways to clear our heads, get some exercise, and, for a brief moment, take a mental break from our situation. It also breaks up the drudgery of feeling locked inside. Even if you only go outside for a few minutes, taking the time to get outside every day with your kids will boost your mood, give you something to look forward to and give you opportunity to explore parts of your neighborhood that you otherwise would never have time to. And as a bonus, to make it an even more inspiring activity, schedule your walk around sunrise or sunset, take some beautiful pictures and share them with your friends as a way to lift their moods, too.
2. Write A Story
Story writing is one of the most therapeutic and inspiring activities available, and it can also be highly interactive and fun. And when you write a story with your kids, you also engage them in a way that is highly enlightening. So, to begin, ask your child(ren) to write a first chapter of the story. It does not matter how long or short, complex or simple it is. The point is just to get started.
Next, you write the following chapter. Then your kid writes the next one, and so on. The idea is that through sharing your imagination and creativity, you create something larger with your kids. In the process, you allow them to share their thoughts, feelings, and desire for expression with you in a way that is safe, creative, and engaging. Likely, what you will both find is that you won’t want the project to stop.
3. Start A Fundraiser
Social responsibility is an invaluable lesson. And, interestingly, it is also linked to mental health. When you give back, help others, and do something for the greater good, it makes you feel good too. As Adam Grant, the author of Give And Take: A Revolutionary Approach To Success notes, giving back to others is linked to a wide range of success measures. Yet, it is something that could probably be emphasized a whole lot more in today’s society. So, now that your kids are at home, you have the opportunity to teach them how they can help others and experience the benefits that come with it.
Start by choosing a person, or group of people that you would like to help. Next, work with your child to write a compelling description of the situation the person or group is in. Have your kids think about the most important reasons that this person, or group, needs help, and what specifically you are asking people to do.
Then, with your kids, find a platform to post your fundraiser. There are many available like GoFundMe and Indiegogo. Lastly, together with your kid, share your fundraiser on all your social media sites, with your friends and contacts. When your kids can see the effects of spending time and energy to help others, you teach them an important lesson about social responsibility, but you also help them find a very effective way to build success.
Being at home with your kids can be exhausting and overwhelming. But it can also be an opportunity to spend quality time with them with these inspiring activities.
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