Cardboard box house with bedrooms, chimney and smoke, windows, doors, garage and a car (not pictured)

Friends. Where can we begin. This time feels too surreal. Like a sci-fi movie or an eery dream. We are so uncertain, so unnerved, so isolated. And yet, so many are coming together (virtually) to support, create community, encourage.

We are here to continually help you and your family EMBODY Wellness, despite illness spreading globally, literally every moment. We’ve been seeing our clients via Skype and FaceTime and the phone, working remotely but staying connected. We understand the complexities and confusion. How can we work, be present, teach, entertain, cook, clean, educate, stay calm, be prepared, keep positivity, boost immunity, pass the time, appreciate the time… how can we do it ALL? So many have expressed the stress created by the pressure to homeschool, make schedules and become Mary Poppins. Instagram shifted away from “look at my perfect family on our perfect vacation” to “look at my perfect family perfectly quarantining for COVID-19”

Let us share a secret. There is no perfect way to quarantine. There is no right or wrong way to fill your days or entertain your kids or keep yourself sane. TV is OK! Wine is OK! Some people thrive with structure and schedules and plans. Others thrive with free play and open adventure. You may need a balance of both. This is unprecedented. Most of you never imagined, desired or prepared to homeschool your children. Honestly, I love dropping my kids off at school – they are happy to be there, among friends and teachers and a safe space to grow and explore – and I am happy to know they are occupied away from home! I keep reminding myself, and my children, that this is uncharted territory. That we are going to be spending a long time just as a family, without other friends or even cousins. We are going to get frustrated and frustrate each other. We are going to need moments of alone time and extra hugs, cuddles and together time. We are going to bend and recreate the rules. We are going to snuggle more, read extra books, scream into the ocean, maybe even cry in the shower or with each other. We are going to do new things, make new memories, take otherwise lost opportunities for adventure and discovery. We are going to learn about ourselves and each other. We are going to bake things we’ve always wanted to bake. Eat family meals three times a day. Drink extra wine after bedtimes. Make a new ritual. Love harder. Breathe deeper. Yell louder. Feel scared. Get silly. Wear PJS for 2 days in a row. Get dressed up for no reason. Hopefully, this will not happen again. We don’t know how long it will last… so let’s find the treasure in the wreckage. Get closer. Tighten the frame. Do the right now. And let what can wait, wait.

Below are some easy ideas to take up some time during these long long days. They may also make you laugh, shed light on a new interest of your child, give independence. They require minimal skills, ingredients, materials. I’ve done all of the below this week or recently with my 5 year old and 3.5 year old. Griffin (8 months) is too young to really participate, but he laughs and laughs watching!

Feeding the ducks on our nature walk. We explore, search for signs of spring, bring back artifacts to use for art projects, make a scavenger hunt, follow the leader…

We will continue to post ideas. But please reach out! Let us know how you are holding up and what you’re up to!

  1. Bake. Cook. Create.
    1. So far this week we’ve made together: 
      1. Veggie and bean soup
      2. Make your own pizzas
      3. Homemade pasta
      4. Meatballs 
      5. Paleo matzah 
      6. Indoor s’mores
      7. Choco-bananas (rolled in coconut, granola or hemp seeds) 
      8. Granola 
      9. Banana muffins
      10. Cornbread 
      11. Many fruit salads and trays of roasted veggies (the kids love to chop!) 
  2. Make gifts to give all your friends when you can see them again! E.g, Origami, beaded jewelry, clay figurines, notes, jewelry boxes, treasures
  3. Let your kid(s) be the leader- 
    1. Set out materials like dress up or craft supplies or games and let them flow 
    2. Ask them what they want to do today and then… DO IT! 
    3. My daughter loves to lead “relaxation class” with deep breathing, adventure walks and dance classes.
    4. Go outside somewhere and ask them what they notice, what they feel and what their body wants to do 
  4. Encourage your kids to write or tell their autobiography or a biography about someone they know
  5. Save your delivery boxes. Pile them into a room and give your kids strong tape, markers, supplies. Be available to help with a sharp knife or scissors (to make windows, doors, openings).. See what they come up with 
    1. Olivia and Cullen made a house with 5 rooms including 2 bedrooms, a chimney with smoke coming out and a garage to park the car they made. Then they made a mini house for Griffin! 
  6. Make Rainbow Glitter Playdough
    1. Make cookies and treats and set up a bakeshop
    2. Make little figurines and film a stop-motion movie (lots of apps make this super simple to do on your phone!) 
    3. Create a habitat, like the ocean, with animals and plants
    4. See what happens when you mix different colors together 
    • HOW TO:
    • Stir together 2c flour, ¾ c salt and 4 tsp cream of tartar in a large pot. 
    • Add 2 c warm water and 2 tbsp oil.
    • Cook on medium-heat, stirring. Continue to stir until the dough forms a ball. Remove the ball of dough from the pot and place onto parchment paper to cool. 
    • If you’re adding color (and glitter), divide into ziptop bags and drop in food coloring. Knead the dough and coloring while inside of the bag until smooth and combined. 
    • If you’re not adding color, knead dough until smooth on the parchment paper. 
    • Keep the dough in ziptop bags and it will last for months!
    • PLAY!
  7. Make salt dough – mix together 1c salt, 2c flour, 3/4 c water and knead until combined. 
    1. make ornaments, handprints and footprints, sculptures
    2. Paint your creations once they’ve dried (two projects in one!) 
  8. Make mess-free lava
    1. Add 1 cup of water to a large mason jar or empty tomato sauce jar. Add in food coloring 
    2. Fill the jar with vegetable oil – leave about an inch or two of space at the top 
    3. Throw in broken alka seltzer pieces and watch the magic! 
  9. Pretend to be another family member. See if everyone can guess who you are. How long can you all assume different roles? 
  10. Sewing project (and recycling!) Find clothes that are too small. Use the fabric to make pillows, stuffed animals, doll clothes, a new shirt, a quilt. 
    1. Olivia cut out heart shapes from old pajamas. She sewed the perimeter, leaving about 4 inches open, then stuffed it with cotton and sewed the last 4 inches closed. She used the lace trim from the nightgown to create a lace trim around the heart, first cutting off the lace making it a ribbon and then sewing it to the outside of her stuffy. She made a heart pillow for her dolls! 
  11. Repurpose/Reuse: 
    1. Toilet paper or paper towel rolls
      1. Binoculars
      2. Telescopes
      3. Paper dolls 
      4. Kaleidoscopes
      5. Rain sticks 
      6. Maracas
    2. Egg cartons
      1. Flowers 
      2. Caterpillars 
      3. Bugs and other animals
      4. Nests 
      5. Glasses 
      6. Jewelry boxes
  12. Paper Mache (all you need is a balloon, newspaper, flour and water!)
    1. Make shakers
    2. Try a piñata!
    3. Get creative – animal sculptures, masks, self portraits…
  13. Marshmallow Architecture (build structures with just mini marshmallows and toothpicks!) 
  14. Go on an outdoor or indoor scavenger hunt. You can divide into teams, work together, or each person on their own. Collect, take pictures, draw or check off items as you find them. Create a prize once completed: winner can choose dinner!
  15. Make homemade pasta (we will post a recipe on the blog ASAP!) 
  16. Tye Dye- this can get messy, so ideally do this one outside!
  17. Write and illustrate a book. Read it at bedtime! 
  18. Make a time capsule. Bury it in the yard or put it somewhere in the back of a closet to find in the future. 
  19. Put on a production. Write a script, make costumes and a set, practice and perform. Or make up a dance, rehearse it and call SHOWTIME! 
  20. Collect objects in nature: rocks, shells, driftwood, acorns, leaves, branches. Bring them home and make a collage, a pretend nest, a sculpture, a frame…
  21. Bouncy vinegar egg (72 hours seems to be the sweet spot) 
  22. Plant something! Use small pots or go outside. Plant seeds, water them, watch, water, wait, take good care! Be a scientist and document its growth. Measure it with a ruler. Draw pictures. Ask questions. Make hypotheses. Get dirty! 
  23. Make an egg baby by blowing the yolk and white out through a small hole at each end of the egg. Let it dry out. Meanwhile, make your baby clothes, a crib, diapers, a cute face. Be gentle! Don’t let the egg crack! 
  24. Have relay races: egg toss, wooden spoon/egg races, wheelbarrel, three legged, etc. GET MOVING! 
  25. Easy Bird Feeder
    1. Find a pinecone in the backyard. Tie a string to the end. Slather it in peanut butter and then roll it in birdseed or cereal. Hang it from a tree
    2. Use a plastic cup or bowl. Punch holes in the rim and string it with ribbon. “Bead” cheerios or other “O” cereal onto the ribbons or strings. Fill the bowl or cup with more cereal. Hang from a tree by the ribbons. 
    3. String Os onto pipe cleaners and hang them from trees