45 Fun-ish Things To Do During #StayHome

Being stuck at home because of the Coronavirus can be overwhelming and it can be just plain boring - especially if you are an extrovert like myself. Annoying as it can be, lounging around at home does have its upsides – you can finally indulge in all those things you never made time for, whether it be cleaning out your closets, getting creative with the kiddos, tending to your cracked heels or getting through that book you’ve been ignoring.

So despair not - I have put together a list of 45 things that you could try to fill some time with! I know we will be trying to mark off as many as we can in my family during this time.

1. Stream an early release: Disney announced that it made the decision to release the latest Pixar film “Onward.” It will be on the Disney+ streaming service on April 3! Many other movies are releasing early too.
2. Grow Your Green Friends: Start a little indoor garden, or prep the yard for an outdoor garden this season!
3. Build a Fort: Gather all the blankets and pillows and create a fort in the living room, under the kitchen table or even in the bedroom. This is perfect for a day of snuggling, telling stories or a picnic.
4. Check In With Others: Just because you're quarantined it doesn't mean that you can't still check on others in need. Check-in on relatives via phone or video chat, make sure your older relatives or relatives with immune-compromised conditions have the supplies they need.  
5. Play Games Online: There are so many great online apps and games these days. Play your friends in many of the games offered.
6. Bake Up Some Delish: Who doesn’t love some yummy desserts? Spend an afternoon baking. Here are a few kid-friendly recipes from Delish.com.
7. Game night!: Throw the dust off all those board games: Don’t have any – create one! Some of our favorites are Guess Who (for the littles), Sheriff (for the whole family) & Ticket to Ride or Photosynthesis (for the big kids). Or why not take turns making up your own games?
8. Play Cards: Whether its Poker, Trash, Skip-bo or Uno – this is a great way to spend an afternoon.
9. Binge Watch a Show: Whether you have Netflix, amazon prime or good ol’ fashioned DVDs – spend some time catching some shows you haven’t had the chance to watch yet! Some of my personal favorites are Schitts Creek, This Is Us, Greys Anatomy, Walking Dead, Dead to Me, and Jane the Virgin.
   
10. In Home Scavenger Hunt: Let the fun begin. Send your family around to take fun selfies looking for all kinds of easy things around the house. Here is a list of a bunch of different kids to try out!
11. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt: There are so many things to see and do outside! Make a list of what can be found in your own backyard or around you building.
12. Puzzles: Put together a puzzle. Or you can even create your own puzzle!
13. Tell Stories: A favorite way to pass time for us in the car is to “tell stories with out mouth.” Basically, we all take turns telling stories. This is a great way to encourage your kids to use their imagination! Take it to the next level and create books and let them illustrate them!
14. Themed Movie Day: Pick a series and make a day of it. Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Star Wars or Star Trek. Make is a family fun day with themed snacks and all!
15. Favorite Movie Day: Celebrate your favorite movies by giving them a special day.
16. Write a Play: Tired of screen time? Write a musical or play together. Act it out or make puppets!
17. Trivia Night!: Play some trivia. Playing games like these can also be a much-needed break from screens; it allows you to look at other people in the room and have discussions while being entertained.
18. Exercise or Yoga: Don’t forget to fuel your body with physical activity. There are a lot of great at home exercise plans available for you! And Yoga with Adrienne is awesome. 
19. Take a “Trip” to the Zoo: Many Zoos are putting live streaming or doing specials on their Facebook pages. Here is one local to me.
20. Read a Book: You know there is that ever-growing list of books you have been waiting for the time to read. Now is you chance! Check out Audible for audio books!
21. Mail Letters: Remember when you used to get a letter in the mail? Wasn’t that wonderful! Take time to send out a few letters to friends, family or even those who might be lonely.
22. Journal: Journaling has been shown to help relieve stress. This can be very beneficial, especially in time like this. Not sure where to start? You can even purchase prompted journals online.
23. Go for a Walk: Take a walk around your property or up the street. Find a local hiking trail or bike path. We have a family goal of finding new places in the area a week to hike.
24. Host a Cooking Show: Pretend you are on a cooking show. Or have a family “Chopped” event. Get creative, have fun & build some fun new memories.  
25. Listen to Podcasts: The world is FULL of podcast on every topic under the sun. This is a great opportunity to seek out ones that work for you.
26. Hand & Foot Art: This is a great art idea for your kiddos. Check out examples here.
27. Flashlight Hide & Seek: My kids LOVE this spiced up version of H&S. Turn off all the lights and play hide & seek by flashlight.
28. Learn a New Skill: Always wish you could do calligraphy or learn how to draw? Have that camera sitting around you wish you knew how to use. Take this opportunity to learn something that interests you.
29. Teach Kiddos a New Skill: Now is the time to learn about home repairs, car maintenance or other fun adulting tasks. Give your kiddos a sense of responsibility all while spending that quality time.
30. Spa Day!: Throw on the lotions, face masks and pampering. Even kiddos love doing this! Try out one of these at-home-yogurt-masks.
31. Mommy Make-Over: Let the kids give you a makeover. This will certainly bring on some fun and laughs.
32. Learn a New Instrument: Have you or your kids always wanted to learn how to play the piano or the guitar. There are a ton of online tutorials. Why not start today?
33. Paint: Finger paint, oil paint, watercolor – whatever. Throw some paint around and create something!
34. Have a Picnic: Either in the backyard, on the front porch or on the living room floor!
    
35. Indoor Camping: Grab some s'mores supplies and camp out in the living room for a weekend.
36. Paint Rocks: Paint rocks for yourself or hide them out in the park. Out of caution, make sure you sanitize them before laying them out.
37. Have a Home Concert: Put on a concert!
38. Recycle Crafts: Find new ways to get crafty with items you might already have. Here is a video to get your creative juices flowing.
39. Create Vision Boards: Vision boards are boards for hopes, dreams, desires, hobbies, and goals made with visual representations. Cutting out scenes or pictures from magazines and pasting them on a vision board can help keep inspiration and imagination alive while we wait out this trying time. This is great for adults and kids!
40. Dance Party: This is a family favorite. Throw on some of your favorite tunes and dance the night away!
41. Play Sleepover Games: Two Truth & A Lie, Truth or Dare, Quelf… kick back with some oldies. Skies the limit here.
42. Play A Sport: Go outside and throw a ball around, have a soccer game or throw a frisbee. Remember to get some fresh air and exercise.
43. Be Productive: We all have closets that could be cleaned out or home projects we have been putting off. Now is the time to tackle that to do list!
    
44. Get Science'y: Build a volcano, or mix together some putty, or make home-made ice cream. Teach your kiddo how certain ingredients can make things happen.
    
45. Look at Old Photos: We love looking back through memories and our kids love hearing about them. Whether its about them as babies or use growing up, they love to look through old photos and videos.

Whether its just you or you have a bunch of kiddos running around, I hope that you find this list helpful! Please add in some of your awesome ideas in the comments - we would love to hear them!

Remember to take care of yourself during these times.
Stay Healthy. Be kind.

Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.

♡ Elisabeth Ashliegh

*** I did something I have never done before on my own blog posts and added photos from other artists. Typically, I like to correlate my own imagery in with the articles I post. Since I am mainly a portrait family photographer, I just didn't find anything in my own collection that fit perfectly with this. If anything it increased my desire to do more in-home type photo sessions to capture that daily magic. You can find all of these artists and more on unsplash.com and hope to share more of my work with you in the future! ***