Fun Activities for Kids This Summer (During a Pandemic)
We can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel! School’s coming to an end and parent’s are planning for the summer ahead. But how safe is it for children to enjoy the parks opening back up, and how will parents adjust their usual summer plans to make sure their family is safe? There are options for virtual camps and classes that have been a way for small businesses and community programs to stay running. However, this leads us to asking, how can I keep my child safe?
Here’s what we know:
COVID-19 can live up to 72 hours on a plastic and stainless steel surface (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)
The amount of virus living on that surface that would result in contracting the virus is limited.
What we suggest:
Social distancing as a precaution, limiting games or play activities that require close physical contact.
Face Masks for children that are above the age of 2 (refer to blog below on helping children with face mask use)
To help children clean dirt on hands, rinse hands with water, then proceed to use the hand sanitizer
Watch for any signs of COVID-19 symptoms. This can look different from person to person. While most infected people have not gotten very sick, watch out for flu-like symptoms (Source: CDC).
Make preventative actions a habit. Wash hands! Parents are the role models of the house and children typically model parent behavior, so it’s suggested for parents to wash hands, and to make it a family activity.
Stay active! Doing activities will help boost physical and mental health (Source: CDC). Go for walks, bike, or visit a park for outdoor exposure. Indoor activities may include stretching, dancing, or even some gross motor activity games.
Here are some of my favorite Activities:
Board games in prone position (laying on their stomach)
Twister for Proprioceptive input to help regulate your child
Animal Walk races (bear crawls, crab walks, and bunny hops)
Jenga to work on Fine Motor Skills and Motor Planning
Break the Ice for a Fine Motor Activity
Arts & Crafts this allows your child to get creative
Baking/Cooking activities- Depending on your child’s age, you can use this activity to help with reading and following directions
You can even make puzzles more dynamic with a treasure hunt to find the pieces.
Try a new sport now that parks are opening back up- frisbee and soccer are some of my favorites with kids
Build a fort with all those delivery boxes from quarantine
Take a look at Free virtual events for parents and kids, click here to register for our free event next week!
Yoga for kids videos online
Virtual game night via House Party to get friends and family together
Gardening is a fun way for kids to learn how their food is grown and gives great sensory input for regulation
Stay socially connected. Loneliness has a huge effect on immunity and mental health, so keeping those little ones connected with social distancing guidelines are important (Cole, S.W., Hawkley, L.C., Arevalo, J.M. et al., 2007). Use video chats to create virtual playtime, phone calls, cards, letters; any way to make your child feel connected. Check your local school districts for tips and guidelines, community facebook groups, and local libraries. Social media has also been a huge help in the effort for communities to come together, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, to see what's happening in your area.
Be aware of signs of extreme stress or change in child behavior. This goes for all of us, but especially the little ones of the house may not have developed the introspection, or awareness of how they are feeling. Signs include, excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleep habits, or difficulty with attention/concentration.
If you have seen an extreme change in your child’s behavior, talk to your doctor. If you have any questions, or think your child may benefit from our Occupational Therapy Services, please follow this link for a Free Consultation with Smply Therapy.
Here are some resources from the CDC to help you and your family
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/for-parents.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts-h.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html
https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/gb-2007-8-9-r189
To register for our free Virtual Wellness Event:
https://success-street.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/354632/register
