During this time of pandemic, the automatic reaction from parents is how to survive with the kids at home. A lot of parents also worry about the kids’ school work and how to keep up academics.

Here at Little Monkey, we advise parents to take advantage of this time away from school to let the kids be kids again. Yes, they can continue to do school work at home but without structured extracurricular classes, get the kids to go out and enjoy nature more.  We should be distancing ourselves from others to prevent infection but this doesn’t mean that the kids have to be home all day long. It means to stay away from others and crowds.

We have all probably done these as kids at some point, so take some time to plan out some activities with the little ones. Here are some suggestions:

• to the playground (provided it is not full of people) Remember to bring hand sanitizer or something to wash hands at the playground as kids tend to touch their faces

• to go play hide and seek or playing chase (great exercise for mom and dad), blow some bubbles, kick around a ball, play badminton on the grass, play “green light, red light” or other similar outdoor games

• go on a hike as a family (bonus if the parents can find worms and critters under some rocks like we did during our Little Monkey Nature Adventure)

• go for a neighborhood walk if you live where there’s less people around. We do not advise walking in more crowded neighborhoods

• go to the beach. If it’s too cold then don’t go into the water just play in the sand, pick up seashells, make foot print or hand prints in the sand, or run around

• to go camping in the back or front yard or any grassy area by setting up a tent, telling stories or do some star gazing if you can

• go plant some herbs or flowers and have the kids water and watch it grow everyday

• have a picnic with the parents and just lay there and stare at the clouds. See what the kids can spot and let their imagination run wild. (Sunglasses are suggested)

• ride a bike outside, or a scooter, or pull them in a wagon

• play in the rain with raincoats and umbrellas and rain boots on. Let them discover slugs and snails and worms along the way

Everyone needs fresh air and sunshine to stay healthy during these times and this is the perfect opportunity for more family bonding. So other than activities at home, think of what outdoor activities they can do by themselves. Just make sure you stay away from crowded areas and wash, wash, wash hands when you get home.

Some additional tips

– we suggest to use sunscreen and bring a hat.

– avoid public transportation if possible during this time.

We will try to post another blog on some indoor activities to help with those days that you have to stay indoors! And if you have other outdoor suggestions, please feel free to comment away!