Mindful Home Tips in These Unsettled Times
You’ve likely heard of the importance of maintaining a schedule while your kids are at home, but the best schedule isn’t just a list of tasks that need to be accomplished.
Here are some mindful ideas to sprinkle into your home routine to keep minds present, calm, and upbeat while making new connections with your family.
Limit screen time (mostly) to learning. I know, it’s easier than it sounds, but kids are happier with less.
Cook a meal together. Cooking can forge deep connections. This is a great time to teach kids how to cook or even get them to step up responsibility and cook a meal or dessert for the whole family.
Get outside. Open a window, walk around the block, do jumping jacks on the front step, or play in the backyard. However you can find it, breathe some fresh air for a fresh mind.
Get crafty! Search online for art or craft projects for kids. Or just round up some supplies and throw down a timed challenge of creating something with things that you have around the house. Give them a time limit. Ready, set, go.
Learn how to play an instrument. There are so many great free resources on YouTube and other online music lessons. Also, search the app store for more advanced learning.
Online tours. Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean you can’t go to a museum...virtually.
Park tours. Plan a future trip by first taking a virtual tour of a National Park.
Science time. There are so many fun online science projects that don’t even feel like learning. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen already.
Learn a foreign language together. There are a bunch of great apps for kids and families to learn a new language. De rien.
Make a family playlist...and then have a dance party!
Get moving with an online yoga class. Or just make up your own yoga moves or stretches. Just like mindfulness, remember to breathe deep.
Bust out and dust off some of those old board games.
Read a book together. Pick a book the whole family will love and read together, just like you were watching a movie.
Reach out to your neighbors to see if there’s anything that the kids can help out with while maintaining a good social distance.
And remember, make clean-up a non negotiable part of any activity.