Residents were forced to get creative after the province's first lockdown as they looked for ways to keep occupied indoors (and outdoors) without interacting with the rest of the public. This second lockdown brings new ideas from the community on how to keep kids busy while helping families and individuals living alone stay grounded during an unusual holiday season.
Some ideas carried over from the first lockdown: baking and cooking. Now is a great time to learn a new recipe or experiment with ‘taste bud challenges’ by covering up different foods and blind-folding participants as they taste different items while trying to guess what they are sampling. Encourage the use of different senses such as texture, smell, and taste. Record down your answers and compare for a fun and exciting unveiling afterwards. Can’t taste anything? Time to get tested for Covid-19 (just kidding!)
Another idea that was popular during the first lockdown was trading with other families – boardgame and puzzle swaps were very successful and helped save money. Check out Bradford ‘swap’ groups on Facebook for more ideas.
Why not try some Lego building? (Bonus points if you can re-create your house or a local shop in Lego-form!)
Other ideas: Movie nights under a blanket-fort, painting (try painting a picture or phrase on a rock and upload your pictures to ‘Bradford Rocks’ on Facebook), dance contests, singing (karaoke), crafts with leftover boxes from Christmas (or box mazes), cards or boardgames, reading, and of course Netflix (can’t find anything to watch? Join the Facebook group: What’s Good on Netflix).
Substitute normal games like ‘hide and seek’ for modified versions like ‘sardines’ where one person hides and everyone must find that one person, and when found, you join them in the hiding spot until everyone is together – and, as the name suggests, becoming progressively cramped like sardines in a tin.
If you do not mind a little water mess on your floors, one mom suggested filling a small pool of water in the basement or in an area away from electronics, throw down some towels and enjoy a fun, indoor pool experience (but be sure there is a drain nearby to siphon the water from the pool once done).
Stephanie Knapp, local mother, shared her idea of using masking tape on the floor to create a maze or obstacle course throughout the house.
“You can leave it down for a few days without it getting in the way or using furniture. The kids love it!” expressed Knapp.
Local mom Carrie-Ann Brown adds you can use the same idea to make ‘roads’ on the floor for kids to drive cars along too.
Want to get some cleaning done but need to keep the kids occupied? Clear your floors of debris, throw down some soapy water and let the kids slide across the floors while getting your floors cleaned at the same time.
Need to get outside for some fresh air? Here are some outdoor activities that are fun, free, and safe during the lockdown:
- Hiking (visit Scanlon Creek for a fun winter nature walk. Print off a nature scavenger list Winter Scavenger Hunt (w/FREE printable list) - Edventures with Kids (kcedventures.com) to make the hike more interesting).
- Tobogganing or Sledding (Bradford’s most popular tobogganing hill is nicknamed ‘Dead Man’s Hill’ but its real name is actually ‘Fuller Heights Park’ located off Imperial Crescent in Bradford. It is safe and family-friendly! Just watch out for trees and power transmission towers).
- Build a snowman, snow sculpture, or snow fort
- Make a picture or design on your snow with coloured water in a bottle you can squirt onto the snow
- Skating (may need to find an outdoor usable rink, as the Bradford Lion’s Park skating rink is ‘out-of-order’ at the moment).
- Cross-Country Skiing or Snowshoeing (DIY your own snowshoes here How to Make Snowshoes – Easy to Follow Guide 2020 - Survive The Wild)
- Go for a drive to look at house lights and holiday lawn decorations (see Century Twenty-One’s holiday house map here (Bradford Christmas lights bring holiday cheer to community - BradfordToday.ca) for a list of houses that go ‘above and beyond’ with decorations).
Alone during the lockdown? Borrow an instrument or pick-up a used one online and sign up for virtual lessons through the Bradford Academy of Music. The goal for people living alone during the pandemic is to keep busy by setting small, daily goals such as trying a new workout, finishing reading a new book, writing, and staying connected with others through online modes such as zoom, what’s app, or Facebook messenger video chat.
There are also many online games people living alone can play with others which gives them the opportunity to make new friends or stay connected to existing friends and family. The WHO (World Health Organization) is encouraging people to stay connected by promoting the #PlayApartTogether campaign which supports staying connected through online games available, but warns about the dangers of online gaming and reminds people to play safe while participating in online group games.
Still working during the lockdown? Be sure to make time for ‘escapism’. With the news constantly updating on the pandemic, mental health advisors remind people to switch off the news to give your mind a chance to ‘rest’. TV shows, films, books and podcasts can be a great way to transport one’s self to another world.
Above all, be safe in whatever activity you choose to do during this second wave.
