7 Stay-at-Home Activities for the Whole Family
By Frank Bolinsky
Back when the world shut down a few years ago, families with young kids found themselves scrambling to come up with entertaining activities that we could do at home. What’s nice is that we have continued to enjoy these activities even after everything has mostly returned to normal. Try one of these at-home activities if you have a free weekend this spring or summer. Because sometimes it’s fun to stay in … even when you don’t have to. Outdoor movie night: This has been a staple for us for a long time. The cost of projectors has plummeted, making it much more affordable and user-friendly to obtain the equipment needed. We ordered an inexpensive one online that can be powered with a battery pack and built- in speaker. We stuck it on a camera tripod and projected it from a phone. You can cast it on the side of your house, garage door, or just by hanging a sheet somewhere. This is always a big hit with the kids. Fire pit night: Everyone loves fire pit night. My son is at an age where he wants to help. Some different wood-splitting options are kid-friendly, like this one, where they just hit it with a mallet. K & B True Value has a great selection of fire pits; your average grocery store sells firewood in a bag. Grab some snacks (we love the snack mixes and goodies at BD Provisions) and marshmallows, and you’re good to go.
Backyard Camping: We love to camp. Backyard camping is a great trial option if you are worried about how your kids will handle it at a campground. Combine this with an outdoor movie, and you’ll have a night your kids will remember forever. Bounce house: During the pandemic, our kids were bouncing off the walls…so we thought, why not let them bounce in a less destructive way? We bought a bounce house online, but I’ve seen them pop up on Buy Nothing pages, and there are companies popular with Annapolis Moms, like The Moonbounce Guy, from whom you can rent. Having a bounce house for a day or even a weekend at home can make for a very memorable weekend. Art Walk: This was popular a few years ago when many people used tape and chalk to create art on the sidewalk. Try to loop in neighbors and create an art trail for the family walk. Fitness loop: We figured out that our neighborhood loop was a half mile, so we created family fitness challenges that mixed in making loops, either walking, biking, or scootering, and added stations out front of our house. Try a new Board Game: Places like Omnihedral will rent out tabletop games for $5 for two weeks, and they have thousands to try. Try out a new game for family game night.
Photos courtesy of Frank Bolinksy
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