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The coronavirus pandemic has meant for all of us to stay at home to keep each other safe and to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Temptations of the outside world seem stronger since Gov. Tom Wolf issued orders for non-life-sustaining businesses to close. But there is so much within your own home that can satisfy those cravings.
Explore your bookshelves for titles that can be your escape. If it’s a title you’ve been meaning to read but never had the time to pick up, this social distancing time is perfect for that. Reading can increase your vocabulary, improve your memory and relieve anxiety and depression. Grabbing a children’s title to read with your offspring can build a greater family bond and add another level to the homeschooling many are now doing as schools are closed.
Consider shortening your queue by streaming movies the family will love. Is there a TV show or limited series you missed? Check out Amazon Prime for Emmy-winning fare. Watching “The Office” from the beginning for the seventh time on Netflix or get hooked on something new like “Little Fires Everywhere” or “High Fidelity” on Hulu.
Have you been meaning to digitize your family photos? Get ready to break out the scanner and photo albums. Looking through old photos is a great way to share stories about your family heritage and digitizing the photos allows you to share them through social media and create new copies. Maybe you want to add onto your Ancestry.com profile with images of your grandparents, great-grandparents and more. Turn this into a family project and get everyone involved.
If you have the itch to write or have a novel in you, check out creative writing prompts online. NaNoWriMo, the group behind National Novel Writing Month, is offering a free, seven-day initiative called #StayHomeWriMo that delivers creative, mental, social and physical check-in prompts to keep you busy and active. Activities can be done solo, with family members or with online friends. Visit https://www.facebook.com/nanowrimo for more information.
Social media is also bringing everyone together to some of the most popular parties out there. DJ D-Nice is uniting the world with #ClubQuarantine. Log into Instagram and crank up the tunes as you and your family can dance in the family room as the renowned DJ spins tunes inside his home. Check out the chat to mingle with celebrities like Spike Lee, Michelle Obama, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey.
If dancing is not your thing, clear off a table and break out the board games and puzzles. Test out your pop culture skills with Trivial Pursuit, challenge your brain and spelling capabilities with Scrabble, or engage in an epic game of Monopoly. Game night may have to stretch over a few days during these stay-at-home times, but the fun will last for hours with Dungeons and Dragons or Cards Against Humanity.
But as more families are spending time in tight quarters, be sure to check on your mental health and physical safety. Time at home, while it is better for the greater good, is not ideal for everyone. If you need assistance, call 211 to get connected with area agencies for counseling and intervention.
— Times Leader