We’re filled with uncertainty these days. We don’t know what the next day holds, and we’re all just trying to get through each day. Many of us are stuck at home—some with kids, some with husbands, some with roommates, and some alone.
We do not in any way want to ignore the fact that this is an extremely painful time for some. Being stuck at home is not always safe, healthy, or comforting. We’re praying for those who resonate with that last sentence. Please reach out to others in your circle to pray with you and help you with tangible needs.
That being said, many of us have found ourselves with lots of time on our hands at home. We may still need to work; we may have found ourselves new homeschool teachers; or we may simply be trying to keep our toddlers entertained for hours indoors. In any case, we thought we could make the most of this time at home by creating some to-do lists!
We did get this idea from Annie F. Downs, who is chronicling her quarantine time over on Instagram. We liked the idea and thought we’d join in!
If you live with kids:
- Send your friends videos of your kids.
- Learn a dance as a family and post it to social media to start a dance party.
- Create sensory bins.
- Have an indoor (or outdoor) scavenger hunt.
- Build a time capsule.
- Make a scrapbook.
- Try a new recipe. For extra fun, make a cooking show and post it on social media!
- Plant a family garden.
- Make friendship bracelets.
- Make play dough. (Here’s an easy tutorial!)
- Allow children to rearrange their bedroom.
- Put on a puppet show.
- Have a tea party.
- Build a fort out of blankets and furniture.
- Play board games. If you have multiple kids, let them take turns choosing the next game you play together.
- Have kids help sort bowls by lids, color, or size.
- Read a Bible story and let kids write a play and act it out—complete with costumes (check your linen closet).
- Host a Zoom call with friends and have children share their LEGO creations.
- Bring out your camping equipment and allow your children to camp indoors. Don’t have a tent? Build a blanket fort!
- Practice one old-fashioned skill a day (how to write a letter, how to make a phone call, how to sew on a button, how to do laundry, how to read a map, how to set the table)
If you live with other adults:
- Plan some time to do things solo and together.
- Do a puzzle together. Consider working two puzzles at the same time and make it a race!
- Break out board games or cards for a game night.
- Have a cooking contest to see who can come up with the most creative dish from pantry items.
- Set some sort of goal together for your time at home. It could be organizing something (like a pantry, closet, etc.), finishing a book, etc.
- Set one new rhythm together. It could be intentionally eating breakfast together before you start your day, praying together to end your day, going on a daily walk, etc.
- Do a workout video in your living room.
- Try a DIY on Pinterest.
- Create a document with shows and movies you are watching and share with friends and family. Then, host a video movie review!
- Rearrange your furniture.
- Teach your pet a new trick.
- Write a song together.
- Learn a new skill (juggling, calligraphy, sewing, etc.).
If you live alone:
- Try out some new makeup! We all have those random beauty products in our bathrooms that we just haven’t used yet. Experiment with a new lipstick, use a face mask, watch a fun contouring tutorial on YouTube. No one will see you if you mess up, so now’s the time to go bold!
- Set up virtual coffee dates via Zoom or Google Hangouts with your small group or your friends.
- Go for walks. Explore a new trail or greenway or just take a few laps around your neighborhood.
- Try a new recipe. Break out the cookbook and try making something you’ve never made but always wanted to take the time for.
- Read a book. Tackle your to-be-read pile or read something longer that you’ve never found the time to read before.
- Work a puzzle.
- Binge a new show or watch a movie you’ve been wanting to see. (Not everything in your quarantine time has to be productive.)
- Clean out a closet/junk drawer/desk. Make some piles to donate once we get back into the swing of things.
- File your taxes.
- Read through a book of the Bible in one sitting. We so often don’t have time to do this, but it can be a fantastic way to fully understand context for familiar passages.
- Pray for others. Start a journal where you keep track of what you’re praying. Ask for requests from friends and spend time praying through those requests with God.
- Memorize Scripture. One way I’ve always memorized Scripture is to repeat a verse over and over in every room of my house. Now’s the time to memorize! You can find some great verses to memorize right now here.
- Solo dance party. Dance like no one’s watching. Literally, no one is. You’re alone in your house. Learn a fun routine on YouTube or just freestyle it to your favorite songs.
- Clean. Usually “don’t have time” to clean those baseboards? Now you do.
- Take the money you normally would have spent eating out or going to the movies, and donate it to a local ministry or charity providing relief for those who lose their jobs during this time or providing meals for kids who normally rely on school lunches.
- Learn Calligraphy (here’s a great tutorial that can help).
What items do you usually not have time to do? We hope you are able to find time to spend time in the Word and catch up on your to-do list. If you need some tunes to help get you going as you check things off your list, listen to our latest Spotify playlist here.