Hello! We have made it to Friday! Now you may be wondering, “What fun is a What’s Up Weekend when we are all supposed to be staying home?” Well, today’s post is a list of ideas of ways to spend the upcoming weekend at home. These can be done as a family or can simply be suggestions for ways kids can occupy themselves. Be sure to check out our Guide to Thrive where you will find even more ideas. At the end of this post are PDFs of both lists that can be printed and posted around your home for easy access to ideas. And in case you missed it — here’s the link for some super minimal-ingredient recipes.
Before we tackle some amazing weekend plans, wasn’t Virtual Spirit Week a blast? Today’s the last day, so don’t forget to share your photos of you and your kids showing off your school spirit in fun costumes! #SLOCAspirit!
And now for some ideas…
- Go on a Scavenger Hunt — This could be something you or your kids make up to do around your house, your backyard or (safely) around your neighborhood. Have them look for that missing set of keys or you can check out one of these premade ones. Indoor Scavenger Hunt, Outdoor Scavenger Hunt, Scavenger Hunt Riddles
- Get out Photos — If you have photo albums or books, pull them out and let the kids flip through them. Or scroll through your phone. Sit with them and tell them stories about the people, events, and places. Or take the time to put together a photo album.
- Audible Books — Kids books are currently free to listen to!
- Learn a New Skill — Caligraphy? Knitting? Dancing like they do in Jane Austen movies?
- Games with Coach Mark — Check out the Parent Portal for fun activities with SLOCA Athletics Director Mark Nicodemus.
- Star Gaze
- Go Camping in Your Backyard
- Teach Your Pet(s) a New Trick
- Put on a Puppet Show or Do Shadow Puppets
- Rearrange the Furniture
- Indoor Pool Party — Fill the bathtub and tell the kids to suit-up.
- Collage — Provide your kids with magazines, scissors, and glue. Have them pick a theme or just see what they create.
- Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder — This book may help with perspective and gratitude.
- Learn a New Langauge — Spanish, French, Latin, ASL, or even Pig Latin. Have fun!
- Share Your Highs & Lows of the Week
- Appreciation/Affirmation — Take turns telling each member of your family what you appreciate about them.
- Put on a Fashion Show — Bust out the dress up or your fancy clothes and pretend to walk the catwalk.
- Plan a Dream Vacation — This will end and we will travel again. Dream together about where you might go.
- Draw Portraits — Challenge the kids to draw a picture of themselves, their sibling(s) or pet(s).
- Pretend Your House is a Museum — Take a tour. Have kids write blurbs about special artifacts around the house. Maybe even film a virtual tour to share with friends and family. Want to tour a real museum — check these out!
- Set Up a Rube Goldberg Contraption — Or line up some dominos.
- Call a Family Meeting — What’s on the agenda is up to you.
- Try Extreme Puzzling — Take out a few puzzles and mix the pieces together. Attempt to assemble all the puzzles. Good luck!
- Have a Dad Joke Competition — Collect all your best Dad jokes and challenge the other person not to laugh.
- Attempt Oragami
- Go on an ABC Hunt — Pick a letter of the alphabet and walk around your neighborhood searching for that letter in nature, in structures, or even the cracks on the sidewalk.
- Dive Into the Depths of Pinterest — Just be sure to leave a note.
- Go on a Bear Hunt — Check out this new fun “game”.
- Host Your Own Spirit Week — For example, Monday: Do everything with your non-dominate hand, Tuesday: You must sing instead of talk., etc. See if you can get neighbors or friends on social media to play along.
- Film Your Own “How To” Video — It could be about anything.
- Read Primary Source Documents — See if you can find some primary source documents related to our current history track.
- Watch Silly Cat Videos — Or whatever makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.
- Take a Nap
- Play the Quiet Game — Maybe offer a motivating prize for the winner.
- Gratitude — Share something you are grateful for, something you have gained a greater appreciation for, or simply look for the “silver linings”.
- Decorate Your Driveway — Get out the sidewalk chalk and decorate your driveway and sidewalks near your home. Write fun and encouraging notes to your neighbors who may see them when they walk by.
- Watch a Classic Musical — The Sound of Music is almost 3 hours long.
- Write Notes to Community Workers — Put a note near your mailbox thanking your postal worker or post a note somewhere your garbage men will see.
- Have a Nerf War
- Family History — Call up your relatives and ask them questions about their lives. Record or write down the answers for posterity.
- Clean the Cars — Have kids clean out the inside and maybe wash and detail the outside.
- Egg Hunt — Why not enjoy this tradition a little early. Locate the plastic eggs. Fill them with things like goldfish crackers, pennies, or stickers and hide them around the house or backyard. OR Let the kids fill and hide them for each other.
- Do Nothing — It’s okay. Give yourself permission to simply enjoy these unscheduled weekend days at home.
What’s Up Weekend: Home Edition
Looking for some ideas of stuff to do online — Explore Enjoy SLO’s list of Things To Do Online In SLO County. They even mention Wisdom Wonder!
Share with us how you are spending your weekend days at home.
