Where to Go When There’s Nowhere to Go

Don’t Get Stuck in a Rut

• What: Where To Go When There’s Nowhere to Go
• When: Stuck at home with kids
• Why: Change up your routine
• Where: At home

Have you gotten sick of staring at all four walls of your home? Do your kids complain about their limited options (walk, park, yard)? When a long car ride together starts to seem appealing even to those under ten, you know it’s time to shake things up a little. If you need some ideas to keep things interesting, and add a little variety to your at home routine, try one of these boredom busters.

Water Balloons: If you get warm sunny weather, bust out the water balloons. You can get a quick fill supply on Amazon if you don’t want to spend time filling them. But who are we kidding here? Set the kids the task of getting the water into any balloons you have laying around and see how long it takes them to figure it out. Then they can tear through their supply in sixty seconds or less, and spend some more time picking up all the tiny little pieces.

Drive In Movie: Take your movie night outside. You might not go further than your front walk, but changing the scenery can make a big difference. Unearth your projector if you have one, or just take your computer or tablet outside. With the audience limited to your household, everyone can see and hear even the smallest screens. Pipe sound through wireless speakers or just turn the volume up. Want to add more fun? Have kids walk, ride, or bike around while you get everything set up, then pull in for their drive-in movie. Make it more fun for adults by adding takeout or delivery food and spend time while the kids watch catching up on other topics of conversation with the other adult(s) in your household.

Go on a Nature Walk: You don’t have to be hunting bears or seeking rainbows to have a purpose when you leave the house. Have more than one kid? Get them competing to see who can find the most yellow flowers, highest number on a sign, or anything else that might appeal to them. Want to take more time over a limited distance? Have them hunt for creeping critters like caterpillars or spiders and see how long it takes them to cover one block looking in every nook and cranny.