Something I’ve never been particularly good at is ‘patience’. But with our new reality, each day brings an invitation to invent new ways to learn and practise patience. Families are putting their heads together and coming up with creative at-home activities, especially ways to keep kids busy and happy.

But adults of all ages are also searching for things to keep themselves physically active and perhaps as important, mentally active. In our home we’ve taken up several ‘virtual’ activities that are helping to replace some of the things we’re missing from the days when things were ‘normal’. Catching up on favourite old movies or binge watching a new series works for a while, but eventually, you’ll want to get off the couch and engage at a more meaningful level.

1.  You-Tube for Fitness classes. We are practising Yin Yoga and Gentle Yoga several times weekly. There are plenty of classes to choose from and we find these classes not only provide great stretching exercises, but offer meditative benefits which reduce our stress levels.
2. Online Art Classes. From You-Tube to more customized local classes, if you go online and start looking, you’ll find plenty of folks teaching from kids classes adult beginner classes, from pencil sketching to acrylic classes.
3. Learn A Craft. Again from children’s crafts to adult card making classes, you’ll find numerous choices out in the virtual world.
4. Create A Family Card Making Contest. We’re doing an Easter Card making contest with entry levels for kids, young adults, mature adults and seniors within our extended family circle. Creations are photographed and emailed to the judges, in our case, the 3 oldest siblings are acting as judges. No contact required, no mailing or licking stamps, and we’ll send a nominal cash prize to each winner via e-transfer. A fun way to keep family connecting with each other.
5. Read. Love Reading? E-books and online newspapers and magazines are readily available to download on your tablet or laptop. Some papers have eliminated online charges to access their publications during this period.
6. Games Night. A perfect time to dig out every board game you own. We have a few that have surfaced as current favourites: Scrabble, Sequence, Blokus and Domino’s. All are easy to play, even for first timers and don’t require large blocks of time, just in case you are having challenges staying focused!
7. Family Call Times. With Skype and Face Time, it is simple and FREE to connect visually with family and friends. Set up a call schedule with your favourite people each week. Seeing the faces you love in real time is good for the heart and the soul.
8. Virtual Happy Hour. My partner is enjoying a little ‘happy hour’ time each afternoon, sharing a glass of wine and connecting with her friends to catch up with each other. We’ve also heard of some folks using the Zoom platform to have ‘virtual happy hours or even pub nights’ with several people connected. IE: Online party-time!
9. Clean A Room. To fill time each day and achieve something meaningful, plan a room cleaning schedule. Do a room each day, and work your way to the garage by the weekend. That one might be good for two days of activity!!
10. Write. If you have ideas in your head, or have always thought about writing a novel, or some poetry, a theatre play, a song, there’s never been a better time to close the door to the den, or grab a sunny spot on the patio and bring your writer talent to life. Who knows, you might develop a whole new career.
11. Bonus Idea: And here’s one more. Maybe you’ve never really considered growing a garden, or just never took time to give it a try. This may be the spring to consider it. Even if you live in an apartment, you can do it. Growing in pots is ‘a thing’ and you’d be surprised what you can do with very little space. You can learn it all online, order seeds online, other supplies like soil and starter pots can all be purchased for home delivery. And the best part? You get to experience the taste of a fresh tomato, or cucumber, salad greens, all nurtured with your own hands.

Stay Active. Stay Healthy. Stay Safe. Stay Positive!