Coronavirus Survival Guide

Hey guys, Charliebelle Cooper here.

I am a new neighbor on the West side of Geneva. Let me start by saying I moved in just as the Corona Virus was peeking its head into the daily headlines. However, within a month, we were in full swing global pandemic mode.

Times are really different right now. I have only met my neighbors at a social distance. I can't have a housewarming party to show off my new pad. I barely get to see my kid who moved in with her boyfriend right before this as well. I am lucky though. I work from home and I have a dog who keeps me on my toes. However, I think about the others in this amazing community whose lives have been turned on their toes during these "Safer at home" times. I have a Survival Guide for everyone but I thought I would start with the parents who used to get to go to work but now, not only have to stay productive, but also be full-time teachers and day care providers for their children. Let me just say that I feel for you all. I know it has been tough and without an end in sight, I know you guys are running out of things to do to keep your kids busy and yourselves sane.

With that in mind, I came up with a list of a bunch of activities you can do with those little whipper snappers (see below). Feel free to take liberty and be creative with the list. The rules are to have fun and keep busy.... that's it.

Remember:

1. Kids are resilient and strong. They can handle much more than we give them credit for.
2. Take a break. Even if it's starting a movie and sneaking off for 5 minutes to enjoy a quiet cookie in the bathroom. Take at least 5 minutes of calmness everyday.
3. Give yourself a break. No one is perfect.
4. Be patient with your kids and yourself.
5. Try to establish a schedule and be consistent. But don't be afraid to "add" something fun every once in a while.
6. Ride bikes. If you don't have bikes, walk. If you don't want to walk, put everyone in the car and see if you can find some birthday signs... honk and holler as you pass!!!
7. Don't panic. Stay calm. We will get through this.
8. Keep in touch with family. They miss you even more than you miss them.
9. Remember and be thankful for the Essential Workers, who do not get the choice to stay home safe.
10. Be kind. Be generous. Show love.

Children Activities

OUTSIDE:

Materials needed: Sidewalk chalk, Balls (small and/or large), Bean bags*, rocks

• Hopscotch: sidewalk chalk and rocks or bean bags
• Sensory Trail: sidewalk chalk bike/scooter - Make a path of symbols. Dots =hoping / @ = spin / trianges = ride your bike to and from a destination – be creative
• Four Square: sidewalk Chalk / bouncing ball - Draw a big square on driveway or street, put a number from one to four in each square – starting at 1 or 4 players bounce the ball to another player. Ways to play: Players get a point for each ball they catch and the first one to 10 points win OR if you do not catch the ball you are eliminated until only one player stands OR you can make up your own rules.
• Art: sidewalk chalk - Self-portraits, mosaics, free-style, Pictionary, inspirational messages for the mailperson, delivery people, etc.
• Checkerboard: sidewalk chalk and 12 of 2 different color pieces** (Checkboards are an 8 x 8 grid of alternating colors)
• Bulls eye: sidewalk chalk and bean bags -Draw a bullseye and make each layer a different point value. Players get 3 chances to get as many points as possible.
• Tic Tac Toe: sidewalk chalk and rocks or bean bags
• Planting: plant flowers outside or at an elderly neighbor’s house
• Bike riding: Go for a neighborhood bike ride together. (SCAVENGER HUNT TWIST: You can scout the neighborhood in advance and find lawn ornaments and other things. – make a list of items to look for and see if the kids can find them)

* - if you do not have bean bags... use rice in a ziploc with colored pieces of paper in them, reinforce with duct tape ** - if you don't have checkers, color pennies or water bottle tops with red and black permanent markers

ONLINE LEARNING:
Materials needed: Internet connection, laptop or tablet.

• Abcmouse.com
• Education.com
• Funbrain.com
• The kidzpage.com

LARGE MOTOR:

Materials needed: chairs, “hot potato” – see activity for details. These activities can be played outside or in a large clear space indoors.

• Simon Says: no materials needed - One Player is Simon. The rest must follow what Simon Says… ‘Simon Says Jump Up and Down.’ ‘Simon Says STOP.’ ‘Put your hands in the air’… ooops Simon didn’t say ‘Simon Says’ before the command, so those who raise their hands are out. The last player standing is the next Simon.
• Red Light/Green Light: no materials needed-One Player is the streetlight and stands a ways away from the other players, facing the other way. The rest must follow what the “streetlight” commands: Green light = go / Red Light = STOP / Purple light = Dance. The first player to tag the stoplight is the next stoplight.
• Mother May I: no materials needed - One Player is the Mother and stands a ways away from the other players, facing the other way. The rest must ask Mother if the can proceed toward her – Mother, may I take three giant steps/ four small hops/20 baby steps…etc. Mother will decide if she accepts the request: Yes, you may or No, you may not. The first player to tag the Mother is the next Mother.
• Duck Duck Goose: no materials needed - All but one player sit, legs crossed, in a circle, an arm’s length away. The player not sitting is the goose. They go around the circle tapping each player lightly on the head, saying DUCK until they find a player to be the next goose. This time when they tap the person’s head, they say GOOSE. That player must get to their feet and chase the current Goose as they run around the circle and try to sit in the space of the person that they tagged. To avoid fighting, the new person tagged is the next goose, whether they tag the person or not.
• Hot Potato: a potato-sized object to pass around – stuffed animal, ball, pillow, etc, stoppable music source - All players sit, legs crossed, in a circle, knees close to touching. One player starts with the “potato”. The person controlling the music starts the song. The players must gently hand the potato to each other, going around the circle. The music controller will randomly pause the music and the player with the potato, is out. The rest of the player scooch in to enclose the circle. The person to the left of the player that left, get the “potato”. The game continues until only one player is left.
• Musical Chairs: Chairs, one for each player, stoppable music source - Place chairs back to back in a line, each player takes a seat. The person controlling the music instructs all of the players to stand and removes one of the chairs, then starts the song. The players must walk around the chairs, going around the circle. The music controller will randomly pause the music and the players must find a seat. The player without a chair is out. The players stand again, and the last player out takes away another chair. The game continues until only one player is left.

MESSY:

Materials needed: Paper, Newspaper, Balloons, Wax paper, Flour, water, food coloring, cornstarch, cream of tartar, oil, salt (see recipe for amounts). TRICK: Pick up a vinyl table cloth at your local store and do these activities outside...also if you get a package of paper cups to put paint and goop and playdough in, each kids gets their own which equals less fighting)

NOTE: Most of these activities require preparation. I put a link to the websites for more information.

• Finger paint: (1c. Flour, 1C. water, food coloring, Large sheets of Paper) - Mix together flour and water, add food coloring as desired.
• Paper Mache: (1 c. Flour, 2 c. warm water, ½ tbsp salt. Newspaper, cut into 1 inch strips, Balloons, blown up) - Mix together ingredients. Take newspaper strip and drag trough mixture. Place on balloon and repeat until balloon is covered. Set aside to dry – 24 hours. Once dry… creations can be painted and decorated.
  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-paper-mache
• GOOP: (1 box Cornstarch, <1c. water, food coloring) - NOTE: This works best if mixed in a rubbermaid bin and also helps keep the mess contained. DO NOT DO THIS ACTIVITY ON CARPET! In bin, dump Cornstarch, add ¾ cup of water, mix with clean hands and add small amounts of water as necessary to get desired consistency.
  https://tinkerlab.com/goopy-cornstarch/
• Playdough: (1 c. Flour, 1 c. warm water, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tbsp oil, 1/3 tbsp salt, food coloring) - Mix ingredients together is a 2 qt. saucepan on low-medium heat, stirring consistently. Stir until mixture gathers around spoon. Place mixture on wax paper to cool.
  https://livingwellmom.com/easy-homemade-playdough-recipe/#tasty-recipes-53624

FAMILY GAMES:

• Room Game: no materials needed - Find all the items in the room that are a certain color or start with a certain letter.
• I SPY: no materials needed
• I’M GOING ON A TRIP: no materials needed - The first player says, “I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing….” , and name an item that they want to bring. Each player after that must say the phrase, repeat the previous items and add another one.
• Blind Artist: flashcards, picture book - Two players sit back to back. One gets a flash card or picture and must describe it to the other player until they guess it correctly.
• Follow my Direction: blindfold - One player is blindfolded. Another player must give the blindfolded player directions from one place to another without letting the player bump into anything.
• Game night: board or video games - Everyone gathers around the table or TV for a night of family game playing.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

• Campfire: Candles, sleeping bags/blankets, graham crackers, large marshmallows, chocolate bars - After dinner, kids do baths and get their jammies on, each brings a blanket to the family room. Arrange in a large circle.
  Gather the s'more ingredients and make microwave s'mores (assemble and pop in microwave for 15 seconds in the microwave – the marshmallow will double its size) Light a candle in the middle of the circle, at least 3 feet away from blankets, preferably in an empty jar or a jar candle. Turn the lights off or down. Sing camp songs, tell stories and have fun.
• Picnic: Lunch/Dinner, drinks, blanket - Whether homemade or takeout, inside or outside, this is always a crowd-pleaser.
• Bingo: Paper, ruler or straight edge, marker, pen - Make a 5 x 5 grid on a piece of paper, trace in marker. In each square write a different value and the person who collects five in a row, get Bingo.
  You can use this with chores, extra activities that need to be done, numbers, letters (3 x 3 is better for this), being kind, etc.

CARD GAMES:

WAR - deck of cards, 2 players: Shuffle cards. Deal all cards. Players flip over cards and the highest card wins. In the case of a tie, place two cards face down and then flip over the next card, highest card wins. The player with the most cards wins. You can play as many rounds as you want.

GARBAGE - deck of cards, 2 players: Shuffle cards and place 2 rows of 5 cards face-down in front of each player, alternately dealing. Place the rest of the deck face down on the side of the playing area so that both players can reach them. The goal is to get A, 2, 3, 4, 5 in sequential order in the top row and 6,7,8,9,10 in the bottom row. The non-dealing player goes first. To play, a player picks a card from the deck. For example, if the player picks a 2, they would place it face up in the 2 position. Then they take the card that was previously holding that position and play it. For example, if it is a 6, they may place it facing up in the 6 position. A player can continue laying cards down until they either get a card the doesn’t work (J or Q) or a card that belongs in a position that already has a card facing up. A card that cannot be used by the player is placed face up beside the draw pile in a “garbage” pile. Once a card is in the “Garbage pile”, it cannot be used by either player. The King card is a wild card and can be placed in any position.

GOLF - deck of cards, 2 players: Shuffle cards and place 4 cards face-down in front of each player, alternately dealing. Place the rest of the deck face down on the side of the playing area so that both players can reach them. The goal is to get the lowest hand (A = 1, J=0, All other cards are face value). To start, each player gets to peek at two of their cards ONCE, from that moment after, each player must remember their cards. After the initial peek, the non-dealing player goes first and picks a card from the deck. They can choose to use the card or discard it into a pile on the side of the deck. If the player chooses to use the card they pick, they can swap it for one of their cards. HOWEVER, they must replace it blindly by not looking at any of their cards and replacements are final. (EXAMPLE: if a player picks a 2 from the deck, it is great because it is a low card. If they choose to replace a card and it is a 6, they have lowered their score. They place the 6 in the discard pile and the next player can use it or pick from the deck. However, if they accidentally pick a position where an A or a J is, they must discard the A or J and the other player can use it. When a player is confident that they have a low score, they knock on the table. The other player gets to pick once more and then each player must turn over their cards. The player with the lowest score wins.

MEMORY: deck of cards or flash cards, 2 players

There are several Memory games you can play with a deck of cards.

Lay out 10 -16 cards (5-8 pairs – black 8’s, red 10’s, black J’s). Players can flip over 2 cards at a time and try to find the matches.

Layout 5-10 cards. Let the players look at them. Flip them over. Players must remember the cards and their position.

Layout 5-10 cards. Let the players look at them. Gather the cards but only lay out three face up. Ask what cards are missing.

I hope this helps, my new friends. If you want to request a PDF copy of this list or suggest the next Survival Guide, email me at Charliebellecooper@gmail.com.