Being stuck at home as a family can sometimes get boring, especially if you always stick to the same tried and tested activities like watching movies and playing monopoly. The things you do at home with your family often condition the amount and quality of fun you will experience. If you have an abnormally long amount of time to spend at home with your family, you have to be creative and try new exciting activities.

Here are some fun and innovative ideas to boost your family time:

1. Origami
   

Origami is an ancient Japanese art that involves folding paper to make different kinds of shapes like animals, plants, etc. It is an engaging form of art that anyone can learn. To learn origami, all you need is some white paper, color pencils, scissors and glue. You can easily follow tutorials on YouTube together as a family. Depending on how competitive your family members are, you can also have Origami contests after you have mastered several shapes.

Recently some artists have gone on to add some led lights to the paper shapes to give the artwork some beautiful light and color scenery. To kick things up a notch, add colored led lights and display the forms in the house.

1. Indoor camping
   

Indoor camping is another fun activity for families. It is easy to set up, and everything you need is usually already available in the house. You can turn the living room into a camp out space, turn off the lights, and take turns telling scary stories while roasting marshmallows on a portable burner.

1. Make short movies
   

Depending on how many you are in your family, you could write and create short video clips that you record using a phone or a camcorder if you have one. The idea is to have everyone participate in the whole movie-making process, including writing the script, picking the wardrobe, and acting it out. Keep the dialogue short so that you do not have to memorize a lot of words. It is even more fun if you turn the whole house into a movie set.

1. Treasure hunt
   

A treasure hunt is another way of having fun as a family. To make it enjoyable, have one person set up the hunting clues and divide the rest of the family into groups. The hunting clues should cater to all different age groups of the family so everyone can actively participate.

1. Indoor Olympics
   

Organize your own indoor Olympics as an entertainment for goofy and hyperactive family members. Create ten competitions that you can do indoors. The activities have to vary in nature and difficulty so that everyone can enjoy and participate. Assign points according to ranking at the end of each event. The winner of the tournament is the one with the most points at the end of all activities. Ideas for activities include eating competition, cup golf, bucket ball, song lyrics, etc.

1. Family Master Chef
   

Depending on the resources you have in the house, another very fun activity you can engage in is a cook-off. Just like the TV Master Chef, divide into teams and compete in creating an entirely new dish using a chosen set of ingredients. To make it more interesting, write down the different ingredients on a spin wheel and take turns to spin the wheel to select the ingredients. Use only the selected ingredients for the cook-off!

1. Family Project
   

Starting a family project is an excellent idea if you are going to spend a considerable number of days at home together as a family. The choice of a project depends on the family’s interest, but they can range from redecorating the house to making dress up or superhero costumes together. You can also start a family garden if you have space.

1. Learn a new language
   

Learning a new language is a fun activity to engage every member of the family. Since it is a new language, everyone will be at par and can start together. Just agree on the language and get it going. There are so many learning apps and free online tutorials available that you cannot miss this opportunity! To get things more exciting, plan a future trip to a country that new language is spoken!

1. Turn your home into an Art Gallery
   

Get the inner artist out of every family member by organizing a home art festival. Everyone must participate and use his creativity and imagination to express his artistic side by painting, drawing, googling or making collage with old newspapers. At the end, stick all the masterpieces on the walls to create your own family art gallery!

1. Revamp you family photo album
   

Remove the “digital” dust from your old photos kept on your computer and start a fresh family photo album. This can be a fun activity to do with the family as each family member reminisces the good old souvenirs. Revamping your digital photos will also be a good opportunity to clear up duplicates and irrelevant pictures, freeing up valuable space on your computer or cloud storage.

During a pandemic, everyone is affected irrespective of gender or age. People of all walks of life are affected and kids are not spared. By their very nature, kids are hyperactive- they need to move, they need to interact and focus on specific activities. Not being able to go to school, play with other kids or just run outside can have a lasting impact in their lives. It is every parent’s and guardian’s responsibility to minimize the negative impact of the lock down on children. Doing this requires a certain level of creativity throughout the duration of the lockdown.

1. Play fun group games
   

There are quite a number of board games that your kids can play to stay distracted during a pandemic. The most important thing to keep in mind is to stick to the kind of games that they love. You can also take part in some of the games to make things more interesting. You could pick the game once in a while but involve the kids in the selection of a game and stress to them that selecting a game is their responsibility.

1. Play brain stimulating games
   

Brain games or games that challenge the intellect will not only keep your kids mentally sharp, but it will also keep them competitive and entertained. Compliment your children when they complete a level or stage to keep them motivated and feeling proud. Encourage them when they fail to complete a certain level the same way you would encourage them when they are doing their homework.

1. Try online games
   

You can also try playing online games with your kids or let them play with their friends online. However, keep a close eye on the kind of games and activities they choose to play online.

1. Let your kids help with the household chores
   

Household chores are yet another activity, aside of games, you can engage with your kids. Teach them or ask them to give you a hand with the chores and make it interesting. They can help prepare their favorite meal, help set the table, and help clean the house by dusting the furniture. They can also help with washing or folding the laundry. Some kids love it when they do something that their parents encourage or ask them to do. So, give it a try!

1. Start a family project
   

You can come up with certain family projects that your kids can participate in. It could be any type of project that your kids will love. It does not have to be a school project. It could be the kind of project that they can actively contribute to. For example, you can grow pot-based plants, repaint the bedrooms or build a 3D puzzle or create your genealogical tree. You could even learn a family dance on YouTube or form a band if you have instruments laying around.

1. Give them books to read
   

Books are a great way of keeping your kids’ minds off the pandemic. So, try giving them books to read. You could give every child a different book according to their age and then ask for a 5-minute summary every day before they go to bed. This will not only keep them busy, but it will also perfect their intellect as well as feed their curiosity. Make sure there is a reward for each completed book.

1. Help with their schoolwork
   

While kids are asked to stay at home while schools are closed, they may be given assignments and homework. You can keep your kids entertained by helping them out with their homework. If the school does not give them any work to do while at home, you can come up with your own assignments. Focus on areas that your child is currently struggling with at school so as to help make the work comprehensible.

1. Watch movies with them
   

Movies are without a doubt a great source of entertainment for both adults and kids. You could watch one or two movies a day with your kids as a form of entertainment.

1. Have them come up with their own ideas of entertainment
   

Coming up with great ideas of entertainment for your kids is a good thing. Nonetheless, if you want them to truly enjoy you can let them come up with their own forms of entertainment. Doing so is also a great way to empower them when you have run out of ideas. All you have to do is approve of the kind of entertainment they choose and participate cheerfully when asked.

1. Help cultivate their talents
   

It is true that every dark cloud has a silver lining. Even during a pandemic your kids’ talent can be improved. You can take advantage of the situation and find ways of improving or even discovering your child’s talent. For example, if your child is an aspiring artist encourage the artist in him or her by buying color books, pencils, and crayons. You could also go the extra mile by visiting reputable art galleries online and explaining what each photo symbolizes, where and when the painting was made, and what inspired the artist to produce that particular painting.

A pandemic unquestionably affects your day to day routine, which means there are certain things that you are expected to do and are unable to do. In short, learning to adjust is something you need to do to get through the pandemic. One of the major concerns you may have during a pandemic is the fact that you are no longer able to go to the gym due to prevailing lockdown for your own protection.

Apart from being confined indoors, your health and fitness center may be temporarily closed due to the pandemic. The good news is that you can still attain your targeted gym work out results from just working out from home.

Here are some 10 workout habits you can start today:

1. Set a daily reminder
   

Working out from home can be a disheartening task especially if you are used to the electric atmosphere of the gym. That is why it is important to come up with effective ways of sticking to your exercise routine regardless of where you are. You can still stay motivated to exercise during a lockdown. Start by setting a daily reminder and staying true to it. You can start the day off with a 20-minute exercise. This is a great way of remaining focused for the rest of the day.

1. Join and follow an online workout program
   

There are specific exercises that are limited to the gym and are impossible to try out at home. For example, the kind of exercises that require lifting weights, machines etc. If you do not have the right equipment to carry out weight-lifting exercises you can try other forms of free weight exercise.
There are many free apps and websites that can teach you alternative home-based exercises that can be easily carried out with no equipment or even websites which show you how to make your own home equipment using materials available at hand.

1. Continue with some of the exercises that you do at the gym
   

While some exercises you do at the gym are impossible to do at home, there are still a few that you can continue doing from home. Continuing with some of your gym exercises from home can help keep you motivated to exercise. It is also a great way of forming a lasting workout habit.

1. Keep a record of your progress
   

Keeping a record of what you have achieved or what you are achieving will assist in keeping you focused. You could record your weight the first day you begin exercising and keep a log as you continue with your workout routine. Losing weight can make you realize just how effective exercising from home is and hopefully keep you at it.

1. Avoid exercising alone whenever possible
   

Accountability is another way of ensuring you do what you plan to do. Find someone you can exercise with at home and hold each other accountable. You can set goals or commit to exercising daily for an hour or so. It will all depend on what you both agree on and what you can do. If you have no one to workout with at home, you can find workout buddies online or using workout phone apps.

1. Have a variety of exercises
   

Varying exercises can help keep you interested in the workout schedule. It can also get rid of the boredom that you may otherwise face if you remain idle.

1. Make working out a priority
   

Making sure you stick to your workout schedule in a pandemic requires that you make working out a priority. We all have top priorities and staying safe during a pandemic is one of them, therefore, exercising routinely should also top the list.

1. Pay attention to your diet
   

Paying attention to your diet is the only way of enjoying the full benefits that working out offers. Make sure your exercise routine goes together with proper meals and avoid junk snacking which is tempting when idle at home.

1. Reward yourself
   

Make sure you reward yourself whenever you manage to stay true to your goal. Small rewards can be a great way of not only keeping you determined to exercise but they can also aid in helping you maintain the positivity that you need during a pandemic.

1. Put on proper workout attire
   

When working out from home it is important that you wear proper workout attire. What you wear should be the same attire that you would wear when going out to a proper gym. Wearing proper workout gear will tune your mind to that activity and make you feel, and experience exercise the same way you would in a normal gym.

A quarantine for a majority of us, an unprecedented experience. In such situation, there are a lot of unknown and often unanswered questions. It is essential, however, to know what you can do and what you cannot. This article will address the 10 main things you need to avoid when quarantined. Here are some critical things to be aware of:

1. Avoid contact with other people
   

If you need to self-quarantine, you have to isolate yourself from others. Protect others from getting infected by keeping your distance and avoid being in the same room with them, as far as possible. Depending on how the infection in question is transmitted, do not share dishes, towels, eating utensils, bedding items, and other personal items with other people.

Adopting these habits will help control and prevent further infections. Clean all surfaces and frequently manipulated devices such as computers and mobile phones using a disinfectant. Always remain alert to symptoms related to that particular infection.

1. Do not entertain visitors
   

Avoid the risk of spreading the infection if you have been quarantined by stopping social visits and other close contacts. You can order takeaways, but make sure you avoid physical contact with the person delivering the order. Protect people who help out with house chores by requesting them not to come to work, at least during the quarantine period. Such people may include child-minders, housekeepers and dog walkers.

1. Avoid contact with your pet
   

Your pet can unknowingly become a transmitter of viruses. Limiting contact with your pets when quarantined is a way of protecting yourself as well as your pet. Avoid getting licked by your pet, petting your pet, as well as sharing food with your pet. If possible, ask someone else to be responsible for with your pet while in quarantine.

1. Avoid traveling
   

It is safer to refrain from moving outside for whatsoever reason while in quarantine. Make sure you stay at home and avoid spreading the infection to others. If your symptoms start worsening, make sure you call your doctor first and avoid showing up without any warning. Alternatively, head to the medical facility where they have set up a specialized zone for such pandemic-related symptoms.

1. Avoid coughing or sneezing without covering your mouth or nose
   

If transmission of the virus is via droplets, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to help contain and prevent the spread of infections. Throw away used tissues and wash your hands thoroughly after sneezing or coughing, applying the 20 seconds rule. Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and warm water after going to the bathroom and avoid touching your face, mouth, or nose.

1. Avoid handling food without washing
   

Always wash your hands before preparing or eating food. Avoid preparing food for others while quarantined to prevent the spread of the infection if you show some symptoms of infection.

1. Do not leave your health to chance
   

Avoid relying on other people for knowledge of how you can best take care of yourself as well as your loved ones while quarantined. Make sure you are well aware of what you must do once you or a loved one are self-isolating. Have proper knowledge of the steps that need to be taken and know what to buy. Make sure you have access to all the necessary items needed while quarantined. Do not hesitate to contact health professionals when the symptoms start worsening.

1. Avoid assuming your kids understand what is happening
   

Being quarantined or being in self-isolation can cause a lot of discomfort to your loved ones. Make sure you educate your kids about pandemics and quarantines. Make sure they understand that being quarantined does not mean the presence of an infection. Calmly explain to them the situation and the reason for staying at home. Educate them on the precautions to take during that time.

1. Avoid disconnecting with your loved ones completely
   

Avoiding physical contact with your loved ones does not mean to be emotionally or socially disconnected. You are also encouraged to keep in touch using emails, calls, or social media. Maintaining this virtual contact will significantly reduce stress levels.

1. Avoid self-medicating
   

One mistake people make when quarantined is trying to control or get rid of the first symptoms by self-medicating. Do not self-medicate or increase dosages if you are already under specific medication. Self-medication or the risk of overdosing will not help you fight or prevent suspected infections.

Older people face a higher risk of getting infected during a pandemic because they may have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to illnesses. Elderlies with chronic illnesses are exposed to a higher risk.

It is crucial to be aware of the best ways of looking out for them.

Here are other means of protecting you during a pandemic, if you form part of this more vulnerable group:

1. Continue taking vitamin supplements
   

You must continue to take vitamin supplements to support a healthy immune system. Hence, it is wise to keep up with your supplements to help your body fight infections more effectively. If you are not taking any supplements, you can get in touch with your health advisor to find out if you can start, especially if you have any chronic illnesses. Some of the supplements recommended are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. it is essential to bear in mind that not all supplements aid in supporting a healthy immune system.

1. Continue taking your medications
   

You must continue your medication while quarantined. Therefore, make sure you have your regular medication readily available or well-stocked. You can talk to a health professional about having access to 2 months of medicines during isolation. If you are living with other people, you can speak to them about your need to stock up on medical supplies as well.

1. Thoroughly wash your hands
   

Washing your hands thoroughly or staying sanitized while you stay at home can never be overemphasized. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and, ideally, warm water using the 20 seconds rule. Use antibacterial hand sanitizers and avoid touching your face, nose, and mouth. Keep your home and frequently touched surfaces disinfected.

1. Maintain a healthy diet
   

Being in isolation does not mean you have to worry about not eating healthy. Making eating a healthy diet one of your priorities is advisable. Focus on foods that aid in boosting your immune system and foods that can protect you from infections and harmful viruses. Limit or avoid sugary foods, fatty foods, and alcohol. Focus on diets rich in lean meats as well as fruits and vegetables etc. Increase your intake of food rich in antioxidants, which help protect your cells from damage.

1. Avoid sharing personal items
   

Avoid sharing personal or hygiene items such as utensils, water bottles, food, and bathing soap with others. This small reflex can play a significant role in protecting you and your loved ones from getting infected or spreading the infection.

1. Get enough sleep
   

Getting plenty of rest is a compelling way of staying healthy and reducing your stress levels. Make sure you not only get enough sleep every night but that you get enough rest throughout the day. One of the significant reasons you may be more vulnerable to illnesses during a pandemic is due to too much stress and not getting enough rest. So make sure you reduce your stress levels by getting enough sleep, proper rest, and remaining active.

1. Remain active
   

Staying healthy and remaining active does not necessarily require you to go out. You can continue improving your health even if you have to stay at home by being active every day. Moving around and getting active plays a significant role in helping your body fight off infections and inflammation. You can stay active by doing non-strenuous exercises such as doing household chores. You can also try meditation as well as stretching exercises if this is possible. However, you must avoid exercising for more than an hour a day to prevent fatigue.

1. Keep in touch with your caregiver
   

A lot of older people have caregivers, and some are caregivers. If you have a caregiver and he or she cannot afford to come over to your house, you can keep in touch via calls or messaging. Talk to your caregiver about who can provide you with care if he or she falls ill. If you are a caregiver, you need to make sure that you and the person you are caring for take the necessary precautions to avoid getting infected.

1. Stay at home
   

Understand that the advice to stay at home during a pandemic is good advice that is for your benefit. If you are not infected, stay at home as you are more vulnerable to getting infected. If you are concerned about groceries, you can do online shopping or ask a family member to do your groceries. Contact a health professional if you have a persistent dry cough and a high fever.

1. Avoid large groups
   

If you are at a residential care home, make sure you avoid large groups. If you have a large family, make sure you keep a safe distance from others and avoid shaking hands or close physical contact.