Hobbies to Enjoy As A Family While Quarantined
Is your family going more than a bit crazy due to the quarantine? While social distancing is the new normal for the foreseeable future, you now have the ideal opportunity to adopt a new hobby with your clan.
Why a family hobby? These activities can help bring you closer together. Additionally, while stay-at-home orders remain the rule of law, they can help you pass the time pleasurably. Consider these ideas.
Educational Hobbies
You might think, “Educational hobbies are boring,” but that’s only because you haven’t found your passion. Lose yourself in these ideas and learn something new.
Astronomy: If you have a telescope, you have a leg up on others, but you don’t need such a device to enjoy this hobby. Head out to your porch or balcony once the fireflies wink on in the nighttime sky and take turns identifying the constellations by using free online resources. You can complement your observations with research on NASA’s website or other astronomy sites.
Coin collecting: There’s much more to coin collecting than hoarding money. If you’re new to this hobby, you may need to learn the language before you know what to look for in your search. Once you do, you could find treasure in your castaway change — break open the piggy banks and play sleuth.
Computer programming: Did you think that coding was an esoteric language? Surprise! You can learn how to code for free on many websites today. If you want to advance your knowledge after mastering the basics, you can take courses on sites like Udemy for relatively little money.
Science fair projects: Did you know that you can make a functioning battery with fruits and vegetables? You can find a host of science projects online that you can attempt during this downtime.
Artistic Hobbies
Is your family chock-full of budding young Frida Kahlos? If so, consider one of these hobbies.
Drawing/sketching: The best part about this pastime is that it is practically free — all you need is a paper and pencil. You can challenge your family members to drawing contests, or, if you prefer cooperation to competition, to contribute a portion of a larger collage.
Learning an instrument: Has the guitar in your closet or piano in your living room sat collecting dust forever? You can find a ton of free lessons online to master the instrument of your choice during the quarantine. It doesn’t matter if you want to strum the ukulele or bang on the drums all day — a quick Google search will reveal a tutorial.
Painting: You could collect some canvas and dial up the Bob Ross tutorial videos, or you could spread a little cheer. Gather up some rocks and acrylic paint, and design messages of hope like, “Hang in there” or “you’ve got this” and hide them around the neighborhood when you go for a walk. When others emerge to take exercise, you’ll delight them with your act of kindness.
Pottery-making: If you don’t have a wheel or a kiln (who does?), don’t worry. You can learn how to make homemade clay and let the sun dry your creations. Enjoy making bowls and other implements the way human ancestors did.
Outdoor Hobbies
Unless your jurisdiction has restricted outdoor movement, you can take solo exercise outdoors. Why not enjoy the beautiful spring weather and improve your collective family mood with the following activities.
Golf: Golf is a fun hobby to get into if you are competitive, or if you just fancy a bit of fun. You could set up your own miniature golf course in your garden, or, if you are struggling for outdoor space you could check out a golf simulator (many people came across this website) to play inside.
Hiking: There’s no better time to hit the trail because most of them are not crowded. If you live in an area that’s typically crowded with tourists, take advantage of this time to get out in nature’s playground with the family. You can identify the plants and animals you see or merely enjoy a few moments of mindfulness in the great outdoors.
Fishing: Fishing is a useful hobby that can feed your family when money is tight. You will need a rod and a reel. If you don’t have these devices and can’t order them, you can explore local waterways to observe animals like crayfish and salamanders.
Archery: Again, you do need equipment for this hobby, but if your family is competitive, they will love this activity. Pretend you’re Katniss in “The Hunger Games” and let your imagination play while you work your muscles.
Obstacle courses: You can make a backyard obstacle course with ropes, old tires and other household items. Visualize your family competing on “American Ninja Warrior.”
Homesteading Hobbies
Finally, some hobbies harness your productivity and get you help around the house.
Cooking: You need to eat, so get the family involved with creating healthy meals out of the ingredients your store still stocks. Pretend you are competing on a combination of “Survivor” and “Chopped.”
Gardening: In most parts of the country, planting season comes soon. You can start indoors by saving the seeds from your produce and skipping the trip to the nursery — which is probably closed anyway.
Building crafts: What better time to build a better birdhouse? If you have a budding craftsman in your crew, learn some home improvement skills during this downtime.
Knitting or sewing: Now is the perfect time to Facetime with your auntie and have her give you a tutorial on how to knit a hat or booties. You can also clean your closets, gather torn garments and repair them while you wait for the country to reopen.
Adopt a New Family Hobby During Quarantine
Family hobbies help you bond as a unit, as well as pass the quarantine more enjoyably. Take a hint from this list and embark on a new pastime today!