So how’s everyone doing? I definitely feel like reality has set in this week, realizing that we’ve got another month of social distancing in our future (at least). We’re trying to stay positive, focusing on the family time and counting our blessings that we can all be here together playing Scrabble and watching movies.
Like most of you I’m sure, we’ve been cooking the majority of our meals. I’ve been getting reacquainted with my Instant Pot. All of a sudden it doesn’t seem like such an imposition to haul it out from underneath the counter and I’ve been enjoying new recipes like this really easy Instant Pot chicken curry and this Instant Pot chicken and cauliflower rice soup.
The boys and I continued our quest to use up leftover Thanksgiving pantry items by baking a batch of our favorite pumpkin doughnuts. If you don’t have canned pumpkin on hand there are plenty of other doughnut recipes out there in Pinterest land. And if you don’t already own doughnut pans, I would highly encourage you to invest in a few (I have three of these, which allows me to make most recipes in one batch). They really make a fun treat! And can be much healthier than their fried and frosted fast food counterparts.
Mandy reports that she has found a way to get in some much-needed relaxation with this quick and easy online yoga session. And if, like us, you’re struggling to figure out how to explain all this craziness to the kiddos in your life, here’s a great podcast episode from the New York Times show, The Daily.
Plus we’ve definitely stumbled upon some new at-home-activities to share with you in our new weekly edit.
But I want to pause for a moment and recognize all of those who are still out there in “essential” positions– from medical workers to grocery store employees to package delivery people and post office workers to those who are staffing the stores and warehouses from which we are ordering all the things that keep us comfortable (and safe) in our homes. And to the many positions I’m sure I’ve neglected to mention who are also out there daily, trying to keep life as “normal” as possible for those of us who have been ordered to stay in our homes. I know that the words “thank you” can’t possibly express the gratitude that we feel for the many essential workers keeping us healthy and fed and clothed and flush with craft supplies, but it’s a start. Thank you. Stay safe. Stay well.
And now, we bring you our regularly scheduled programming: Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 2. We hope you find some new things to enjoy, and as always, if you have found something fun to do at (or near) home with your family, please share by leaving a comment on this post or by sending an email to outandaboutmom@gmail.com. If you send us a picture it might even end up in a future post!
Keep smiling, friends! We’re in this together.
Local online events:
- The Mandell JCC is offering a variety of virtual programs, from sports clinics to family yoga sessions.
- Imagine Nation is offering special “Imagine Nation at Home” programming on their Facebook page.
- The Children’s Museum in West Hartford will be holding live animal demonstrations on their Facebook page daily at noon.
Other online learning events:
- Mandy’s kiddos have been enjoying this virtual Art Class.
- Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island is offering “Zoo School” on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 2:00pm on their You Tube channel.
- Starting April 1, author and illustrator Dav Pilkey (the Captain Underpants and Dog Manseries), in collaboration with the Library of Congress, will host a weekly video series featuring drawing lessons, read-alouds, and highlights from the library’s collections. Videos will go live Fridays at 8 a.m. ET on Twitter (@LibraryCongress, @Scholastic) and Facebook (@LibraryCongress, @Scholastic). Throughout the week, Pilkey will also share downloadable activities and writing prompts.
Websites with activities for kids:
- The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has a naked mole-rat cam, lion cam, giant panda cam and elephant cam.
- My boys enjoy the educational (and free) games and challenges on Math Playground.
- Epic, the digital library site for kids under 12, is offering a free 30-day trial subscription.
Crafts & activities to do at (or near) home:
- We started bean and pea seeds indoors about a couple weeks ago and we’re getting ready to start transferring them to our small backyard garden patch. If you act fast, you may still be able to find some seeds available online (many retailers are out). This might be a great time to start a family garden! You can even grow some vegetables from your leftovers. Green onions, for example, will regrow if you stick their root end in a glass of water (and you can transplant into the garden later). Here are 25 other vegetables you can grow from kitchen scraps. If nothing else, it will be a fun science experiment!
- Have you thought about signing up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share this year? Fresh (and local) vegetables will certainly be a welcome addition to meals after so many weeks eating out of our pantries and freezers. Now is the time to get those signup forms in. This will be our 6th summer participating!
- Last summer we invested in a Bounce House ahead of three summer celebrations (the cost to buy it was comparable to the cost of renting all those times). It has been one of the best purchases we’ve made and we’re especially thankful to have it during this extended home stay. It takes like, one minute to set it up and it’s an instant party for the kids, even if it’s just the three of them 🙂
- Glazed Pottery Painting Studio in Glastonbury is once again offering their “to go” kits. They are now offering pottery, canvas, and craft kits for artists of all ages. You can pick them up (contactless pick-up) or they will ship them to you.
- My boys love to craft with Perler Beads, and I was really excited to stumble upon this project that will actually be useful: outdoor drink covers to keep out the bugs! You can usually find most of the supplies you need on Amazon.
- Check out this list of 100 kids’ craft ideas to do with just 10 simple supplies from Michael’s stores.
Looking for more ideas? Check out our suggestions from WEEK 1.
This week in photos:
The boys love crafting with melty Perler Beads.
Want to keep up with things to do with kids in Connecticut?
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