7 Things To Do While You Are Stuck In The House

This segment, Boredom Busters, is where I will write articles, ideas, suggestions, and recommendations for ways to kick boredom in the butt. Last week I wrote a small article, From Bored to Busy- 5 Ways to Have Fun While Under Quarantine, so this week, I decided to give some suggestions for what to do under quarantine. Happy reading!

Making the Most of it- 7 Things To Do While You Are Stuck In The House

#1 Put on a performance for your family

This one is really fun to do with your siblings. Round them up and put on some sort of entertainment for your parents. Whether it be a talent show, fashion show, musical, play, skit, or just a presentation, your parents will love to see you perform. I did an Easter skit with my two brothers. We had so much fun that we decided to do a skit every weekend! 

#2 Set some time for a photoshoot

This one was really fun for me (and my brother, who I dragged along, also enjoyed it). A photoshoot is simply taking that camera that you never remember to use (or even a high-quality phone camera) and snapping some pictures. Me and my brother took a couple hours this week to shoot some fun photos of us in our backyard. We did some of us on the playground and others in nature in our yard. .We had a lot of fun, and a lot of the photos are definitely going to be keepers. Try it yourself! You can even make a slideshow out of your favorites, and cast it onto the TV for some fun family entertainment. Any way you do it, have fun!

#3 Learn a dance routine

While this one might sound a bit tiring (or boring) it’s actually a LOT of fun! Especially when you are doing it with siblings, or parents, or both. Take some time to cast a tutorial on your favorite music video, and have some fun trying to learn it! Me and my brothers and mom decided to try learning The Git Up, by Blanco Brown. It’s actually fun and easy! We enjoyed it, and I’m sure you will, too. (Here are a few suggestions for songs you can get started with- 

The Git Up, by Blanco Brown

Old Town Road Diplo Remix (the original is a little inappropriate, but this one cuts it all out) by Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Diplo

Roar, by Katy Perry

Bulletproof, by Citizen way

The Other Side (from The Greatest showman), by Hugh Jackman and Zack Effron

#4 Cook an old family recipe

This one is fun and interactive for the whole family! Ask dad or mom to find an old family recipe from when they were kids (or even when their parents were kids) and make it yourself! A few weeks ago, my family found a cookbook-sized box on our front door, and sure enough, it was an old, metal covered, yellow-paged cookbook dating back from my grandma to my great-grandma to my great-great-grandma! There were old, beautiful cursive and helpful cooking tips on every page. I was ecstatic to start cooking! You can do the same! I’m sure your grandma would really love it if you asked her about some of her days of cooking, and then relive one of her recipes.

#5 Zoom with friends or family in another state

Unless all your family lives in one state and you see each other every week like someone would in a fairytale, you probably have some distant relatives who are actually distant relatives. Get together everyone from your family (or ask mom or dad if you don’t know everyone’s names- I sure don’t) and talk for a while on Zoom, or FaceTime, or some other meeting platform. You will probably be refreshed seeing Aunt Who-dyWhat and Cousin BillyBobHarryJoe for the first time since you were three. And they’ll appreciate the effort you put into getting to see them over the screen.

#6 Binge-watch a new series

Binge-watching is a great way to bond with your family without having to move. Literally. Some of my favorite memories are from laughing out loud at a funny line or clinging to dad when a jump scare comes out at me. I know your parents would probably agree that you have already been on the screen too much (or maybe not!) but just tell them that this is a good bonding moment for everyone. Choose a family-friendly series and settle down with some popcorn! (some of my favorite series are listed below, and also in Recommendation Station, where this week’s list of movies will be featured)

Harry Potter Series

Star Wars (tip: if you watch these, watch the original three first: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi-THEN watch the first three and then the last three)

The dangerous book for boys (Prime)

The Worst Witch (Netflix)

Just Add Magic (Prime)

The Mandalorian (Disney Plus)

Some of them are movies, others TV shows, but they are all good (except I haven’t seen Mandalorian….I know, I know…. But I have heard it’s really good)

#7 Make a family tree

This one may seem too educational, but actually, it’s a lot of fun! Ask your parents about their family links, and if you get really interested in your family, there are certain websites where you can pay a certain amount to find out more about your family tree. My dad did this, and we traced our family link all the way back to the 1680s! So far back that the name was just Towns, but somehow we eventually gained that extra E…..anyway, point is, this is a fun way to find more about your heritage AND have some fun with art! We got the cars out of the driveway and made a huge family tree with chalk, taking up the whole driveway! You might find you have some interesting family links if you just dig a little.

Enjoyed Boredom Busters? I would love some feedback on ways you kick boredom in the face! Email me here with all your ideas. A few of them might just show up on an upcoming issue!