It’s no secret that parents are struggling this year. From the spring of lockdowns, remote schooling, and working at home to the pandemic summer where many activities we love are off limits (or at least discouraged)…and heading into a fall that isn’t looking much better. But in the midst of these challenges, we are seeking out bright spots: more outdoor time, lots of family time, and discovering new and creative ways to enjoy summer safely while masked and distanced from others. As a parent, my priority is to keep my family healthy and support my kids through this challenging time, so staying positive and making new (safe) summer memories are both pretty high on my to do list right now.
For those of who live in densely populated cities, safe summer activities can be even more limited, but not impossible. These are just a few of my ideas, but I’d love to hear more! Please send your favorite summer activities to margel@achildgrows.com.
Governor’s Island
Get Outside (Safely)
The experts tell us that the risk of contracting Covid outside is low as long as we are wearing masks, keeping (at least) six feet away from others, and cleaning our hands regularly. While going outside has continued to be anxiety-inducing for some parents with young children like mine who touch everything and can’t properly distance, I am learning to face my fears and find safe ways to get outside for my son’s sake. Physical activity and outdoor time are so very important for kids (and adults!) and help us cope with all the uncertainty and anxiety of this time. So we have been exploring city parks and less crowded outdoor spaces while wearing masks and cleaning hands regularly. We choose to stay away from more crowded outdoor areas since our five-year still struggles with the rules, but fortunately NYC has plenty of parks to choose from – and you can go to more popular parks and beaches at off times to avoid the crowds.
Not sure what to do once you get outside? Here are some ideas: fly a kite, blow bubbles, play with water balloons, have a nature scavenger hunt, ride bikes or scooters, play sports (safely), have picnics, go hiking, draw with sidewalk chalk, build a sandcastle, go berry picking at nearby pick-your-own farms, and much more. If you are lucky enough to have outdoor space of your own, of course that opens up many more possibilities…but for those of us without private outdoor space, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the public outdoor spaces safely and participate in all kinds of outdoor summer activities.
Summer Activities at Home
We can’t be outside all the time. On top of the ever-present risk of exposure to the virus, which is still around and getting worse in many places, the summer has been extremely hot. We have been taking walks in the morning to avoid the heat (and crowds), but we have still been coming home overheated and questioning our choice to leave home at all. If you’re trying to avoid the hottest days of summer or just don’t feel comfortable leaving your home for any reason right now, we are also doing our best to bring summer inside.
For us, that has meant more “open” time and less structure, but also doing what we can to make our lives a little more summery while staying home. Here are a few ideas: making lemonade, having a picnic on your floor, making popsicles and ice cream, summer-themed craft projects, eating watermelon, watching summer movies, indoor scavenger hunts, dance parties, reading summer books, indoor trampolines and ball pits, obstacle courses, board games and puzzles, pretend camping with tents or blanket forts, summer-themed sensory bin, and more.
Of course you may feel burnt out on a lot of indoor activities during the months at home last spring. Just do your best to change things up – even just a little bit – to make them more “summery” and special. Just as I attempted to distinguish weekends from weekdays by allowing pajamas all day and cooking pancakes, I do my best to make the long summer days feel different in some small way. We may feel like we have little control over our lives right now (and our kids are also probably struggling with that lack of control), but finding little ways to create routines and celebrate the seasons in a “normal” way can make a big difference in helping everyone feel stable and safe.
Virtual Camps and Classes
I have to admit that I am not 100% on board with virtual programming for my five year-old son, who has a lot of trouble engaging with the screens…especially after a few long months of remote schooling. We have done a week of virtual camp and classes here and there, but I’m trying to take breaks from screens this summer, especially since it looks more and more likely that remote schooling will be back in the fall. Of course some screen-based activities are inevitable these days and sometimes I just can’t think of or organize any other activities…so I need a little help.
There are no shortage of virtual options, but my son loves his weekly one-on-one virtual piano class with CoMuse NYC and enjoys the occasional small group Outschool class as well. If you’re looking for virtual (or in person) events or classes, check out our events calendar (now primarily virtual) as well as our round up of the best local virtual camps in NYC.
I’m not going to lie…no matter what you do, summer won’t be the same this year. But there is still a lot we can do to have fun together, and who knows, maybe you’ll even try some new activities and create cool new traditions that will outlast the pandemic. I know all the limitations have been forcing me to get creative and my son has developed some new interests and talents that may have been overlooked before. Does it make up for everything we’re missing out on? No. But at least my family gets to enjoy some kind of summer and create some happy memories during this otherwise difficult time.