Has your life been turned upside down this past week or two? Many are going through this with you. Instead of parents at work and children at home, now everyone is home for who knows how long – until the Corona-virus is conquered or runs its course.

Don’t give into the fears that want to overwhelm you. As Paul said in Ephesians 5:16, “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” This isn’t the first time people have faced struggles and it won’t be the last. Christ is still here to guide and encourage us if we will put our focus on him.

This involuntary family time just might be a good thing in the over-all picture. We’ve been pulled in every direction at a frantic pace keeping up with everyone’s schedules. Now we are all at home with no place to go. Use this time to strengthen your family bonds. Make the most of this opportunity as a “stay-cation,” and get to know one-another in a deeper way than time has permitted in the past.

There’s no better time than the present to begin family devotions. Hearts are searching for answers, and the best place to look is in God’s Word. God is not idle during these trying times. He is eager to draw you unto himself. There are many helps and resources available for devotions, both in printed form and in websites online. If you prefer a book you don’t have, you can easily order one online without leaving your home.

Obviously, your devotions won’t fill the time around the clock. Help your family stay connected with friends and relatives using live video chats. Grandparents will be most appreciative of a face to face video chat, and so will aunts and uncles and cousins. Even next door neighbors can be visited safely with the help of video chatting. Do all you can to keep the Corona virus under control where you live.

There are many online resources full of ideas and suggestions on how you can pass the time. Many websites are bending over backwards to help families and people of all ages find things to do. I’ve included a list of websites I’ve come across during the past that have been posted by Christian friends of mine, and this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what’s available.

A word of caution: Limit the amount of time your children are using a computer or smartphones. Internet addiction is real and has negative effects on our children’s health and emotions. Additionally, don’t leave your children unsupervised while they are on the Internet. There are child molesters and sex traffickers aggressively lurking for children on the Internet. Be aware of what your children are looking at while they are online.

Read-Aloud Books:

https://youtu.be/q9dA8FdbC74

100+ Free Video Read Alouds from the Indianapolis Library: https://www.indypl.org/blog/for-parents/free-video-read-alouds

The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities:  https://www.weareteachers.com/virtual-author-activities/

Willy The Wrong Way Rabbit, a short story by Max Anderson: https://middlegradeadventureandmystery.blogspot.com/

25 Sources of Free Public Domain Books:  https://ebookfriendly.com/free-public-domain-books-sources/

Listen to stories on Audible.com:  https://stories.audible.com/discovery

Ideas for Crafts & Activities

Crafts & ideas for kids: https://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/ideas-for-kids

Boredom Busters: 110 Fun At-Home Activities for Families & Kids:  https://familyeguide.com/boredom-busters-110-fun-at-home-activities-for-families-kids-2/

15 Fun And Easy Family Activities That You Can Do At Home:  https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-fun-and-easy-family-activities-that-you-can-home.html

Videos and Video-Streaming

You can live stream the northern lights from home at night with this link: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a31814893/live-stream-northern-lights-from-home/

The Georgia Aquarium Has Live Cams So You Can Go Under The Sea At Home (VIDEO):  https://www.narcity.com/things-to-do/us/ga/atlanta/georgia-aquarium-has-live-cameras-that-let-you-explore-from-home

Cincinnati Zoo Offering Digital Safaris: https://www.citybeat.com/arts-culture/culture/blog/21122185/cincinnati-zoo-offering-digital-safaris-during-coronavirus-closure

Google now lets you explore US National Parks via 360 degree virtual tours:  https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/25/google-now-lets-you-explore-u-s-national-parks-via-360-degree-virtual-tours/

From Local Zoos to the Louvre, These Virtual Field Trips Are Fun For the Whole Family (photos):  https://www.popsugar.com/family/virtual-field-trips-to-take-with-kids-47315476

Five Gardens You Can Virtually Tour, Just in Time for the First Day of Spring (videos):  https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/gardening/g31746949/gardens-you-can-virtually-tour/

Online Learning

50 Bird Species and the Sounds They Make:  https://www.aaastateofplay.com/50-bird-species-sounds-they-make/

Learn another language with DuoLingo: https://www.duolingo.com/

Creative Alternative Plans

Drive-by birthday party? Go creative during this time of social distancing: https://patch.com/illinois/elgin/drive-birthday-party-girl-5-makes-her-day

Post written by Janice D. Green