10 social activities that don't require physical interaction outside your home

Hopefully these are helpful and can bring a little joy to you and the people you serve!

1. Play a board or card game
2. Make a card and sent it to someone
3. Plan a picnic
4. Plan a movie marathon (what will you watch, when, food, who's invited)
5. Have a water fight
6. Create a scavenger hunt
7. Serve a neighbor
8. Send someone a box of sunshine
9. Write to a pen-pal (soldier, child in a hospital, favorite author, missionary)
• http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/make-general-cards.html
• https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sponsored-content/USPS/how-write-letters-encouragement/
• http://www.operationwearehere.com/IdeasforSoldiersCardsLetters.html
• https://www.operationgratitude.com/express-your-thanks/write-letters/
• https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/holiday-cheer-online-card.html?sc_icid=gi-mm-tg-holidaywishes
10. Find people you know who could use some happy mail. My friend recently told me of some of her family struggles so I decided to write to her daughters. We'll see how that goes. 
11. Plan a family talent show

7 Spiritual/mental activities and goals

Obviously I wrote this when temples were still open, but you could plan a trip for when temples are reopened. 

Spiritual

People are multifaceted. We have emotional, physical, spiritual and social needs. Our spirits need to be fed just like our bodies. We need to make sure we don't neglect our souls. I think our emotions and our spirits are very closely related. When I don't take care of my spirit I am more likely to give into bursts of anger or frustration. I am more likely to feel sad and discontent. Taking care of myself spiritually helps keep me balanced. I don't think taking care of your spirit necessarily has to do with church. I have benefitted from meditation and reading uplifting literature. 
You can find more ideas here. 

1. Write in your journal
   
1. This is not my graphic. I got it from here. Why reinvent the wheel? 
   
2. This one is from here.
2. Plan a trip to the temple
3. Meditate I chose this video because I love her yoga. There are tons of other videos you can find or  maybe find some soothing meditation music and do your own.
4. Read a conference talk
• These are ones that were recommended by family members.
• Will you engage in the wrestle?  By Sheri Dew (Recommended by aunt Kari)
• Hope of Israel By President Nelson (also recommended by Kari)
• Like a Broken Vessel By Elder Holland (recommended by my cousin Taressa)
• Watchful unto Prayer By Elder Bednar (recommended by me)
• Spiritual Crocodiles By Elder Packer (recommended by Elder Bednar)
• I'm thinking of sometimes having them take notes
5. Read the scriptures or other uplifting literature for 10 minutes (love having a library card)
• There are at least 100 chicken soup for every kind of soul there is
• There are also about a million self help books 
6. Plan and give a family home evening lesson
• There are tons of websites with great family night lessons already prepared, ideas for lessons, or come up with something on your own.
• 52 Family night lessons
• Here is my family night Pinterest board
7. Index names

These are more non-religious spiritual/mental health goals

1. Write in your journal
2. Read or listen to uplifting literature
• Chicken soup for the soul
• TED talks
• Self help book or podcast (7 habits of highly effective teens)
3. Meditate
4. Learn a new coping skill and put it into practice
5. Put your phone in airplane mode every night at 10pm
6. Start a gratitude journal
7. Stay off social media one day a week
8. Make your bed every day (this is why you should)

11 Physical activities for kids of any age

Again, I had this all ready for summer but now is as good a time as any. Probably don't go swimming unless you have a pool at your house. I doubt  you'd be able to find an open pool anyway. Depending on where you are slip and slide and water fight might be questionable as well. 

Physical

All people need to move their bodies. This helps keep us healthy. Our bodies were made to move. Bonus if we are moving outside! Hopefully we can do some activities as a family, but individually is important too.
For more ideas go here. 

1. Go for a hike (plan a hike for the family)
2. Go swimming (plan a swimming trip since unfortunately we do not have a pool)
3. Go geocaching
4. Go for a walk
5. Do some yoga
6. Go for a bike ride
7. Play a sport
8. Do some kind of workout video
9. Have a nerf gun war 
10. Have a water fight
11. Slip and slide

63 Intellectual ideas for teens

I started this post months ago to have ready for the summer. Now seems like a good time to post as we are all choosing to do our part and stay home. Hopefully there is something on this list that you can try. 

Intellectual

This is the skills. New things that are going to work their brains. Will they paint? Will they crochet? Will they build a table? Who knows if they will do anything, but here is a list of things they could try and links to videos or tutorials on how to do them. 

Have a teen that refuses to try new things? When is the last time you tried something new? Maybe set the example and give one of these a try. Curiosity is a great motivator. If they see you trying new and different things, it might get them curious enough to venture into their own experimentation. 
For more ideas go here.

1. Photography
2. Build a Ukulele and learn how to play it
3. Learn a different instrument
4. Learn to draw
5. Doodle/draw
6. Make jewelry
7. Polymer clay sculpting (could be used to make beads for the jewelry)
8. Paint a phone case
9. Crayon melting art
10. Paint rocks
11. Do an acrylic pour This is a different (longer) video option and I really like this youtube channel but her videos are really long. I turn the speed up to 2x. Seriously I watched different videos for over an hour. So many different techniques, such cool results!
12. Paint, you know, get in touch with your inner Bob Ross (acrylic, watercolor, etc.)
13. Graffiti Wall (I'm so stoked about this one. Build some kind of wall/fence and some spray paint. Bam! Graffiti wall)
14. Do a science project
15. Create a block set for Lincoln
16. Do a wood project from wood connection
17. Work on a puzzle
18. Learn to code
19. Puppetry (sock puppet, marionette, create a set, make the puppets, write a play)
20. Carpentry (nothing too fancy, give them some wood and nails)
21. Write a play and act it out (plan this out so cousins can participate)
22. Go to the library
23. Create a neighborhood library
24. Do pancake art
25. Make a music video
26. Make a sock gnome
27. Make a felt board for Lincoln
28. Write a story
29. Make a childrens book (Target books)
30. Make a comic strip
31. String art
32. Do movie reviews
33. Create a Shutterfly book
34. Create a Pinterest board 
35. Create a blog
36. Create your own board game
37. Create a YouTube tutorial for something
38. Listen to a podcast
39. Read a book
40. Duct tape art
41. Make a jelly roll rug
42. Work in the garden
43. Shrink art
44. Origami
45. Paper art
46. Have a water fight
47. Make perler bead art
48. Plan and make a meal
49. Make homemade ice cream
50. Learn to decorate cake or cookies
51. Bake something (bread, cookies, pie)
52. Learn to make jam
53. Learn to face paint
54. learn to make candles
55. learn to grill
56. learn to knit
57. learn macrame
58. learn to crochet
59. learn to juggle
60. learn a magic/card trick
61. learn to sew (pj pants, pillowcase, quilt, use my longarm!)
62. learn calligraphy
63. learn/practice a language

Social activities and goals

Social

We need people! We need the interaction. We need to get outside of ourselves. Serving is an excellent way to be social and feed our spirit (double whammy). The youth struggle with social interactions. Face to face interactions. They are so used to communicating through a device they don't know how to communicate in real life. 
For more ideas go here. 

Goals

1. Volunteer (animal shelter, homeless shelter, check your community calendar for other opportunities) Check out the justserve app to find service opportunities in your area. 
2. Join a club (check with your library, school or city hall)
3. Be more assertive https://nobelcoaching.com/emotional-skills/
4. Improve your listening skills
5. Improve your emotional self awareness
6. Be more organized
7. Sit by someone new every Tuesday
8. Choose a relationship you would like to strengthen and make a plan for how you will do that (grandparent, parent, sibling, friend, etc)
9. Write a letter or send a card to someone once a month

Activies

1. Volunteer (animal shelter, homeless shelter, check your community calendar for other opportunities) Check out the justserve app to find other opportunities for service in your area. 
2. Join a club (check with the library or city hall)
3. Play a board or card game
4. Make a card and sent it to someone
5. Plan a picnic
6. Plan a movie marathon (what will you watch, when, food, who's invited)
7. Have a water fight
8. Choose a community event to attend
9. Create a scavenger hunt
10. Read to Lincoln
11. Serve a neighbor
12. Send someone a box of sunshine
13. Write to a pen-pal (soldier, child in a hospital, favorite author, missionary)
• http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/make-general-cards.html
• https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sponsored-content/USPS/how-write-letters-encouragement/
• http://www.operationwearehere.com/IdeasforSoldiersCardsLetters.html
• https://www.operationgratitude.com/express-your-thanks/write-letters/
• https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/holiday-cheer-online-card.html?sc_icid=gi-mm-tg-holidaywishes
• Find people you know who could use some happy mail. My friend recently told me of some of her family struggles so I decided to write to her daughters. We'll see how that goes. 
14. Plan a family talent show

Connection

This past week I've really come to see how much I need connection in my life. I've been feeling it for months, but wasn't able to put words to the feelings. I couldn't identify what I really needed. As I struggled with self doubt and feeling loneliness and really feel a sense of loss, it finally clicked. I need more connection in my life. I need to feel like I am lifting people around me and I need to feel them lifting me. I substituted at my old school last Friday and I really felt that loss. The loss of connection I had from my job. Cheering on my friends in their successes in their classrooms and having them do the same for me. Sitting at lunch and talking about our families or our students and really just feeling connected.
I thought this obsession with next summer with the kids was about screen time. I didn't want the kids to spend all summer on screens. Especially since we will be in our new house and they won't  be close to their friends they had when they lived here. I wanted to have options for them to not be bored, but not be on screens. But as I've pondered on my anxiety and what I really want from this blog, it's connection.
Of course I don't want the kids on screens all summer. Every other news post is about how screens are hurting our kids, but it wasn't just that. When I was really honest with myself, what I really want is a connection with my bonus kids. I want memories with them. I can't connect with them through video games. Even if I thought I could, I'm more of a Mario Kart girl, not a Fortnite or whatever similar type game they are playing. This list I've been working on is my attempt to find something where we can connect. Something where we can make memories.
Is it selfish of me to list things I'm interested in, instead of suffering through a round of Fortnite? I don't think so. I have come up with SO MANY ideas to choose from. Are all of them super appealing to me? No. But they are all things I'd be willing to try and I think it's so important for kids to be exposed to a wide variety of activities. Who knows what talents they will uncover!? Maybe they will find that they are actually really good at woodworking and they love it. Maybe they are naturally skilled at coding and all they needed was the opportunity to try.
Our brains are wired to seek out connection. Unfortunately many times we neglect that need or, because of circumstances, those needs just aren't met. Neuroscientist, Matthew Lieberman said, "We may not like the fact that we are wired such that our well-being depends on our connections with others, but the facts are the facts."

Our well-being DEPENDS on our connections. No wonder my well-being was on the fritz last week. If I can foster a little more connection in my family and other relationships and help you do the same, I will consider myself successful. Even if it's just one person making that one connection. The memories and connections we make help shape who we are and what we do in life. They bring us both joy and sadness. That connection brings us more than we could ever hope to buy or ever hope to find on a screen.

Life in reverse

As I've been working on ideas for activities and typing up posts and looking at resources, I've thought about what I want from this blog and where I see it going. I'd love to post about activities we do and how they went and what we liked or didn't like. I'd love to add to my lists. I would love for other people to benefit from these posts. This isn't about step families. This is about quality time with families. Any kind of family. It's about connection. I've also thought that I might not be able to be super consistent in my posting since my bonus kids aren't with us very much.
With that, I hope to get feedback from others. What worked for you? Did you like a particular idea I posted? What have you done in your family that was successful? What wasn't successful?
My other thought is that my life with children is kind of going in a couple directions. I jumped in to teenagers. My bonus kids were 11 and 13, so here I am trying to come up with ideas for teens, long before I'm trying to find activities to engage a toddler or young child. As my teens age into adulthood, I'm going to flip back down the ladder to little kids. That may shift my audience. Hopefully a lot of these activities can span the age gap in kids, but as my baby gets older, I know things will change.
Life rarely goes as you envision. But life takes you where you need to be. I wouldn't trade my husband, my two teens or my baby for anything. My baby will be blessed to have a brother and sister to look up to. They might not connect the way I connect with my sister who is 6 years younger than me, but they will have their own special relationship.
I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me and my family. Maybe this blog won't go anywhere or help anyone except my family. And that is okay. My first priority is to bless my family and if in doing that, I can bless others . . . well that will just be icing on the cake.

And I love cake.

Summer

I've been obsessing a bit about next summer. I just want it to be successful. I want to create memories. I want them to enjoy their time with us. I want the kids to WANT to come back. I want them to feel loved. I want them to do more than sit on screens ALL SUMMER LONG.
So I've been brainstorming and polling and pinning like a crazy person. I love the new youth program from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think it's so important for people to take ownership of their development. Especially in the critical teenage years.
I've been working on a summer routine/plan to get the kids off screens and trying new things. I've gone back and forth on how to implement it. Do I work in an allowance, do they just get an allowance and this is extra, no allowance and they earn everything, etc. Still ironing out those details. I'll have to talk with Bryan on that.
I'm going to ask the kids for ideas they have, give them my list and see what interests them and make sure I have the supplies. I think I'll ask my nieces and nephews as well. If they are interested in something the kids aren't, the cousins might be able to spark an interest in at least trying something else.
I've got their must do list for every day

1. make your bed
2. clean your room
3. read 20 minutes
4. do your assigned chore (still don't know what those will be)
5. work in the garden x number of minutes

That's it. Those are the things they need to do every day. When those are done, they will get 2 hours of screen time. After that, I'm still working on how more time will be added. I'm sure there will be a lot of revisions. Especially when things actually get started and I see what ACTUALLY works. There could be a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Lots of wifi password changing. But I'm willing to do it, if it means there are actual memories made and there aren't video games going 24/7.

The categories for them to choose from go with the youth program spiritual, physical, intellectual and social. They will not be required to do any of them. If all they do are the physical tasks, that's fine. If all they do is social, that's fine. I won't force them to do any of it. If they choose to sit and stare at the wall because they don't want to do any of the choices or make up their own, that's their choice. Hopefully they will find a new hobby or two and move more than their thumbs.