How To Keep In Touch With Family And Friends During Lockdown
Currently, expectations for the extension of the UK’s lockdown until June is rising due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Even with the hope of the country reaching the peak of the crisis and gradually decreasing restrictions, we still believe that lockdown will last much longer for the high-risk groups. Luckily in 2020, we have all the latest technologies at home that enable us to keep in contact with our families and friends as much as we want. Video calls, WhatsApp messages, social media and new video tools are crucial to keeping us happy and maintain a strong mental health. As older people tend to be more likely to fall in the more vulnerable categories, we wanted to help put some ideas together for activities you can do via video calls geared towards grandparents, but they lend themselves to keeping in touch with all friends and family. Take a look below and let us know if you do any of the following.
In our experience, we believe you can gain a lot of wisdom from listening to and learning from your elders. For example, grandparents can help you to maintain your garden even from the distance. You can take pictures of your flowers or even show them by live video to hear all their instant recommendations. It’s a great way to learn a new skill, bond with a family member, and watch plants grow from your hard work – which is excellent for your mental health! Similarly, during April’s lockdown, you may have some spare time to search for more tips and then share it with the rest of your family. That way, they could learn new things and keep their gardens in even better conditions during spring. Discover RHS org gardening tips to follow in April:- Keep weeds under control
- Protect fruit blossom from late frosts
- Tie in climbing and rambling roses
- Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wildflower seed outdoors
- Start to feed citrus plants
- Increase the water given to houseplants
- Feed hungry shrubs and roses
- Sow new lawns or repair bare patches
- Prune fig trees
- Divide bamboos and waterlilies
Don’t forget, if your grandparents have other skills or knowledge to share – video calls to pass on this wisdom is a good way to nurture it in your children as well as entertain the grandparents!
Cook together (by video call)
Setting goals for children from when they are little is a great way to educate them and get them into good habits, so we think you’ll love the next one. The goal for this lockdown period can be to learn to play a new piece of music on an instrument. We suggest you book in a date for a video call with grandparents or other family members for them to perform in front of, giving children something to aim towards. Organising a live video concert with family can be fun for children, as they can show their skills, but also for any attendees! This challenge is a great way to encourage children to practice healthy indoor activities and gives them something productive to do that isn’t classified as typical academic work or requires them to look at a screen.
We shouldn’t forget traditional ways of communicating during social distancing. Writing cards is always fun as your child can decorate their card and send special messages that can be kept forever. Encouraging kids to write and draw the cards will also improve their written communication and craft/design skills. It’s a great way to entertain your children and remember all your loved ones that they aren’t alone!
height="413" /> Grandparents can still be excellent storytellers during the lockdown, with the only difference being they will now be on the other side of the screen! The benefits for both children and grandparents alike are huge, as they can continue to maintain that strong connection. Storytelling creates a love of language within children, and motivation to read, making it a more fun activity to enjoy during quarantine. Additionally, it helps develop their memory, creativity, vocabulary, and comprehension. Also, children be benefit from social understanding, as they can learn about new cultures and increase compassion, tolerance, respect and responsibility!Let Your Children To Explore Their Talents
When children are young, they’re still exploring their talents and interests – and you never know, they might be the next up and coming artist! Give them the opportunity to try different hobbies to uncover these skills, including crafting, drawing and painting. Painting is a popular choice during lockdown, as there are several benefits to it:
- Painting can help your children communicate their emotions or feelings.
- Painting allows children to acquire better hand-eye coordination and pay attention to detail.
- It can be great to develop their creativity and planning skills. They will have to decide which colour to use and how to refine their drawings.
Currently, it is even more beneficial as it keeps children’s minds occupied and maintains a healthy lifestyle. They are many ways to recreate a fun and entertaining lockdown period at home. Quizzes, homemade games and other ideas are also great to spend time with your loved ones (even if they are at a distance). With Easy2name you can also decorate your house and game areas with personalised ribbons to create a better games atmosphere. We offer a fast delivery service with a variety of personalised ribbons that your smaller ones, family and friends will absolutely love. Discover all our labels from iron-on, to stick-on to woven labels.
