by Maggie Almasri Resources, learning tools, and activities for children and parents at-home in quarantine.
Many people are struggling during this time. With a lot of daycares not open due to the pandemic, we understand how difficult this can be for parents. We hope this guide will help parents better understand coping methods for their children and provide them with fun at-home activities to deal with boredom. Activities For Children: - Outdoor Activities -Indoor Activities -Crafts -Involves Food Additional Free Resources: -Educational -Entertainment Tips for Parents: -Understanding coping methods Have tips and ideas that aren't in our original post? Send them to mhaky@mhaky.org and we'll be happy to add.
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By Casey Malley Summer 2020 may cause for a change in summer plans, but there are still ways for your children to enjoy their time off school, instead of laying on the couch all day complaining that they are bored and that there is nothing to do.
Here is a list of 10 different options to do with your kids, while proactively social distancing from others! 1. Virtual Summer Camps! As summer is a time to go visit different zoos, museums and aquariums are a fun place to learn about the world around us, many are offering virtual camps and tours to keep your young ones curious about the world around them. Check out this USA Today article below and Jamestown Settlement’s website to see what children museums are offering online programs!
2. Camping! As some areas start to open up for the summer, this is a perfect time to take your kids camping. Camping is not only a great time to spend quality time together, it is also a great time to teach your young ones some useful tips of survival. Teaching young ones how to build fires, make a tent, fish, or even make a meal over the flame, it is a fun and interactive time spent with nature. The link below takes you to all the different states to help you find out what campgrounds are open near you! https://thedyrt.com/magazine/local/campground-closures-list-covid-19/#state parks Even if you are not the most outdoorsy type of people, camping can also be a blast in your backyard! Setting up a tent, making hotdogs over a fire and enjoying s'mores, catching lightning bugs, playing different campfire songs and games and much more, this can be a time to have the whole family be outside and enjoy each other’s company. Even if you're just in your backyard, there is just something different than sleeping on a sleeping bag compared to one's bed- as it can create stories for years to come. 3. Pool closed? No problem!
4. Sign Up for your local library Summer Reading Program! Many different schools and districts are offering reading programs, to get its students engaged with each other and to keep their minds working. The link below takes you to Kentucky’s summer reading programs, along with the reminders of the importance of reading. https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/summerreading/Pages/default.aspx 5. Wild Safari Drive Thru! Looking for a little bit of a roadtrip to the safari? Stay in your car, and watch and feed all of the exotic animals. 6. Biking This is a perfect time to teach your kids how to bike, and if they already do, this summer is a great way to enjoy time together and take some rides along different trials throughout Kentucky. Not only is this a fun activity for everyone to do, it is also a great way to stay active during the summer, as biking is a great workout. 7. Drive- In Movie Theaters! As the weather is starting to get warmer consistently, enjoy time in your car, socially distant from others, by enjoying new films coming out this summer at a Drive- In Movie Theater. Put all the seats down in the car and lay in the trunk of your car with blankets or bring lawn chairs and blankets to set up outside your car to enjoy the film! 8. Become a Scientist! Dedicate one day of each week to experimenting different science experiments. This is not only fun, but teaches your kids problem- solving issues, while doing hands on activities. Some examples can be making volcanoes, slime, homemade ice cream, view the different density of liquids, make a balloon blow up with yeast, and so much more! 9. Master the Kitchen! Try new recipes in the kitchen. Have each person in the family find a recipe and have them be in charge of cooking it for everyone (help the kids out, obviously). This can be a great way to venture out people’s appetite and change the family’s eating habits!
10. Make a garden! Make a garden in your yard, and teach your children the responsibilities of taking care of the plants. Teach them how to weed out an area for the soil, how to properly plant each plant, how to make sure no animals get into the plants, and some basics of yard work. Don’t be afraid to get our hands dirty. You can also make a birdhouse and put it out by the garden, along with a bird feeder, to bring nature into your yard, and see all the different kinds of birds that come into your yard. If you want to share your kids' activities with us, please post on social media with #MHAKY or send photos to mhaky@mhaky.org. Feel free to email us with YOUR tips and tricks. At Mental Health America of Kentucky, we provide mental health education, information, and resources to anyone who asks for it. We aim to do so in a spirit of cultural humility, deferring to individuals with lived experience to tell us what they need and what changes they’d like to see.
People don’t typically reach out for mental health information or education when they’re comfortable. We have uncomfortable and difficult conversations all the time. We will continue to have them. We hear you, Black Lives Matter. We hear you, Louisville. We hear you. All of you. We see your tears, your anguish, your stress, your anxiety. We share information about your health inequities and we lift it up in statewide discussions. We continue to promote healing of trauma - including racial trauma - through training and information sessions. The time for listening is still now, but we hear you asking for additional action. We can’t fix racism alone. Our board is more diverse than ever, but we’re in need of more of your voices at our table. We’re rededicating ourselves to recruit board members whose voices are strong in their communities - not just geographic communities - but cultural, racial, and ethnic communities. We rededicate ourselves to addressing disparities in mental health treatment in Kentucky. There are far too few Black mental health professionals in the Commonwealth and across the United States. We rededicate ourselves to promoting the stories of those professionals who do practice here and will continue asking mental health professional organizations to promote their work to Black Kentuckians. We will continue to lift up the voices of Black persons with lived experience. There is no health without mental health. There is no mental health in a commonwealth that promotes or tolerates white supremacy and racial injustice. Mental health providers and peers are available at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-372-8255 and via text (“MHA”) to 741741. Contact us if you would like to be at our table. Email mhaky@mhaky.org or call/text 859-684-7778. |
Marcie TimmermanExecutive Director Archives
April 2021
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