Over the past several weeks, our team at Hopeloft has been working together to compile resources for our community to use during this crisis. With all the extra free time teens have while staying at home, our Transitional Youth Coordinator Kari Vazquez, who has three children of her own, helped us put together a list of fun activities for teens to do while social distancing. Check out the ideas!
Paperback Writer
Choose a book to read together and have a blast dissecting it together at home with family, or virtually with friends! The Internet Archive created a National Emergency Library which is currently providing free access to over one million e-books with no waitlists. You can also check out e-books and audiobooks for free through you local library with the Libby App!
I Feel Pretty
Try out a new hairstyle or makeup routine while self-isolating! You can test out your new skills on your (willing) family members or video call your friends during tutorials for some group beauty fun from afar!
Chopped—QuaranTEEN Edition
Host a cooking competition within your family! Have the judges select random ingredients for you to use in your dish, compete against other family members, and enjoy your delicious creations! Tell your friends and their families to join in on the fun from their homes and tag each other on social media with pictures of your creative concoctions!
It’s All Fun and Games
There’s nothing like some good old-fashioned friendly competition! Break out your favorite board games, card games, or video games and play the night away! And if you want to try something new, see if you can successfully play a board game with friends via video call! You can also play video games live with friends if you have the proper gear.
Push It, Push It to the Limit, Limit
Just because you’re home with little or no equipment doesn’t mean you can’t get moving! Reach out to friends or teammates and try a workout virtually alongside friends via video chat, or just challenge one another with daily goals. You can even keep track of some of the activities you are doing and share it with your physical education teacher and coaches! Make it a goal to get moving at least a little bit each day. Get outside with family, take your dog for a walk, or even try out a free online exercise routine. Moving even a little each day will help improve your mood and keep you ready for when sports and gym are back in session!
Turn Down for What
All across the world musicians have been improvising by playing music and singing with each other from their balconies, and you can too—even without a balcony! Bust out your instruments and play with your family or host a virtual jam sesh with your musically-inclined friends! If you’re a lone musician, share your symphonies online to brighten up someone else’s day with music! Don't know how to play any instruments? Now's the perfect time to learn! Have a family member teach you one they know, or learn from free online tutorials!
Picasso, Baby
Use some of your extra time while self-isolating to get your creative juices flowing and relieve some stress or boredom through art. Create masterpieces with your family at home; invite your friends to create with you from afar and share your creations online with each other; or create something on your own for quiet reflection and expression. Brit & Co offers online classes on everything creative from watercolor painting, cake decorating, and fashion illustration to photography - there's something for everyone! They're offering all their classes for free through 4/9 with the code SELFCARE.
Pen a Friend
Pen a Friend, Inc. is an organization that connects foster youth with pen pals; however, due to the coronavirus outbreak, they have opened up their program to any youth who would like to have a pen pal. Pen-palling can be a rewarding experience for everyone, and you get a chance to make connections with people from across the country—connections that could last a lifetime. So take some time during your self-isolation to send an uplifting letter and make a new friend!