Friday, July 10, 2020

Keeping busy during a pandemic

Here are places that we have been going to or plan to go to during the pandemic. If it is more than a trail, I recommend calling ahead first to see if they have space limits, bathroom options, etc.... I hope this helps.

Places to go:
  • Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary
  • Woodlawn Manor Cultural Center (Underground Railroad Trail)
  • Matthew Henson Trail
  • Northwest Branch Trail
  • Billy Goat Trail
  • Pine Lake
  • Roosevelt Island
  • Croydon Creek
  • Cunningham Falls
  • Calvert Cliffs
  • Sandy Point Beach
  • Greenbrier State park
  • Shenandoah State Park
  • Sligo Creek (walking path)
  • Kilgore Falls
  • Sugarloaf Mountains
  • Luray Caverns
  • Fairland Recreational Park
  • Centennial Lake (nice lake to walk on a paved path)
  • Green Meadows Farm (petting zoo) (big open place, not a lot of people when we went, but people also didn't necessarily keep 6 feet away and not everyone was wearing masks)
  • Go Kart Track (Bladensburg)
  • Foot Golf at Sligo Creek Golf Course (must make a reservation and bring your own soccer ball)
  • Rocky Gorge (batting cages, mini golf, and driving range)
  • Lake Needwood (Boating) 
  • Vertical Rock (indoor rock climbing)
  • Sandy Spring Adventure Park (ropes course)
  • Larriland Farm and Butler's Orchard (fruit picking)
  • Capital SUP (stand up paddleboarding)
  • Drive-in movie theater (there are a few in the area)
Fun Activities:
  • Geocaching (there is an app, but start by looking on geocaching.com and watching the video).
  • Dance Party
  • Write letters to athletes, politicians, actors, musicians, artists, etc. (I suggest reading an article first on TTM (through the mail) autograph seeking. https://www.beckett.com/news/mail-call-how-to-get-started-collecting-autographs-through-the-mail/
  • Draw (lots of great you tube tutorials), paint, sculpt, etc...
  • Play sports in the yard or at a local field
  • Pick up an instrument
  • Water play in the yard (water balloons, sprinkler, slip n' slide, etc...)
  • lots of good yard games like corn hole, ladder toss, travel ping pong (we've been using the dining room table), horseshoes, bocce, etc.
  • Don't forget the classics like sidewalk chalk, bubbles, playing in the rain, catching fireflies, etc...
  • As a child in the late 80's/early 90's, I taught my kids how to make a paper football, and we have been playing a lot of this game.
  • Bike riding, fishing, boating
  • Reading books
  • Car wash
  • virtual museum tours
  • lots of free coding, video game making, and animation videos
  • hackeysack, hoola hoop, jump rope
  • board games, puzzles, diamond art, tie dye, knitting, crocheting, 
  • baking/cooking
  • Let each kid have a week of planning meals (takes the pressure off of you, keeps them busy, and gives them some control in an uncontrollable time)
  • play in a local stream

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