After seven weeks of being in lockdown, we’ve all started to find a rhythm in these strange times that we find ourselves in, including how we keep in touch with loved ones. Some days are much easier than others, but perhaps one of the most difficult things that we’ve had to get used to is being unable to pop into your mum’s for a cup of tea or not being able to simply hug beloved grandchildren.
The technology we have now allows us to see and speak to our loved ones as if they’re in the same room, and apps like Zoom – which allow lots of people to get involved in one conversation – give us a long list of opportunities to have fun while on lockdown. Don’t forget, your visiting or live-in carer can help you set up and join in with any of these activities, so if you’re not sure what to do, always ask for help.
Here’s a list of ideas:
Isolation Quiz nights
You’ll need someone to be the independent quiz master; no cheating allowed here! If you already have a quiz game in the house such as Trivial Pursuit, you could use the questions from that but if not, websites such as Ready-Made Pub Quiz have masses of ready-to-play team quizzes, as the name suggests! Make sure you think of funky team names!
Bingo
Why not have fun in the house, shouting ‘house’? One person needs to be the ‘caller’ but all you need to do is simply draw your own grid, choose your numbers and use a random number generator online to call your numbers. Bingo!
Host your own Oscar’s ceremony
Celebrate all that is great in the movie world by hosting your own Oscar’s ceremony! You could have awards for everything from ‘best haircut’ to ‘greatest karaoke’ or any categories you like. You could even use your actual favourite movies and pretend you were the film star who had won the award.
Memory game
Someone holds a tray of objects; you get one minute to memorise them then you have to say what was there – a bit like the conveyor belt on the Generation Game! All together now: “cuddly toy!”
Spot the difference
A mix of a memory game and I-spy, you could have one minute to find something in each other’s houses beginning with a certain letter and you can only use what you can see on the screen. Or, having given them a list of items to find, send the younger players on a scavenger hunt around their own house. The first one to come back with all the items wins!
Music can often make everyone feel better, so why not have a sing-a-long?
You can play a variety of songs from every era or you could even host an online karaoke competition and compete for a virtual prize!
For more information on coronavirus home care options, please click here.
