Stay at Home Printable
Wow, kind of a cliche statement these days, but what a crazy time we are living in. These past few weeks of the Stay at Home order here in Idaho have brought many challenges, but also many opportunities.
After the first couple of weeks, I started to realize that our entire family (pets included) were kind of thrown by the lack of structure.
So one morning, before the kids got up, I simply put a to-do list on the chalkboard in hopes of inspiring them to find some purpose in their day.
The goal was to look at each word on the board and then challenge them to do 1-2 hours of each suggestion.
Stay at Home Printable
I was absolutely floored at how quickly this simple guide started to give us purpose.
My kids were instantly able to create their own plans and take action just based on the categories that I shared.
So, I decided to turn my list into a Stay at Home Find Purpose Guide that they could each day to inspire and challenge them.
Turns out, it’s worked well for our entire family!
I thought I would share this as a FREE printable for all of you as well, in case it helps you too!
How this Stay at Home Printable Activity Guide works
Basically the concept is pretty simple. The words on the left are suggestions for action.
The words on the right can be incorporated into all of the activities on the left.
All activities and suggestions are interchangeable and of course, many of them will overlap.
Remember, this is just a guide to help inspire ideas and action.
We’ve challenged our kids to try to spend 2 hours per day on each of the categories on the left hand side of the chart.
As they complete these activities, they can record their activities and check the boxes.
As they go through their day, hopefully they are finding that they are also incorporating the suggested words of: Pray, Hope, Love, Create and Play.
They can circle those as they see them happening.
Really, it’s up to them how they use this chart – for us the exciting part was that it’s been working and I think it provides a nice foundation with which to start.
We haven’t required that our kids complete this form. We’ve simply used it as a guide. I think kids – along with everyone else – are under enough stress right now between missing their friends, schedules and activities.
What we have found, is that this simple list has motivated them to get creative. It has helped them to visualize the things they CAN do, rather than focus on what they can’t.
The Connect Box
In the upper righthand side of the printable you will see a connect box. This is a box meant to challenge them to connect with a loved one or friend outside of our home via the phone, Zoom or text.
One exciting thing we’ve actually seen come out of this time is that instead of being SO busy, we’ve slowed down to connect with each other, as well as family and relatives. Longer phone conversations. Face time visits and Zoom chats. My son even took virtual cooking lessons with a dear friend and has had a fierce virtual chess game going with his grandfather.
Ideas for Inspiring Action with the FREE Stay at Home Printable
Here are some of the things we’ve done to find purpose and take action in these different categories:
Read
This one is easy! Find a book, magazine or online article.
Our friends at DiscountMags have a huge selection of online digital magazines and as a gesture of kindness, they are currently offering FREE Digital Magazine downloads on almost 100 titles!
Amazon is also offering TWO months of FREE unlimited Kindle reading! And did you know that you don’t need a Kindle to read Kindle books and downloads?
That’s right, to get started, all you need to do is download the FREE Kindle app to turn your devices into a Kindle reader, how amazing is that?
I’ve also recently shared some amazing FREE self help book downloads and suggestions – including Robert Glazer’s Book Elevate which would be a fantastic read right now. You can also enter to win one of ten copies that we are giving away!
Of course, reading is probably one of the easiest things to do right now and it’s a great way to keep kids meeting their reading goals and let’s face it – reading is a fantastic escape for all of us.
Bob Goff books are some of my favorites, and also very timely for the situation we are all in.
There is really no shortage of books to recommend. Reading is such a gift, especially at this time!
Learn
As I mentioned earlier, so many of these categories cross over into each other, don’t they? Learning comes in so many different forms but it’s been neat to see how many different companies have stepped up to bring us learning in so many ways – many of them are currently FREE.
I’ve challenged my kids to learn something every day by either reading about something and then writing a book report about it, or I’ve also allowed them to select a documentary or Disney Nature show and then write a summary about it.
Many of our favorite sites are offering FREE learning programs for kids (and adults!) including:
Bluprint Online Classes – FREE right now (this is a service that we actually already pay monthly for)
Craft More Happy Moments with Bluprints FREE Creativity Care Package! Watch over 1,300 creative education classes ranging from sewing, cooking, family crafts, and more!
Disney Imagineering in a Box – FREE from Kahn Academy. Imagineering in a Box, formerly known as Pixar in a Box, is an incredible online learning program that takes young imagineers through a series of courses that takes them “behind the curtain” in the process of theme park development and creation.
Homer Learning Programs for Kids – FREE for 30 days ($7.95 per month after free-trial)
Don’t forget all of the fun and FREE printables and activity sheets that I’ve shared on the blog! Of course, there are so many other fun ways to learn.
Help
This category includes everything from everyday chores to finding creative ways to help others. You might consider printing out my FREE 30 Day Declutter Challenge printable, it’s works as a great chore chart too!
Exercise
Again, this is a very board category and can be everything from riding a bike around the driveway to an obstacle course challenge in the backyard.
Don’t forget about the FREE dance and exercise classes that you can find on Blueprint right now, my daughter has been taking some of the dance classes and I even joined in on a yoga class!
Relax
This category can be anything from playing with pets to painting – and again, many of these categories and actions will overlap. The point of this category is finding moments in the day to just give yourself grace.
My son’s version of relax is very different than what my daughter might choose, so again – this one is open to interpretation.
Connect
That’s the big blue box up in the right hand corner. This is a reminder to connect with those who you aren’t seeing right now. It could be as simple as a phone call or a Zoom bingo game with friends.
Connecting with others is SO important right now. I also think it’s a great way for kids to realize that they have the power to connect, and comfort others.
Positive Messaging on the Stay at Home Printable
The next five suggestions are just words that bring a positive and comforting spin to our actions right now.
Pray
Hope
Love
Create
Play
See how they all start to flow together to inspire ideas and activity? While this stay at home printable is just a guide, I think it offers some nice direction during a time when it’s easy to feel lost.
I feel like it’s a guide that just about anyone can use and I hope it helps you too!
Print out this FREE Stay at Home Printable Activity Chart
Hopefully you’ll enjoy this Stay at Home Activity Chart as much as we have.
I’ve created it so that you can print it in full color or in black and white (I’m a frugal girl!!) and you can also change the size percentage if you want to print it smaller.
Since we are using this daily, I’m printing them smaller and in black and white for most days.
And please! If you see a way that this printable could be altered to serve you better, please let me know! I’d be happy to adjust it for you if I can.
Meet the author – Keri Lyn
The creative and frugal mind behind She Saved for over 12 years now, Keri Lyn shares her adventures in parenting along with her love for family travel, country living and brand marketing. A self-proclaimed “brand loyalist”, Keri Lyn is known for her strong and enthusiastic voice when it comes to the products and brands that she loves. She Saved has become a community for like-minded consumers who appreciate saving money, time and sanity by getting the best deals on quality products and experiences.
This is brilliant, thank you!! We’ve printed this out each week since you posted and each child has used this chart in their own way. When they get bored, I simply direct them to their worksheet. Thanks for all you do!