With all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and schools closing and social distancing being advised, it’s easy to want to completely isolate yourself and do nothing. I put together this list of 50 Things To Do [Mostly] At Home While Social Distancing in hopes that it will help us all use our time more intentionally, to invest in our relationships, and to love our neighbors. I sincerely hope you find it a blessing during this can-be hectic time!

I’ve included the full list below, but if you’d like, you can download it right here, in pretty little PDF format.

50 Things To Do At Home While Social Distancing

Be Informed.

• Stop reading the news and stop listening to the media.
• Stay off social media if it’s causing you to become paranoid & fearful.
• Sign up for emergency alerts from your local government. You will keep yourself informed but not be inundated with hysteria.

Be Resourceful.

• Reuse and recycle as much as possible.
• Rather than hoard paper products, consider going paperless where possible. Reduce paper towels and paper napkins usage.
• Use cloth napkins, and wash them a few times per week (or at the end of every day if you prefer).
• Don’t let food go to waste.
• Freeze vegetable peels and such for making veggie stock.
• Start composting!

Go Outside.

• Start a small garden. Plant some herbs and some leafy greens. Or any other early spring crops.
• If you already have a garden, get to work on it. Start seeds indoors, or if it’s warm enough, sow them directly outdoors.
• Spend time soaking up healthy amounts of vitamin D.

Think of Others.

• Don’t isolate yourself. Don’t take care of your own first.
• Reach out to your immediate community.
• If you’re shopping, add a few items – like canned or dry goods – to your cart to share with those in need.
• Make a donation to a local shelter or food pantry.
• Check in on your neighbors, especially if they’re elderly or in other high-risk groups.
• Offer to watch a neighbor’s children if you’re able to stay home and they need to go to work.
• Share overstock of food and essentials.
• Make extra dinner and share with a neighbor.

Inside the Home.

• Tackle an indoor project you haven’t had time for, like cleaning out your basement or attic, or painting a room.
• Give your wardrobe a good clean out.
• Organize your linen closet.
• Sort out your first aid and personal hygiene items.
• Do some serious spring cleaning.

Invest in Quality Time.

• While schools are temporarily closing and everyone is spending more time at home, try to cherish this rare opportunity to be together with your family.
• Have an indoor (or outdoor if it’s warm enough) picnic.
• Play games together as a family.
• Call a few people you haven’t spoken with in a while.
• Be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry…”

With the Kids.

• Open the craft closet (or box) and get creative.
• Make cardboard houses; feed their imaginations.
• Save your paper towel cardboard rolls and turn them into homemade napkin rings.
• Go to the kitchen and make a fancy dessert together.
• Learn something new together, like how to hand sew/knit/watercolor.

Grab a Book.

• Read a book you haven’t had time to read.
• Read aloud to your children.

In the Kitchen.

• Teach yourself how to cook dried beans.
• Get creative with your cooking.
• Organize & smartly stock your kitchen.
• Cook like a homesteader.
• Borrow books from the library and learn how to can and preserve.
• Most of my recipes use basic pantry staples and are super simple. Check them out!

Embrace the Slow.

• Go on a walk every morning.
• Take a nap in the middle of the day.
• Listen to the sounds of nature around you. It’s almost spring, and so much beauty is to behold, if we look for it.
• Watch spring unfold before your eyes. Birds chirping, flowers blooming, dirt warming.
• Pull out that mending pile and darn the sweater, patch the hole, fix the hem, mend the seam.

Be Wise.

• Strengthen your immune system.
• Stay hydrated (and keep your kids hydrated).
• Sleep lots.
• Practice good hygiene.
• Teach your children how to properly wash their hands.
• Exercise caution with person-to-person contact.

That’s it for now, friends! Praying you are kept safe through this uncertain time!