The last year has had a dramatic impact on people’s wellbeing and mental health, specifically children and young people. It is important to remember that kids need time to recharge mentally and physically, especially as they get older with school and work responsibilities. One of the ways to do this is through engaging in a feel-good creative activity to lift their mood. It can help kids learn to take a break whilst learning valuable tools to process any challenges they may face.
Check out our other blog: Five of our Favourite Family-Friendly Musicals
Here are a few ideas for activities you can do with friends or family:
One of the most important aspects of self care is looking after your physical health. Coming up with fun ways to exercise like hosting a dance party in the living room will lift your spirits whilst keeping yourself active. Perhaps you can plan a ‘dance off’ to see who has the best moves? Make a playlist together, decorate the room with groovy lights and put on your dancing shoes!
Turn your kitchen into a studio and practice your creativity by playing with different recipes. By ‘presenting’ your own cooking show, you will learn to express yourself and enjoy your own creations. You will accomplish new skills and learn how to contribute to the household in a positive, fun way. Maybe you can task each person with a different aspect of cooking – dessert, mains or appetisers?
Use your imagination to stage a favourite scene from a movie. Why not take a picture of each other acting out the scene and send it to friends or family to guess what the film is? This will provide a fun space that encourages conversation, team-building and creative expression.
Grab your hairbrush as a make-do microphone and see who can work the crowd with their best jokes. You could even spend some time before the performance researching and finding the funniest jokes for your setlist. It is sure to be an entertaining and engaging way to build your self-esteem.
A healthy routine can be beneficial to your wellbeing and offers a sense of security and stability. You could look to put aside time each day where you step away from screens and devices for an hour and instead focus on activities like reading, drawing, or writing. You could even sit down together to write down top moments from your day to place in a ‘feel-good’ memory jar. These calmer activities, away from the distraction of the screen, can help you refresh and recharge.