Corona virus family guide: Getting outdoor time during a stayhome order

By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief

A dad I know was bemoaning the challenges of getting his kids outdoors for some much-needed energy burn-off time. His neighborhood park? Taped off. His local lake? Closed. And now they’re all supposed to be wearing masks anytime they’re in public? It’s like the outdoors have become about as accessible as toilet paper or flour.

No one questions the importance of getting children outside. Studies have shown that interacting with nature can improve brain function and ease anxiety. All that is so important now that most states have issued some kind of stay-at-home order, keeping children tethered to their couches for much of the day.

Nowadays, the key to playing outside is playing it safe. Because hard surfaces can host COVID-19 for days, playgrounds are pretty much off-limits. But children will likely find another way—parents just need to create opportunities and keep acting as the social-distancing police. “Parents worry they don’t have outside activities for their kids,” says Christy Merrick, a children’s outdoor experience expert, in a Nat Geo article about keeping children safe outside and new ways to play. “But the reality is that kids naturally know how to play.” (Here’s an idea for a more educational outdoor experience.)

And those recommended masks? Take a cue from pediatrician Claire McCarthy of Boston Children’s Hospital. She tells Nat Geo that her family always has the cloth masks with them outside; that way they can quickly put them on if they’re unable to keep a safe distance from others.

Maybe those masks will spark imaginative play: After all, it’s kind of like we’re surrounded by a bunch of tiny, spiky, little train robbers.

How are you getting your children outside? We want to hear from you!

We know about the tiger: There’s no evidence your cat or dog can infect you with COVID-19. There have been a few cases of probable human-to-animal spread, such as the tiger at the Bronx Zoo, but as our ANIMALS editor, Rachael Bale, points out, none of the first 1.5 million human cases are believed to be caused by a domesticated animal (or a big cat). As scientists have said: If it happened, we would have known by now.

Awww! Speaking of cats, Rachael Bale recommends watching this webcam of 4-day-old cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.

Trying ‘porchtraits’: How can you commemorate being together when you’re at home? You’ve got a birthday to mark? A family portrait to take? These days, a porch or set of steps is an ideal backdrop for a “porchtrait,” the Christian Science Monitor writes.

Family Discussion: If you have enough to eat and a roof over your head right now, but others do not, how can you help? Should you consider giving to a local food pantry, or another place (Fidelity has these general category recommendations).
Should you consider a family project to write a letter to an elderly relative, or to people at a nearby senior residential center? Here’s what one class did in Utah. Is there a relative living by themselves you could call?

We asked, you answered: Last week we asked you what you were doing to keep your children connected during a time of social distancing. Ideas include a neighborhood video walk with a relative, virtual game nights and book clubs, and opening up video chats to friends of friends so that children can establish bonds with new kids.

But wait, there’s more: Did you know that … a crocodile can't stick out its tongue, or that apples float but pears sink? Check out our Weird But True Board Game, awash in wacky facts.

Looking for more learning? This week on NatGeo@Home, we’ll be featuring a personality quiz about dinosaurs, instructions for kids to make their own guitar, and advice for parents on safe video viewing.

This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Let us know if you have any tips, links, or ideas to make it better. Have a safe and a sane (as possible) week ahead!