Tired of being cooped up?

We are barely at week one of our two-week "Safer at Home" campaign in Minnesota. I know that many people are getting a bit edgy and anxious to get out and about, but doing so isn't quite as easy as it used to be. With libraries, museums, and places of fun being closed down it limits the opportunities. I have a ideas that might spark some fun for your family. 

1. Geocaching. There's an app for that. A time tested funfest for the whole family. Downloading treasure maps to follow and getting your trinkets ready to hide in the boxes is a great timeout. There are boxes hidden in so many places that it's easy to find some out of the way places to seek out for a little time away from the house. 

2. Letterboxing. A little like geocaching, but instead of gathering and leaving trinkets you grab a journal, a pen and a stamp. You print your "Clues" at www.atlasquest.com and then head out on your journey. There are not quite as many hidden boxes as geocaching, but it is a great way to enjoy a time our adventure of following a map and finding your treasure.

3. Build something. We are in the throws of cleaning up our acreage after a harsh winter that dropped a lot of limbs. We are tucking away the larger limbs to build a fort of sorts. Can't wait to see how it turns out - whatever it is. We are also working on cleaning up under one of our larger trees and we are going to build a campsite with a picnic table. The project could be anything really, but picking up a new project could be fun.

4. Walking/Hiking/Biking. We have many many trails in our community that are meant for walking, hiking and biking. When you get bored with the 40+ parks in Elk River you could escape to the next surrounding community and check out their trails too. Staying off the playground equipment doesn't mean we can't enjoy the paths.

5. Scavenger Hunt. There are so many resources online for scavenger hunts. Or you could make up your own. Then head outside and see what you can find. They can be as local as your backyard to a "Sunday Drive" kind of afternoon activity. 

An afternoon out of the house is a great fresh of breath air after being cooped up for awhile. Even if it is just to take a walk around the block. I hope that you are coping well during this interesting time in our history. I would love to hear your outdoor fun activities that help you to normalize all the extra time we have at home right now.