The Director’s Desk July 2020

Jul 17, 2020

Well, here we are. It’s the middle of July and we all are looking for creative, exciting, and safe things to pass the time. While 2020 is sure to be unforgettable, here are 16 ideas that you and the family can try out in the home stretch of our summer days…

Fun for the Family

  • Family Game Night:Have a weekly game night and take turns choosing! The 2020 hit at the Wilson house is Taco, Cat. Goat, Cheese, Pizza – a card game for the adventurous! Think about a cross between uno and spoons with random charades mixed in 😊
  • Family Movie on Friday Night:Show a movie on your biggest screen and make sure everyone has some popcorn or Rice Krispies Treats.
  • Go to the drive-in:It’s date night in the car, and you can bring your own fantastic snacks. Bluegrass Iowa, Delmar Iowa, and Galesburg Illinois are 3 relatively close locations with drive-in theaters.
  • Virtual Family Scavenger Hunt: Set up a Zoom meeting with friends and family near and far. Create a virtual scavenger hunt list (all things that should be found in the house), screen share the list, and GO! The first person to gather and display the items wins.
  • Virtual would You Rather? Zoom or FaceTime the extended family and have conversations that will leave you laughing and shaking your head. Create your own questions or find some “family friendly” ones online.

Fun Outdoors

  • Camp out in your backyard: Pitch a tent in the backyard and enjoy clean and close bathrooms!
  • Become a birdwatcher – It can be a fun hobby for kids of all ages. Go wild and get a bird feeder…it does help in attracting the birds!
  • Take a Hike – Check out Centennial Park, Sunderbruch Park Trail, the Duck Creek Trail, Scott County Park or Wildcat Den State Park in Iowa. Go explore Sylvan Island, the Black Hawk Forrest, Illiniwek Forest Preserve, the Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, or the Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Illinois.
  • Let’s have a picnic:Picnic or grill in the backyard. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be fun. Go crazy and invite the neighbors to a “Front Yard Picnic” – then share smiles, eat food, and stay socially distanced too.
  • Glow-in-the-dark treasure hunt: Nighttime treasure hunting with glow-in-the-dark items can be fun for the whole family

Making Fun Connections – “OLD SCHOOL STYLE”

  • Make a phone call: Parents, grandparents, or a friend whose face you miss. It’s amazing what a difference hearing a friendly voice can make!
  • Notes and Cards: Spelling doesn’t count – so grab a pen and some paper and get started. Make getting the mail the highlight of someone’s day.
  • Bake and Take Day: Make a double batch of your favorite dinner, dessert, or batch of cookies. Keep half for yourself and bless a neighbor or a friend with the gift of prepared food. PS…Pregnancy Resources loves cookies 😊
  • Question a day:If the grandparents live far away, let those grandbabies connect with an emailed, texted, or messaged question a day. It’s a great way to pass down generational stories and smiles at the same time.

Help out your “hood” – invest in those around you…

  • Share the bounty – When you start to harvest your garden (everybody has one it seems) make sure to share your bounty with your neighbors, those single moms and dads you know, and the essential workers who didn’t have the opportunity to plant this year.
  • Neighborhood cookout – Plan a neighborhood front yard gathering. Add music if you can. It is a great time to connect in a different way.