Summary

The website provides seven family-friendly activity ideas for celebrating Labor Day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

The article offers suggestions for a pandemic-conscious Labor Day celebration with children, emphasizing the importance of social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. It proposes a variety of activities such as having a picnic in a local park, watching patriotic movies, planning a special dinner either through takeout or a fun home-cooked meal, hosting a board game marathon, decorating for fall, enjoying water activities, and encouraging parents to relax after their kids go to bed. The aim is to make the holiday enjoyable and memorable while adhering to safety guidelines.

Opinions

The author believes that a change in routine, such as eating outside, can be exhilarating and provide a sense of normalcy.
Watching classic American movies is suggested as a way to honor the holiday while staying safe at home.
The article expresses that trying new cuisines or cooking something different can add excitement to meal times during the pandemic.
Introducing children to board games is seen as a valuable screen-free way to bond and have fun as a family.
Decorating for fall early is presented as a way to build anticipation for the season and distract from current limitations.
The author implies that water activities like using a sprinkler are simple yet effective ways to keep children entertained.
There is an opinion that parents should prioritize self-care and relaxation after their children's bedtime, acknowledging the increased stress and reduced personal time due to the pandemic.

7 Pandemic-Friendly Tips to Celebrate Labor Day With Kids

“American Flag” Flickr photo by Mike Mozart shared under a Creative Commons (BY 2.0) license.

Labor Day weekend has arrived, but like most everything else in 2020, COVID-19 has ruined your standard plans. Typically, you’d be attending at least one barbecue with family and friends, going on a road trip, or maybe catching a baseball game.

Now that we’re six months into the pandemic — with no end in sight — your kids are bored and you’re exhausted. You want to make this weekend special, without being in close contact with anyone outside your household, but you’re completely out of ideas — and energy.

Here’s a few easy-to-plan activities everyone is sure to enjoy, so you can make this very strange Labor Day weekend a fun one.

Have a Picnic

Something about eating outside on a blanket is just really entertaining. If there’s a local park in your area you feel is safe enough for proper social distancing, pack a picnic lunch and load the kids in the car. Doing something a little different will feel exhilarating, and might even allow you to pretend life is normal right now — at least until you put your mask back on after eating.

Watch Patriotic Movies

Nothing is more American than gathering in a park with thousands of others to watch fireworks on a national holiday. That’s not happening this year, but your family can pay homage to the red, white, and blue pandemic-style by watching classically American movies.

There’s literally something for everyone, but here’s a few to get you started.

· “G.I. Jane”

· “The American President”

· “Top Gun”

· “Hidden Figures”

· “The Sandlot”

· “Independence Day”

· “An Officer and a Gentleman”

· “Forrest Gump”

· “A League of Their Own”

· Anything “Captain America”

Plan a Special Dinner

By this point in the pandemic, you’ve almost definitely gotten into a grove with mealtimes. You make the same standard recipes and order from your go-to takeout spots. This is great, but spice things up a bit this weekend.

More restaurants than ever are offering takeout and delivery, so you might opt for something fancier than usual, order from a new restaurant, or get super wild and give an entirely new cuisine a try.

If cooking at home is more your style, do something fun — read: easy — like make your own pizza night or breakfast for dinner. Your kids will love it and you’ll win by spending a little less time spent in the kitchen.

Hold a Board Game Marathon

Give your kids a taste of your childhood — i.e., no smartphones, tablets, or internet — and introduce them to a few new board games. This is a fun way to bond as a family and get your kids to look away from a screen for awhile.

The games you play will of course vary by your children’s’ ages and interests, but here’s a few ideas.

· Clue

· Chutes and Ladders

· Candy Land

· Twister

· Hi-Ho! Cherry-O

· Monopoly Jr.

· The Game of Life

Decorate for Fall

If you’re like most people, you can’t wait for fall to arrive, so make it happen — at least in your house. Pull out your pumpkin spice candles, decorative pumpkins, fall wreaths, and Halloween décor and go to town.

When fall officially begins September 21, you’ll be ahead of the game. Your kids will enjoy helping you decorate, because these items will invoke visions of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating — whatever that will look like this year.

Cool Off in the Water

Chances are, the temperature is going to be pretty hot wherever you are this weekend. If you have a pool in your backyard, this one’s easy, but if not, never fear.

My toddler is obsessed with his sprinkler pad, which hooks right up to the hose. Of course, kids are kids, so you can probably score a home run by simply letting them run through the sprinkler or hosing them down.

Do Something Fun When the Kids Go to Bed

Social distancing has likely made your ‘me time’ a thing of the past. However, you still need time to relax and recharge. Doing so will certainly look different than in normal times, but give yourself a break after the kids go to bed this weekend.

Instead of trying to chip away at your endless to-do list, do something just for you. Sip wine in a bubble bath, plan a date night with your spouse, or curl up with a good book. Relax and enjoy yourself, because you deserve it.