During challenging times, we at APRD want to do our part and continue to be a source of engagement, needed activity & fun for your families. That is why we are sharing daily ideas, resources and encouragement on our Facebook and Instagram pages. On this page, we will keep a complete list of the activities we post so you can use as a reference. Please share with your family and friends.
We are excited to announce that we added a new page to our Virtual Recreation Center! It’s all about sports and drills you can do at home to practice the games you love. So the Activity of the Day is to go check it out. Click here to head to our Sports Page!
Come take a trip to Wonderopolis! This website has answered over 2500 intriguing questions that people have asked such as how jelly beans are made and can birds fly in the rain! There is informational text, videos, vocabulary and so much more! Explore the website and get answers to some of your wonders!
Let’s use nature to make art for our Activity of the Day. Gather items from around the outside of your home or go on a walk to collect leaves, grass, flowers, pine cones, stones, basically any nature item (that isn’t your neighbors). When you get home start arranging your items anyway you want to make your own special creation. Watch this quick one minute video to get you started. Share a picture with us on facebook or instagram when you are done!
To make today special, we suggest that you take a few minutes to look through some old photos or videos to think back on some good memories. Dig out some photo albums or even organize some of your online pictures! Make it a family activity and we hope you enjoy the day!
It’s time for a race, a relay race. For our Activity of the Day we suggest that you modify these fun relay races to an at home, family version. Try the classic Egg and Spoon race or gather some pennies for the Penny Drop race. Click here for a list of hilarious relay races for your family to try.
Maybe you’ve played a lot of cards while staying safe at home or maybe you haven’t touched a deck, but our Activity of the Day is to learn a new card game! We found this great resource that gives written and video instructions for numerous games. Click here to check it out and challenge someone to a new game tonight!
Mother’s Day is only a few days away and, unfortunately, the thoughtful gifts made at school will not be coming home this year. So for your Activity of the Day, your mission is to make a homemade gift for your mom!
Click here for instructions on how to make this great hand print keepsake.
Click here for instructions on how to make the “I Love You Mom” flower and a few more great ideas.
Mom’s are working harder than ever right now, so let’s make sure they feel appreciated!
Math is all around us and for the Activity of the Day, we want you to find it! Download the Math Scavenger Hunt here. Start outside on this sunny day and then work your way back inside to collect the rest. This is a good family challenge since there is all different levels of math involved.
During these difficult times, we have all had days where it is tough to stay positive and to keep our family motivated. We want to help by encouraging you to make a Gratitude Jar for today’s activity. Find a jar around your house, cut up slips of paper and take time each day to write down something you are grateful for and place it in the jar. Gratitude practice decreases stress and negative thinking, increases happiness, and promotes social intelligence. For more ideas on how to get started click here!
Put your problem solving skills to the test for this Activity of the Day! You are “locked” in a room and need to solve each clue or problem to get to the next before you are allowed to leave the room. It’s a virtual escape room and we have a link to 25 different themed rooms for you to work your way out of. Click here to get started!
We’ve all enjoyed plenty of meals at home over the past few weeks, so let’s change up the scenery today and take a meal outside. Your Activity of the Day is having a picnic! Pack it up or pick up some take out to support a local restaurant. Lay out the blanket in your yard and enjoy another nice day.
Do you ever look into the night sky and wonder about all the stars? We suggest you learn a little about stargazing for our Activity of the Day. Click here for a guide to get you started or download an app on your phone to help you identify what you are looking at. Hopefully you can find a constellation tonight!
It’s the first day of May and we are kicking off our “Going the Social Distance 50K Challenge”. For your activity today, start tracking those miles and if you haven’t registered to get your medal, go to our website and get it done! We want to keep you motivated to stay active this month, but at a social distance of course. Track 50K (31 miles) either biking, jogging, running, walking, or rollerblading to earn your commemorative medal. Click here to register.
As we all know fire safety and preparedness is extremely important. For our Activity of the Day, we are encouraging families to talk about fire prevention, develop an escape plan, learn about fire detectors, and hold a practice drill. Set a goal and time yourselves to see if you can get to your meeting place within that time. Click here for some tips on how to create your plan.
There is something special about receiving a letter in the mail. Our Activity of the Day wants you to share that feeling with someone special in your life. Take some time today to write to a friend or family member letting them know that you are thinking of them and maybe include what you have been up to for the last few weeks.
Do you ever find a painted rock at the park or on a trail? Sometimes they have messages on them or they are just pretty to look at. For the Activity of the Day we want you to decorate rocks! There is a number of different ways to do it with all different techniques so check out this link for ideas on how to decorate your rocks.
It’s time to play Show & Tell! For our Activity of the Day, we want you to share a picture or video of your favorite stuffed animal and why it is so important to you. Did someone special give it to you? Do you sleep with it every night? Did you get it on a vacation? We want to know it all! Tag us on Instagram in a picture or video of you showing & telling. Or post on our Facebook page.
We want you to take advantage of this beautiful day by getting out and going on a bike ride today. You could go around the block, or pack up the bikes and head to a new trail, just get out there and enjoy!
Let’s make Play Dough! Watch this quick video and you will be all set. This will bring hours of fun. You can also bake the dough to make salt dough creations that last! Share a picture of your play dough with us on Facebook.
Using materials you can find around the house, create a mini golf course either inside or outside. Plastic cups work great for holes and make sure to include obstacles. Here’s link to a resource to get you started. Have fun and we hope you land a hole-in-one!
It’s time for another Mission Activity of the Day. Grab a book and let’s get started!. The mission is to complete this reading challenge. Download this Reading Challenge Sheet. Read outside, read to your pet, there are a lot of fun options for you. You may have to modify a few due to our current situation, but get creative and have fun reading! Remember books are your friends!
Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! There are so many great activities to do to celebrate our planet that we couldn’t narrow it down. So for today’s Activity of the Day we are giving you the choice. Here’s a link to a list of meaningful Earth Day activities for all ages!
We know many of you are taking a lot of walks to stay active during these times. We want to make your walks a little more exciting! For our Activity of the Day, head to our new Virtual Recreation Center on our website and select “Going on a Hunt”. There you will find a variety of printable lists of items to find while you are out including a math hunt and a color hunt. Try them all!
The Activity of the Day is an easy game, using just a ruler/tape measure and a couple of pieces of string or jump ropes: Spread the strings just one foot apart (using the ruler to measure). Encourage each kid to “jump over the river.” Now widen the river by an inch each time. Explain the concepts of narrow and wide. See how far each kid can jump!
Find a pine cone, add some peanut butter, roll in bird seed, hang outside, and then wait to see who comes to enjoy! Making these Pine Cone Bird Feeders is our Activity of the Day. Click here for a quick video on how to make them. The birds will be so excited for this tasty treat, see how many different types of birds (or other animals) come to check out your creation.
Let’s go fly a kite. There is nothing like the thrill of seeing your kite high up in the air. Snap a picture of you with your kite and post it on our Facebook page! We would love to see it.
Bring the excitement of camping inside your home for our Activity of the Day! Put up your tent or build a blanket fort, make smores, read a camping themed book, pack a picnic, play flashlight tag, have a sleepover right in your homemade tent/fort. Click here for some more ideas on how to make your night unforgettable!
Our friends at Budding Chefs have shared this great video with us on how to make Flying Frog Pudding! Your mission for this activity of the day is to make this tasty treat. The best part of this recipe is that you will need an assistant to help you “mix” the ingredients! Click here for the instructional video.
Who is missing their sports? We definitely are here at APRD, so for the Activity of the Day let’s do a Virtual Sports Camp! The National Academy of Athletics has put together a series of free and fun sports drills for basketball, football, baseball, soccer, baseball and volleyball. Try one (or more) today! Let’s keep those skills up, sports will be back before we know it! Click here to get started.
It’s Magic!! That’s our Activity of the Day. Click here for a video link where you and/or your kids can learn 7 easy magic tricks using items you most likely have in your house. Amaze your family and set up a magic show that you could do through a video chat!
There is no time like now to start Martial Arts! Our friends at The Academy are providing us with today’s Activity of the Day. Free virtual introductory family karate classes! Click here for your first lesson. Learn the basics of karate from the comfort of your home. Find the video links and more activities on our website, link in bio. See what their current students are up to on The Academy Facebook page!
Happy Easter from your friends at APRD! We know that this Easter will be like no other because of the stay safer at home order. For your Activity of the Day, why not capture your thoughts and feelings in this COVID-19 time capsule? Thank you to Long Creations for creating this time capsule and providing it free! Download the Time Capsule here!
Let’s make tonight a FAMILY GAME NIGHT! Our activity for the day is to pull out your favorite board game or card game and challenge your family. Are you missing your extended family and friends? Try a video chat game! Click here for an article that can help you!
We are getting excited for Easter, so for today’s activity we are going to have an Easter Egg Hunt! We found this great blog that gives you some unique ways to make the hunt special this year. Unique Easter Egg Hunt Ideas The best part is that you can hide the eggs again and again to continue the fun all weekend!
It’s time for another MISSION Activity of the Day. Today, find a drawer, closet, or cabinet that is in disarray and organize it! This is a great exercise for all ages and it will leave you feeling accomplished. Show off your hard work by taking a before and after picture and sharing it with us on our Facebook page!
Come and see some AMAZING things without leaving the house. Your Activity of the Day is to take a virtual field trip! Visit the zoo, a coral reef, Ellis Island, or any number of museums. You can learn about the census, ancient Egypt and even Mars! This is not just for kids, there are some great sights to see and fascinating information. Click here to get started!
The birds are out so let’s see how many you can spy! Our Activity of the Day comes with a Bird Tally Sheet so you can take it with you on a walk and mark down all the birds you see! Download the Bird Tally Sheet Here.
A Fun Family Workout is our Activity of the Day. It’s so important to stay healthy and blow off some extra steam during these times, so why not get the whole family involved by trying out one of these workouts put out by the celebrity trainers at Beachbody. Make it a part of your day today! Click here for workout videos!
Our Activity of the Day has two parts. First, we invite you to join the movement of decorating your front windows to share messages of love and hope. You can decorate in any way but one of the biggest movements sweeping the country is putting hearts in the window. This leads us to the second part, where you get out in your neighborhood and become a “Heart Hunter”. See how many homes you can find with hearts decorating their windows! Click here for a local news story on “Heart Hunting”.
You don’t have to go farther than your own backyard or driveway for today’s Activity of the Day! Pull out any yard games such as croquet or cornhole and put them to use. No games? Make a hopscotch board or just a good old fashioned game of tag! Even better, come up with your own game to play outside.
It’s a beautiful day! Let’s explore nature around us for our Activity of the Day. Take this list with you on a walk today and see how many of the items you can find. Make sure to pay attention to your surroundings as you walk. Isn’t Mother Nature amazing? Click here for a printable version of the list!
Let’s get creative everyone! Today’s challenge is to construct your own obstacle course either indoors or outdoors. Work on strength, balance, and motor skills through this fun and engaging activity. Set it up for you or challenge a family member!
Crank up the music and get moving for today’s activity! Kids, adults, everyone in the house let’s make this happen. Shoot us a picture of what your dance party looks like or let us know what the song was that got you moving today. We especially want to see our Unity Dance Academy students having their dance parties! Special thanks to Ms. Liz and her daughter for getting us started.
We are making it a holiday for today’s Activity of the Day…”Quarantine-oween”! Grab those Halloween costumes and let’s get dressed up. Share of photo of something you did today in your costume. Maybe it’s online learning, working from home, going for a walk. We want to see it and maybe you can find some candy around the house to TREAT yourself with!
We are excited to have are partner, Joy Jordan with Born Joy: Mindfulness, to lead us in our Activity of the Day. During this time of social distance and staying at home, we have a lot of togetherness as families. It’s helpful to have a few mindfulness practices to help out along the way. Joy tailored a short video demonstrating 5 awareness practices. Click here for her video and make sure to come back and take a mindfulness moment whenever you need it!
Nothing could be more yummy then this Activity of the Day! Edible cookie dough is all the rage these days and we found this two minute video on how to make it in four different flavors. Why not make your own flavors with ingredients you have in your house. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTywrkAHXdg
We hope that your new schedule includes getting outside each day for some fresh air and exercise. Today we want to you to share something you see while you are out and about. The activity is FREESHOT FRIDAY! Take a picture of something of interest to you such as wildlife, a trail, decorated sidewalk or anything you may find and share it with us on our Facebook or Instagram pages. Remember all your social distancing recommendations while you are out. We can’t wait to see what you find!
Build a bridge, out of ANYTHING! Books, legos, blocks, straws, toothpicks, get creative! This is fun for all ages. You could even make it a competition and see how much weight your bridge can hold. Go on and start building!
Encourage kids to come up with an activity all their own… no rules other than fun, no limits other than safety! For inspiration, here’s an idea from our friends at Lincoln Youth Soccer in Portland, OR… “Costume Soccer”! 1 vs 1, painter’s tape goal, while wearing a costume!
This Activity of the Day is perfect for the whole family to get creative and competitive! Each person needs to make a paper airplane and then record how far it flies. Longest flight wins!
We could all use a little “zen” in our life right now, so for our Activity of the Day, we are recommending you check out Cosmic Kids Yoga. It is yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed especially for kids aged 3+. Check out some of their top yoga adventures including Frozen, Minecraft, Star Wars, and Harry Potter! Show us some of your best poses. Click here to go to Cosmic Kids Yoga.
We want you to get out outside and spread some kindness for our Activity of the Day! Grab some sidewalk chalk and leave positive messages on your driveway for people to read as they walk by. Let’s work together to share some positivity today!
Let’s get moving for today’s Activity of the Day! Grab a deck of cards and we will turn it into a fun workout. Click here for the instructions. This is perfect for all ages and can be done inside or outdoors. (It may also cover your gym class for the day…😉)
This activity of the day requires one piece of equipment…a balloon! The goal is to see how long you can keep it in the air, or if you have more than one person, play balloon volleyball. Challenge a family member to either of the games and have some fun with it.
We are sending you another mission…it’s time to build a fort! Transform a space in your home into something special using whatever blankets, sheets, cushions, chairs, etc. that you can find. During these times, having a “hideout” might be exactly what you need!