Safe socializing ideas needed ASAP!

[klmama]

My teen is DONE with isolation.  We've been putting our focus on physical health, but mental health is important, too.  Please give me all your safe socializing ideas!!! Links to other threads where this has been discussed would be wonderful, or other ideas you may have.  Thank you!

ETA:  It's chilly outside now, so we need autumn- and winter-appropriate activities.

Edited October 28, 2020 by klmama

[Shoeless]

Fire pit outside?

Ice skating outside?

Sledding when it snows?

[Not_a_Number]

I take it online things aren't working well? 

[klmama]

21 minutes ago, kand said:

Bike ride with a friend

hiking with friend

Outdoor movie night with social distancing (we do masks for outdoor stationary things like this as well, but ymmv)

zoom game nights

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions!  Could you please explain how exactly one puts on an outdoor movie night?  I mean, what do you use to play the movie out there?  Take the TV outside and hook it up?  Also, I don't understand how one would play games via Zoom, but I'd love to know!

[klmama]

Just now, Not_a_Number said:

I take it online things aren't working well? 

No.  Not well at all.

[klmama]

7 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

Fire pit outside?

Ice skating outside?

Sledding when it snows?

It will be awhile for the ice skating and sledding, but a fire pit might work, if we can find one.  I heard recently they were still back-ordered here.  ETA:  They are finally in stock!  Hooray!

Edited October 28, 2020 by klmama

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, klmama said:

It will be awhile for the ice skating and sledding, but a fire pit might work, if we can find one.  I heard recently they were still back-ordered here.  ETA:  They are finally in stock!  Hooray!

If you can't find one, try googling how to make one with bricks? 

Edited October 28, 2020 by MissLemon

[Not_a_Number]

8 minutes ago, klmama said:

No.  Not well at all.

So, I don't know if this will work with a teen, but I wound up having to actually schedule online socializing time for my kid that had a structured activity built in. Just Zoom calls weren't cutting it. 

I really have no idea if that applies for a teen, though 😞 . 

[klmama]

Okay, Googling brought up about a dozen games that could be played via Zoom - who knew??  Thanks kand!  

[prairiewindmomma]

Also look at Steam games, particularly the tabletop simulator for shared game playing.

We live in an outdoors-friendly place. Hiking and biking are huge here. Skiing will be an option soon.

We aren’t participating, but our kids’ friends are getting together for outdoor archery, outdoor ropes courses, kickball games, etc. Everyone is masked.

[Farrar]

If your teen has a largeish group of friends, Among Us is good for online play.

My teens do Jackbox Games online with friends. They're very silly and fun. Because it's mildly confusing how to do this, I'll explain how it works. One person buys a pack of games. Just one. That person screenshares the game on Zoom. Everyone else needs one device to watch the Zoom stream and one device to play the game. So, typically, this is a computer to watch the Zoom and a phone or tablet to play the game. Playing the game on the phone or tablet is free. The person who starts the game gets a join code. You just go to the website and join.

Seconding all the outdoor ideas. My kids have been socializing outside at various points.

For movies, my kids hooked up a projector and hung a sheet. I mean, they sort of watched a movie. And they sort of laid on the patio watching video game streams with friends. But... you know... whatever.

[IfIOnly]

Seconding Among Us as a great game kids can play with friends. Online gaming with friends is a big win here. 

Hiking or walking is good if your DD is into it. I had a weekly date with friends when things were super restrictive here. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by IfIOnly

[EmilyGF]

Walk at the park with a friend. They meet up at the park and walk. They stay a few feet apart, but are moving the whole time.

Hike. (Walking but not at the park, LOL.)

Outdoor community service at local parks. Our city is hurting for money and can't pay people to pick up trash this year, so they are asking people to "pitch in" and help out at the parks, at both official and unofficial garbage pickups. If you have environmentally-minded teens, they might like this. My son did this with his scout troop. DS also built a number of benches with his scout troop at a local park. Because of the pandemic, they are in constant use!

Birding.

Hot chocolate in the yard, socially distanced. 

Follow the leader (OK, not for teens, but my 12-and-unders love it!).

Sigh.

[Danae]

If your teen has not previously been an outdoorsy person and doesn’t have good clothes for it invest in some.  Base layers and good wool socks make a huge difference in how long it’s comfortable to be outdoors.
 

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Danae

[Shoeless]

A few more ideas:

Playing Pokemon Go (gets you outside and walking around)

Geocaching (also outside)

A weirder one: taking photos of headstones at local cemeteries for findagrave.com.  It's a great genealogy resource. I was able to get photos of my gr.gr. grandparents headstone from it and also connect with someone that had photos of them with my gr. grandma as a little girl. 

[wintermom]

Here's some things my teen boys are doing to stay connected with their friends:

- on-line D&D, card games

- on-line games like "Among Us," which is a group game where you try to figure out who is the designated assassin

- walk in the woods (I walk with the moms, and the teen boys walk together)

- outdoor basketball, street hockey, soccer; or indoor with small numbers (our homeschool groups are still up and running)

 

[Acadie]

We have a firepit but my teens are getting even more use out of two electric throw blankets I got on Amazon (just saw Costco has one on sale as well). They've plugged them in for use on our patio, at the entry to the garage with the door open for a little more protection from the elements, and at an open-air park pavilion that has outlets. They enjoy just being able to sit around talking with friends, and the electric throws have made it doable with temps in the 40s. We'll see how it goes as it gets even colder! 

I agree that teens really do need to socialize--and there are ways to make it happen that are Covid safe.

Edited October 31, 2020 by Acadie

[Matryoshka]

27 minutes ago, Acadie said:

We have a firepit but my teens are getting even more use out of two electric throw blankets I got on Amazon (just saw Costco has one on sale as well). They've plugged them in for use on our patio, at the entry to the garage with the door open for a little more protection from the elements, and at an open-air park pavilion that has outlets. They enjoy just being able to sit around talking with friends, and the electric throws have made it doable with temps in the 40s. We'll see how it goes as it gets even colder! 

Would you mind sharing a link for the electric throw blankets?  My parents want some kind of plug-in heat for their patio, and I honestly think these would work better than an electric heater - they tend to point in one direction, which isn't helpful if you're trying to have a distanced outdoor gathering...

[Miss Tick]

I've been thinking about having my girls make those Tie Fringe Fleece blankets. Most of the creation work is done with the blanket on your lap as you work around the outside tying the fringe, so it makes sense to do it during a cool time of year. Maybe in the garage with the doors open.

[Tap]

Are there any church groups in your area that are getting together. A person doesn't have to be a practicing Christian to attend. Just someone who is kind and willing to be respectful of what is being said. My son is a youth pastor and he welcomes any and all visitors. They do have bible study time, but there are often music, free talk and game times. 

There is a saying that there is no bad weather, just wrong clothes. If you live in a colder climate, maybe you can invest in some warm clothes, long parka and start a walking group or something similar with some of her friends. 

 

[ScoutTN]

Seconding hiking, birding, geocaching, and firepits! 

And the service projects! We have pulled invasive weeds, mulched trails, cleaned and filled birdfeeders, and picked up trash this fall with other families or scouting groups at local city and state parks.

Adding horseback riding! My dd and some friends have gone for some trail rides and had a blast.

Any outdoor classes being offered where you live? We have dance and yoga in the park, as well as photography and some nature related drawing and painting classes. 

[LAS in LA]

Youth pastors in our area organized an outdoor inter-church youth wiffle ball tournament. 3 innings or 30 minutes per game. Sort of competitive, but very focused on having a good time. Such a relief for our kids to do something fun and normal with others! It was a cold day, but they enjoyed being outside (and more Vitamin D!).