You Can Do It, Put a Theme into It: Breaking Up the Monotony of Quarantine.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good theme! From a Christmas in July birthday party for my daughter to a Hollywood Red Carpet Soiree for my bestie, I thrive on kicking a gathering up a notch by adding a little creativity and a few props. As we all head indoors for the unforeseeable future, why not break up the monotony of the quarantine by throwing together a theme? These don’t need to be elaborate or span an entire day, but they are a great excuse to pull us away from our screens and make some sweet lemonade out of this platter of lemons we’ve all been handed.

Sunday Funday!

Do you remember the good ol’ days of two months ago? This city was electric and what better time to relive it all. Break out your Chiefs gear, fire up the big game again on your DVR or pull up highlights to watch online, have a family contest on who can do the best K.C. Wolf Belly/Booty shake, and randomly throughout the day, break out your best Mitch Holthus, “Touchdown Kanzazzz City!”

Spa Day

We could all use a little zen right about now, amiright?! Pull up some Enya, toss some sliced fruit into a pitcher of water and have a family yoga session. My kids LOVE the Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. With yoga themed to Frozen, Moana and even Minecraft, you’ll find a routine to suit everyone.

Holiday Day

Pick your family’s favorite holiday (or pick a few, we’ll be here for a while) and declare that day whatever holiday it is. Is it Christmas in your house? Pull some twinkle lights out of the basement, put on your favorite holiday movie and bake some chocolate chip cookies. Halloween? Dig your costumes out of the dress-up bin, have a dance party to “Thriller” and “Monster Mash” and set up trick-or-treating in your house (hey kids, do you like mini bottles of hand sanitizer?) And if you’re feeling lucky you can create an amazing St. Patrick’s Day party in your home.

Disney Day

Turn your home into The Most Magical Place On Earth! Whether you have Disney+ or a stack of old VHS tapes released from the vault when you were a kid, turn on a Disney classic. Try to pick one that your kids have never seen. Sport your favorite Princess shirt, make some Mickey-shaped pancakes for breakfast, and host a Disney karaoke session to round out the night.

Bookworm Day

Turn the screens off and head towards the stacks. Dress as your favorite book character and see if your family can guess who you are, have your family read the same book and have a book club discussion at dinner. Speaking of dinner, have The Very Hungry Caterpillar be your inspiration for a tasting plate where there is a little bit of everything and they can try new foods when it’s only the size of a hole punch. **I cannot guarantee this will work with your kids, let alone with my own.**

Whether you use these theme ideas or create plans of your own, your kids and your sanity will thank you for it. There will be a day when our children are grown, and they’ll talk about this time in their lives. Let the memories of these days be fun and light-hearted, instead of the alternative.