Heroes for Parents

Social Distancing for Kids

By Erica Rascón on Jun 11, 2020 in News

In cities across the nation, school ends as summer arrives. While parents who have adapted to homeschooling release a collective sigh of relief, we know a second challenge looms: bored kids in a period of social distancing. Parents are grateful to see our kids enjoy even a few electronic-device-free hours. You, dear property manager, can help us achieve it.

As a property manager, you can win big points on loyalty and resident satisfaction by hosting kid-friendly events. Need a few ideas? We’ve got three below to help you get started. These ideas are intended for locations where shelter-in-place practices are lifting, but families want to maintain activities that are appropriate for social distancing.

Toddler I Spy Searching games can take on a variety of styles. One of the most casual options is to ask residents to tape paper shapes, colors and animals to their windows. As kids stroll the community with their families, they can point out the shapes, colors and animals that they discover in neighbors’ windows.

Youngster Treasure Hunt This is a fun and fully customizable game for slightly older kids. Staff members can curate items and place them throughout the community: a massive stuffed bear in the leasing office window, a new bird feeder or windchime in a prominent tree, and similar items that are easy to see or hear but not easy to touch. Create a printable document that families can take with them during a stroll. Kids can check off the items that they locate and where. Incentivize the game with a fun raffle. (Allow families to electronically submit their completed forms, of course.)

Teen Archery I know what you’re thinking. Give bored youth projectiles? But outdoor archery classes can successfully promote multiple benefits while keeping kids safe. Primarily, archery gets kids outside and into the sunshine and fresh air. Secondly, it’s a great sport to improve posture and upper body strength—much needed practices to counteract slouching in front of a smartphone. But perhaps most importantly, archery teaches youth the focus on their awareness, their breath, and other sensory details that promote mental wellbeing.

Additionally, it’s easy to practice social distancing during archery classes. In intro classes, verbal queues are enough for most teens (no hands-on assistance required). The row of targets and posts are easily dispersed, and students approach the target one at a time. Solid, non-porous bows and arrows are relatively simply to disinfect. Check with your nearby YMCA, local, state or national park, or recreation center to learn about rental and instructor opportunities.

(And no worries about the projectiles. There are a variety of arrows that are safe for students of all ages!)

Get great ideas from the community

Your community is full of great ideas. All you have to do is ask! Use your resident portal to learn what interests your residents and their youth. You can also use the portal for event notifications and registrations.