Surviving the Lockdown

As New Zealand went into Alert Level 4 lockdown on March 26, 2020, families began scratching their heads and wondering how they were going to make it through. Sure, essential services like grocery stores were open, but staying at home for a minimum of four weeks brought its own set of challenges. How are you supposed to amuse the kids and yourself when you’re stuck at home?

Firstly, it’s important to understand that you’re safe at home, not stuck at home. New Zealanders have to work together (but apart) to stop COVID-19 in its tracks. Remember, the virus doesn’t move; the people who carry it do. Stay home and save lives.

Aside from taking care of your own lawn mowing and gardens during the lockdown period, there are plenty of other things you can be doing to keep yourself and your loved ones in your bubble entertained. Read on to learn how to get through the lockdown period with your sanity intact.

We’re going on a bear hunt (and we’re not scared)

It can be hard to entertain young children at the best of times, but now that you must come up with something solely at home, it’s even more difficult. Fortunately, a New Zealand-wide initiative is now in play that allows kids to get outside while still social distancing.

The NZ Bear Hunt encourages all New Zealanders to put a teddy bear in their window facing the road. They can then pin their address to the map and watch as excited children pass their home and notice the bear.

While New Zealand must stay at home to stomp out the virus, local walks while maintaining a two-metre distance from others is permitted. Fresh air, exercise, and a bear hunt, could it get any better?

Clap for our champions

While the majority of us get to stay at home and protect our families, the essential workers of New Zealand must continue to work. They are our health workers, supermarket staff, port workers, waste collectors, and truckers, just to name a few.

While kindness and gratitude is one way to say thanks, another is through the event set up throughout the country called Clap for Our Champions. At 7 pm on a specified day in your region, everyone is encouraged to stand outside their home and clap for those who are making sure we can access our essential products and services throughout the lockdown period.

Online shopping

It can be a scary thing to think about how easy it is to catch and pass on COVID-19. The more vulnerable the people are in your community, the higher the risk. Therefore, if there’s something fun and essential you can do at home, it’s online shopping.

Given that non-essential services are now shut, you may be wondering what you can access during this time. Fortunately, there are several local, regional, and national businesses classed as essential that can deliver to your door.

Start with local businesses to support those closest to you during this trying time. However, you can also access a directory of independent Kiwi companies through delivereat. More are added daily, so be on the lookout for things you might need that these businesses can supply with contactless delivery.

Indoor and backyard Olympics

With news that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021, sports fans may now feel like they have nothing to look forward to – at least not for some time. But why not create an Olympic event in your own home? 

Indoor Olympics can be fun for the whole family! You can set up fun sports games in your backyard, like swingball or backyard cricket. You can even incorporate digital sports on game consoles. 

Some families can also get creative with the creation of a mini-golf area in their yard, making use of obstacles on their property to make things interesting. Activities inside and outside your home can come with points rewards, with the highest points earner deemed the Olympic champion.

If you’d like to play games in your backyard, check out these exciting suggestions we’ve listed down for you.

TV show re-enactments

There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now. Still, if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that most Kiwis are spending a lot more time watching TV. Why watch TV shows, though, when you can be on them? That’s right, to keep the whole family entertained, why not carry out activities that you see on your favourite shows? 

For example, the foodies might enjoy a MasterChef or My Kitchen Rules scenario, where the household is split into two and has to prepare meals over two evenings. You may or may not even choose to film the exercise.

Stay home, save lives

As a country, we have an essential job to do. Most of us may not be able to do our regular job, but that doesn’t make our current one any less crucial. That job is to stay at home and save lives.

We need to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and flatten the curve. There is plenty we can do in the comfort of our own properties to make this lockdown period fly by.