I was sort of prepared for C month to be a challenge- we were bringing a baby home at the beginning of the month! I was NOT prepared for it to be the beginning of a worldwide pandemic. Because of that, we had to start getting creative about how to make things work with fun and enthusiasm even if we were stuck at home. Here are some of the fun quarantine ideas I came up with, way back when I thought quarantine wouldn't last all that long! 

C Foods

Now, we were in the beginning of quarantine AND the newborn family. So we baked. A lot. We made a chocolate cheesecake and chocolate cookies from Dahlia Bakery (we lovingly call them quarantine cookies).

 They were both ridiculously good, and with a month of chocolate, cake, cookies, it may be time to embrace baking. Baking is great for kids- they can help measure, love pouring things in, and my kids freak out for a turn working the controls on the mixer. Kids learn math, measuring, precision, and patience from baking. It's a surprisingly great learning tool! 

We also tried making these crumble bars from our Raddish Box. We have loved these boxes (not an ad, I'm just a fan), so it might be a cool thing to try if you have no idea how to start Cooking with your kids (or you just aren't much of a cook yourself). If you are looking for a new hobby to take up as a family, this is the perfect month to try cooking or baking. 

Other C Food Ideas- Cantalope, Carnitas (you can do mushroom ones if you are vegan or vegetarian), Carrots (perfect time to try one of our carrot recipes for dinner!), Caramel Apples, and Corn, Cheese, and Chowder! It's a great month for food- it's Cooking month! The more we cook with our kids, the more they eat!

Our artist of the month was Chihuly. At the beginning of the month, before I really understood what quarantine was going to be, my plan was to take the to the Chihuly Sculpture Garden as one of our first outings with the baby and then make Chihuly-inspired art at home. Coronavirus had other plans, but there are Chihulys in MANY public gardens, especially in America. So if you want to take your kids to see art right now, public sculpture or botanical gardens are probably your best shot. 

Anyway, instead we watched Chihuly videos of them putting sculptures together (lots of Collaboration talk since he has a whole team). Then we used markers and Coffee filters to make our own colorful sculptures. 

Car painting is one of my favorite simple projects. All you need are a few toy cars, some paper (we used canvas boards, but i think like a cardstock paper might work even better, You can put the paint on a palette or a simple lid, and let them roll it around. If you want to do some basic color theory, start with primary colors and ask what colors they notice in the end. 

We watched some really interesting videos of coral reefs and talked about the different shapes we saw. Then we worked together to make our own coral reef. This is a perfect project for kids who aren't making figurative art yet, but really like figurative art. You can throw a blob in and totally have it fit. 

Carkeek Park

One of our favorite neighborhood parks is named Carkeek Park. I highly recommend, wherever you are, to make a list of the best parks in your area (and the ones you have been meaning to visit) and add them to your alphabet lists. It can be so fun to explore, and it helps keep the focus on outdoor time. 



Camera Walks

Can't sell outside time? Offer your bub the chance to go outside and take pictures!

This was a huge hit; I didn't expect it! We keep doing these regularly now. I let my big kid use my regular camera, but I think the best option would be those old digital cameras you don't use anymore (don't have one? Ask on Buy Nothing!). It can be fun to see what they see, it can be a great way to have them slow down and inspect things, and you will have a new collection of really unflattering pictures of yourself. 

There are all sorts of cool ideas on pinterest for games and activities using chalk. If you are in quarantine, you can take a bunch of chalk and leave love notes and pictures for friends outside their houses. It is also a totally zero-waste way to keep practicing mark-making, drawing, and creative play.

Other "C" Ideas- Making new Crayons, Building a Blanket Castle, Clocks (you can learn to read them), Cones, Cats, Candles, Cows. It really is a great letter for all sorts of adventures! Even in a pandemic!

Climate Change Books for Kids (you can read our whole post about them here)

Ok, off to the letter D! Stay tuned for more Alphabet Adventures