With the school year winding down, this will be my last “Parenting During the Coronavirus Pandemic” post. In total, we parents will have had our kids home for 12 weeks by the time school ends! If you’re looking for some summer ideas either for this summer, or for your “post-Covid-19” bucket-list, check out my Spring and Summer Activities for Families Guide!
Art and Home Displays
- Center for the Visual Arts has daily activities on Facebook to encourage creativity
- Clay Corner Studio offers pottery to-go delivered right to your home
- Heart Groups: A World of Hearts, #FromMyWindow, Happy Heart Hunt, Heart Hunters
- Rise Up Central Wisconsin invites you to join them in their circle project
- Teddy Bear Groups: Bear Hunt, Going on a Bear Hunt, Wisconsin Teddy Bear Hunt
- Wausau DIY offers custom home sign kits and a social distancing heart sign ($15 from each sign is donated to DC Everest-Wausau Blessings in a Backpack!)
Local Activities
- 5 Koshas Yoga and Wellness has online classes for kids and adults (some are free)
- Boys and Girls Club of Portage County is sharing daily activities on Facebook
- Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau Area has daily virtual activities and homework help weekdays from 3-3:30pm (more info here)
- CI Pediatric Therapy Centers offer online classes for kids (FREE every Friday!)
- The Grand Theater hosts watch parties for various movies and shows
- Ifleed shares ideas on their Facebook page and just started a YouTube channel
- IRONBULL created Island Hop Adventure (free!) and River Runs Wild Virtual Run & Walk
- Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry has Trail Tales – books on trails
- Marathon County Public Library offers audio-books and lots of online resources
- Monk Botanical Gardens has a variety of online activities on Facebook
- NTC is offering a FREE online babysitting class recommended for ages 13+
- PBS Wisconsin offers at-home learning daily programming
- RaiseGreatKids.org & Marathon County Early Years Coalition share great resources
- UW-Stevens Point is currently offering 10 free, self-paced courses
- Visit Wausau and Central Wisconsin has a list of gyms with virtual workouts and more
- Wausau Conservatory of Music has online classes for new and returning students
- Winning Literacy has videos for K-1 students by a local mom and reading specialist
- WSAW News Channel 7 has kids weather lessons on Facebook Mon. & Fri. at 3 pm
- Your student’s school library may have a list of recommended resources!
Local Food Options
- Big Bull Falls Farm Market is open Saturdays 8am – noon
- BiteSquad restaurant delivery (Referral: New users get a $10 credit)
- Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau Area offers a snack/dinner meal pick-up weekdays from 4:30 – 5:30 pm at either 1710 N 2nd Street, Wausau or John Muir Middle School
- DoorDash restaurant delivery (Referral: New users get $5 off their first 3 orders)
- D.C. Everest School District offers FREE grab-and-go bags of food for ANYONE
- Mosinee School District offers Wi-Fi on wheels and FREE lunch too
- Pick ‘n Save offers free grocery pickup from now until 6/1/20 (Clip the coupon.)
- Stoney Acres Farm offers delivery in the Wausau area
- Trig’s offers free grocery delivery on your first 5 orders (Promo code: 5FREE)
- Walmart offers free grocery pick-up (Referral: New users get $10 off their first order)
- Wausau Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays 7:30am – noon (possibly Wednesdays too)
- Wausau School District offers FREE meals for anyone 18 and younger
- Weston Farmer’s Market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays 8am – noon
Local Information
- D. C. Everest School District: Free meals and W-Fi hotspot information
- Family Resource Centers of Marathon County: List of emergency phone numbers
- Greater Wausau Area Chamber of Commerce: Resources for business owners
- Mosinee School District: Free meals and Wi-Fi hotspot information
- Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau: Local resources
- Wausau School District: Free meals and Wi-Fi hotspot information
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Covid-19 information
- WSAW – Channel 7 has a list of local restaurants that offer take-out or delivery
Local Volunteer Opportunities
- A.B. Mask for a Nurse by a Nurse Tutorial from Jessica Nandino on Instructables
- Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin: Make an appointment to donate blood
- Jo-Ann Fabric: DIY mask guides
- Marshfield Clinic: DIY mask guide and drop off information
- North Central Health Care: DIY mask guide and drop off information
- SMART: Order form for free metal nose pieces for face masks from contractors working with sheet metal union members
- United Way of Marathon County: Plant a seed or send an e-card to a healthcare worker
- Wausau Area Coronavirus Needs Connection: Connects volunteers with opportunities
Online Activities for Kids and Families
- Amazing Educational Resources: HUGE list of free services
- Common Sense Education: 10 great free websites for elementary students
- GoNoodle: Exercise and “brain break” videos for kids
- Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence at Home: LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems
- National Park Service Junior Rangers: Complete workbooks to earn badges
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: Daily zoo video and activity at 2pm
- Podcasts for Kids: A list from the NYTimes of the best podcasts for kids
- Storytime from Space: Astronauts reading books in outer space
- TinkerGarten: Outdoor play activities and weekly emails with themed play
- Travel and Leisure Magazine: List of 12 museums with virtual tours
Online Activities for Teens and Adults
- PlayingCards.io: Free card games you can play with friends
- The Shows Must Go On: Free Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are released every Friday
- Travel and Leisure Magazine: List of 12 museums with virtual tours
Printables and E-books
- Coronavirus – A Book for Children: A free e-book for kids age 5-9
- COVID-19 Time Capsule: Free printable for kids from LONG Creations
- My Hero is You, Storybook for Children on COVID-19: Free e-book (In 32 languages)
- My Lockdown Diary: Free 33 page printable diary with prompts
Resources from Wausau Mama
Self-Care Ideas
- Soak your feet in a foot bath
- Try meditating
- Go for a bike ride
- Paint your finger or toenails
- Listen to a funny or calming podcast
- Watch a funny movie
- Go for a walk
- Apply a face mask
- Try forest bathing (link to article from The Guardian)
- Take a (real) bath
- Make something for fun (knitting, sewing, woodworking, etc.)
- Write a letter
- Print your favorite photos and display them
- Read a book for fun
- Color in a kid or adult coloring book
- Do yoga
- Call a friend or family member
- Drink some hot tea (or other hydrating drink)
If you’re struggling, please know that you’re not alone! Sometimes our emotions feel out of our control. If you are feeling anxious, sad, or lonely, please check out North Central Health Care’s website for resources. 💛